Barb Straub, Administrator, Clerk and Treasurer for the Village of Hemingford, was left speechless after being announced as the 2025 Outstanding Clerk of the Year in the Village Category during the annual banquet of the Nebraska Municipal Clerks Association.
Receiving prior notification that she had been nominated for the award, Straub explained that she was unsure as to whom the award would be given.
“I start thinking about if I’m nominated, what would I say,” Straub said. “I’m pretty much thinking it’s not me. I hear them mention that this clerk sits on the local hospital board and credentialing board, and I grab the girl sitting next to me, and I go, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s me.’ It was. So I get up to say my thank yous, and all my words left. All I could say was, ‘Thank you, I’m grateful, I’m honored,’ and the President of the Nebraska Municipal Clerks Association is sitting next to me at this podium, and she taps me on the shoulder, and she points. Here comes my two daughters, my three grandchildren and one of my son in laws, and Trustee (Will) Mahony. That made it very real.”
Receiving a plaque with the award, Straub explained that it offered her something meaningful.
“It means that I can retire knowing I did well,” Straub said. “It means that my board understands how important the community is to me, and doing the right things for the community is to me.”
Straub began her career in government at the urging of her husband, she explained, working in Gresham, Neb., as a part time clerk for two years. When she moved to Hemingford in 2006, she walked into the offices to set up her utilities, and the rest was history. When her husband found out the utility billing position was available, he encouraged her to go for it.
“I said, ‘You know, not tomorrow, or next year, but when you’re done in here, I want your job,’” said Straub. “In 2016, here I am, and I’ve been here for nine years.”
Since taking the reins in 2016, Straub has seen a lot of progress within the Village of Hemingford, celebrating multiple accomplishments and planning more projects to help the Village to grow its offerings.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to work with a board that’s forward thinking, that wants to be proactive rather than reactive,” Straub said. “As a small community, that’s necessary so we don’t fall into a situation where we don’t have what we need to take care of. Fortunately, I’m blessed that my boards have been that way. The other key thing is my crew is amazing, and I couldn’t do my job without the board allowing me the flexibility to do it, and without those guys being willing to put my visions and dreams into reality.
“We have our solar farm, the new splash pad that we’re opening on Memorial Day with the pool, street projects,” said Straub. “In 2019, we did 10 blocks of streets, and now we’re doing I think 13 or 14 more blocks, and everything will be concrete. Everything is going to be new, we’re doing some water work under some of the streets while they’re open. We’ve been able to update equipment, we balance our budget. It’s been great here in Hemingford.”
Straub emphasized her gratefulness for the opportunity to continue to serve the community and to the Board of Trustees for their nominating her for the award.
“Much gratitude and thank yous to my family, my crew, and my board,” Straub said. “These things can’t be done without a team effort, and we are a very good team.