Babbitt will soon see a new face in the city offices. Beginning Sep. 8, Nancy Sanford will fill the clerk-treasurer position, a role that has recently faced challenges with turnover.
Sanford will bring extensive and varied experience from across the country. Beginning with her roots in South Dakota, she has followed a “zigzag” path from South to North Dakota, then Minnesota, Montana, Oregon and Missouri.
“I’ve moved around and I think that has actually been such a benefit, to both my professional and personal development,” she said.
Sanford has maintained this inclination toward new experiences throughout her career. She worked in procurement for two decades, purchasing materials for industries as wide-ranging as government, manufacturing and museum curation.
“I got to learn about so many different industries,” said Sanford, “I found my passion was learning things.”
“You go to the people who have the knowledge, and you seek out their knowledge, and you ask the questions, and you do the research, and then you find out how you can best buy (an item),” Sanford said.
She has sourced steel from Japan, bought a train engine, and acquired a cast of a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton for the North Dakota Heritage Center Museum - but it all began with a degree in education from the University of Minnesota.
After completing college, she taught mathematics for a year in Montana before moving to Oregon.
“It was at a time when teaching positions were very, very difficult to get. There would be hundreds of applicants for every position. I struggled to find a position,” said Sanford, “I fell into temporary work for the Fiskars Company that makes knives and scissors, and I really fell in love with doing procurement.”
“I never went back to teaching,” Sanford said.
Throughout her accomplished career, Sanford has worked for a construction company specializing in large solar arrays, owned businesses with her husband, and worked a “long stint” with US Bancorp — a role for which she was recognized by Menttium, formerly Minnesota 100, as one of the state's leading women in business.
Now she's planning to bring her skills to Babbitt. Though Sanford has chased many distant opportu - nities, she's no stranger to north - eastern Minnesota. She and her husband own a property at Giants Ridge and are eager to transform it into their forever home.
"My husband and I are ready to slow down," said Sanford, "We both held stressful corporate positions for most of our professional lives, and we are ready to step back, get back to small-town Minnesota. We're hoping to be of service to the public there." She found the clerk-treasurer posting on Indeed during a job search, which included applica - tions for "quite a few" other posi - tions - but this one felt right.
"I thought about the position," said Sanford, "I thought that it would be so much fun to be back in the heart of a small community." "I grew up in a small town in South Dakota," she said, "I'll nev - er forget that amazement of living in a small town and the sense of community." Sanford hopes to increase eco - nomic prosperity in Babbitt and ad - dress the challenges the city faces as a rural municipality attempting to draw new business in.
"We need to bring to light the opportunities that are there for others to come into the city and to develop businesses," Sanford said.
She believes her background will be an asset to this mission.
"A big part of what a city admin - istrator does is making sure that whatever is needed to be purchased for the city, whether it's services, equipment or supplies - whatev - er it is, it needs to be purchased well, because we're stewards of the taxpayers' money," said Sanford, "I think that part of my experience will serve me well." Sanford said she's impressed with how Babbitt's current admin - istrators have managed without the additional helping hand of a clerk-treasurer.
"I'm looking forward to forming a really good, cohesive team there, where we work together, and I think we'll have a great deal of fun," Sanford said.
For Sanford, the job promises a sense of community-oriented con - nection which presents a refreshing change from her previous roles.
"My customers are the people that live in Babbitt, and I will be able to get to know them, and to actually have a relationship with the people that my end product is serving," said Sanford, "I'm really looking forward to that."
