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CMCA Mentoring Program

CMCA provides a Mentoring program geared toward helping city and special district clerks in California who desire to achieve the designation of Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC).

If you are new to the profession and would like a Mentor, or if you have already achieved CMC status and would like to serve as a Mentor to others, please contact our Mentor Development Director for more information.

Contact:
Candice Alvarez, MMC
Mentor Development Director
(951) 674-3124 ext. 262
email: calvarez@lake-elsinore.org


Become a Mentor


A Mentor is someone who motivates, inspires, and supports. They give mentees the tools they need to achieve their goals and work through challenges. They can be a role model, voice of reason, or a trusted resource that helps mentees grow professionally. They value delivering support in a way that makes sense to the mentee. And they always keep the mentee’s best interest in mind. Depending on the mentee’s needs, a Mentor:

• Offers encouragement during challenging times
• Provides personal development tips 
• Shares knowledge and life experiences 
• Discusses goal setting and aspirations 
• Advises on professional development
• Identifies and provides resources
• Supports the mentee’s journey toward progress

Anyone who works in a Clerk’s Office and is a CMC can be a Mentor. Additionally, you must be committed to other Clerks’ development, have a reasonable level of Municipal Clerk job knowledge, and be familiar with the culture and norms of our profession. You would be helping other Clerks accomplish things you have already accomplished! If you have your CMC, all you need now is a two-hour training with our Mentor Development Director. Both in person and virtual training opportunities are available.

Mentors understand the stresses and challenges that come with working in a Clerk’s Office and the hard work and dedication it takes to earn the CMC designation. Since they’ve been down the same road before, they can guide the next generation of clerks through the journey. Being a Mentor is also important because it:
  • Shapes future leaders - Providing guidance is essential to shaping future clerks. Mentees may one day be Clerks themselves. With the right Mentorship, they’ll be able to thrive in their roles now and in the future.
  • Strengthens your leadership skills - One of the best ways to be a better leader is to practice. When you have a mentee under your wing, you’ll have that chance. As time passes and your Mentorship experience and involvement increases, so will your leadership skills. 
  • Teaches you new skills - There’s no better way to learn than to teach. Teaching helps you strengthen the lessons you’ve already learned. It also helps you learn new skills you may not have had. For instance, you may learn how to be a better listener and communicator. 
  • Helps increase the mentees’ confidence - There’s nothing like seeing your mentee beam with confidence. Learning how to reach goals helps give mentees a confidence boost.
  • Gives you credit towards your MMC – If you are working towards attaining your MMC designation, you get 1 point for ever year you are a Mentor.

Please complete our Volunteer/Mentor interest form.

Get a Mentor


Anyone working in a city or special district clerk’s office who is interested in working toward attaining their CMC designation can get a Mentor.

Having a Mentor is integral to your career growth.
  • Mentors kickstart your professional development – Your Mentor can keep you aware of training and scholarship opportunities
  • Mentors help you clarify and set goals – Your Mentor can help you understand the CMC application and help you identify what you need to earn your CMC.
    Mentors develop your leadership skills - Mentorships can cultivate leadership skills such as listening, compassion, and giving and receiving feedback. Participants develop these skills by using them in the relationship. These soft skills are essential for career success.
  • Mentors raise your confidence and problem-solving abilities - Your Mentor can advise and guide you, increasing your confidence and developing problem-solving skills.
  • Mentors expand your network and open up doors to new opportunities – You will gain access to other people in various ways. Mentors can be a friendly face at a training or conference, or they can introduce you to their Mentors, colleagues, and clerk friends. Not everyone has experienced every situation that can come up in a clerk’s office, so even if your Mentor doesn’t have experience with a certain situation, they can likely connect you with someone who has and who can give you guidance.
  • Mentors offer invaluable tacit knowledge and guidance - Mentors hold valuable knowledge that can be crucial in helping a mentee uncover opportunities and solve problems. Mentors can guide a mentee by providing instructions on how to do specific tasks or acquire useful skills. They can also share tips on overcoming obstacles or challenges to career development.

Are you ready to get a Mentor? You can get a Mentor one of two ways:
  • Attend a Nuts & Bolts or CMC Institute Training; or
  • Contact the Mentor Development Director to request one

Contact Us

  • 3620 American River Drive, Suite 230
    Sacramento, CA 95864
  • Phone: (916) 330-2706 
  • Email: info@calclerks.org

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The California Municipal Clerks Association (CMCA) was founded in 1977 with a mission of promoting the profession through education, support, and communication.