The City of Branson makes a quick decision on naming a new City Clerk after the retirement of Lisa Westfall.

Hillary Briand, longtime Deputy City Clerk who was named Interim Clerk last Monday, was approved by a unanimous vote of Board of Aldermen Tuesday to take over the role fulltime according to a release from the City. 

Briand has served as Deputy City Clerk since 2007 after a stint as Chief Election Deputy in the Taney County Clerk's Office. Briand now takes charge of the department tasked with keeping the city's records and also minutes of the Board of Aldermen Meetings.

The complete release from the City of Branson is below:
The City of Branson’s Acting City Clerk, Hillary Briand, has been promoted to City Clerk effective Wednesday, February 15, 2023, following a unanimous vote of the Board of Aldermen on February 14, 2023.

Briand was hired as Deputy City Clerk in September 2007 and has served in this role for the last 15 years. Briand was named Acting City Clerk after Lisa Westfall’s retirement on February 10, 2023, and has now officially been promoted to City Clerk.

"As Deputy City Clerk for the past 15 years, Hillary knows how we operate front to back and has what it takes to make a real impact in our community and to put our residents first. I am confident she will continue to help us go in the positive direction we have been headed," said Branson Mayor Larry Milton.

The City Clerk is responsible for carrying out the duties as described in Sec. 2-181 of the Branson Municipal Code. These duties include attending all meetings of the Board of Aldermen and keeping a true and correct journal of proceedings of the Board. They also include safely and properly keeping the records belonging to the City with the primary goal of preserving the transparency of the City’s governmental processes for public review as well as assure the City remains in compliance with Secretary of State Retention Guidelines. Additionally, the City Clerk’s office maintains all official records of the City. 

"Hillary is one of the hardest working employees at the City. Combine that with her positive attitude and there is no telling just how much she can accomplish in this leadership role. I am excited to work with her and am excited to see her flourish," said Branson City Administrator, Cathy Stepp.

Before coming to the City of Branson, Briand worked as the Chief Election Deputy at the Taney County Clerk’s Office. Briand has the Missouri Registered City Clerk (MRCC) Certification, is a registered member of the National Association for Parliamentarians and has served on several District City Clerk and State City Clerk Committees.

“I am humbled and excited for this opportunity to serve the citizens of Branson,” said Briand. “The City is a wonderful place to work and I look forward to future conversations and collaboration with City staff, the Board of Aldermen and the citizens of Branson. Combining my life experience with a job I am passionate about is a dream come true and I’m ready to jump in and get to work,” Briand said.