City Clerk Ann Swift receives praise
After serving as Piedmont’s City Clerk since 1988, Ann Swift retires on Sept. 3. During a celebration in her honor at the Piedmont Community Center on August 26, Swift was greeted by a large crowd of well wishers and praised for her dedicated service to Piedmont over the past years. Former mayors, former and present City Council and School Board members, community volunteers, and City employees eagerly expressed their appreciation for the many ways Swift has served the City.
Praise for Retiring City Clerk Ann Swift
Ann Swift
Of special note was Ann Swift’s work on Piedmont’s Centennial Celebration in 2008, including the Centennial Book she wrote describing the homes built in Piedmont by 1908, and the Centennial markers placed throughout Piedmont Park. She was also praised for her endless patience in answering questions from the public and her willingness to learn and assume responsibility for new tasks.
Ann told a story about how she had begun her career in the corporate world, where her job was one of “acting like a “Doberman Pinscher” for the CEO. When she came to Piedmont as City Clerk, she said she assumed the same posture of protecting her boss. One day Harold Power, a community activist, came into her office and asked for a copy of a letter written by the City Administrator to the Council. Swift refused the request, saying she could not give him a copy of the letter. Soon from the adjacent room, she heard the City Administrator telling her she needed to provide the letter to Mr. Power. From then on she knew what Piedmont wanted was a “Labrador Retriever not a Doberman Pinscher.” People needed help and information, which led to her many years of serving the public in City Hall.
Swift beamed with delight during the recognition of her efforts by numerous speakers who received loud applause as they described all she did in both her work and her volunteer efforts for the City. Swift promised to continue her interest and participation in Piedmont’s historical records. Retiring as City Clerk yes, but not as a Piedmont volunteer.
