SOMERS — Somers Town Clerk David Marti, has earned the designation of Certified Municipal Clerk, or CMC, awarded by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks Inc.
“I was elated to receive a letter last week informing me about the good news. It has been a long process involving weeklong training sessions for the past three years in New Hampshire,” Marti said.
The CMC program prepares applicants to meet the challenges of the complex role of town clerk. IIMC grants the CMC designation only to municipal clerks who complete demanding education requirements and have a record of significant contributions to their local government, community and state.
When Marti enlisted for international designation and began his studies, he also applied to become a Connecticut Certified Town Clerk, undergoing at the same time for three years an equally rigorous educational program offered by the state. He recently received notice of his successful completion of the mandatory final exam to receive his state certification.
Marti, 64, was elected to the town clerk position in November 2021, replacing Ann Logan who did not seek reelection. He earned 1,990 votes as posted on the Secretary of State’s website.
The town clerk moved to Somers 20 years ago from Wilbraham, after having served in various positions including director of marketing for Bozzutos in Cheshire and director of advertising for Big Y. He later purchased DG Graphics, a printing company in Somers, which he sold in 2022 to devote his full-time efforts of town clerk.
“I always wanted to be involved in some sort of service to others inspired by my family serving the community as teachers and my father who worked for the U.S. Department of State. When I moved to Somers, I joined the Somers Rotary Club and many of my fellow Rotarians had worked in town government. Seeing their commitment to serve the community in Somers was part of my impetus for running for Somers Town Clerk,” Marti said.
“There is a lot involved in being town clerk that people don’t realize,” he added.
According to the town of Somers website, the town clerk’s office is responsible for all land records, birth, marriage and death records, maps, liquor permits, veteran discharges, assists the Registrar of Voters, issues dog licenses, marriage and sporting licenses, registers trade names, and is the repository for town meeting agendas and minutes and the official keeper of the Town Seal.
“I really enjoy interacting with residents and assisting our citizens in whatever their needs may be,” Marti said.
Since Marti filled the town clerk position three years ago, it is his first time in office during a presidential election.
“Right now, we are very busy with all absentee ballots, and we are involved in the process of registering voters along with the Registrar Voters Office. There has been a big uptick in applications, both young and older people,” he said about a year when young voters could decide the presidential election.
Born in Italy, Marti’s father worked for the U.S. Department of State and the family moved from country to country during his service, including Ghana, Taiwan, and Guyana. Upon returning to the United Sates to complete high school, he attended Goshen College, earning a bachelor’s degree in business.
“In light of the speed and drastic nature of change these days, lifelong learning is not only desirable, it is necessary for all in local government to keep pace with the growing demands and changing needs of the citizens we serve. Your city can take immense pride in David’s educational accomplishments and achievement of this milestone,” wrote Lisa Garcia MMC, president of IIMC, in a letter to town officials.
The International Institute of Municipal Clerks, founded in 1947, has 14,000 members throughout the United States, Canada, and 15 other countries, and the mission of this global nonprofit corporation is to enhance the educational opportunities and professional development of its diverse membership.
