Guardians of the (public records) galaxy
Vanguard Team saves the world … one record at a time
By: Jordan-Ashley Walker, Charlotte Communications & Marketing
Although they don’t wear capes or carry shields, the City of Charlotte’s Records Vanguard Team is charged with safeguarding something very important: the city’s public records.
The group of more than 50 people representing every department in the city works together to promote, preserve and share the records created as Team Charlotte accomplishes its goals.
“I’m so proud to be part of this creative, innovative and insightful group,” said Sarah Hazel, an assistant to the city manager and member of the Records Vanguard Team. “Being open and transparent is an important part of how the City of Charlotte does business every day. When the Vanguards come together, I’m always amazed at the things they accomplish.”
Team Charlotte’s commitment to following records management processes allows the city to:
- Promote openness, accountability and transparency.
- Preserve the organization’s historical context.
- Allow for quicker retrieval of documents and information, thereby improving efficiency and productivity.
Thousands of documents are created, maintained and shared by City of Charlotte employees on a daily basis. These records can be tangible objects, (such as paper documents, contracts and reports) or digital information (such as text messages, emails and website content). All records maintained by the City of Charlotte are available for public inspection unless specifically exempted by law.
To help support and maintain these thousands of records, the city hired its first citywide records program manager, Cheyenne Flotree, this year. Flotree, an industry expert, is responsible for promoting and encouraging records management, assisting departments with records management and overseeing public records requests.
“We generate records in our everyday business,” Flotree said. “Those records help us do the work that we’re doing. They help us to show accountability and transparency. It allows citizens the ability to see how their government works while also allowing them to benefit from the records we create.”
Flotree heads up the Records Vanguard Team, and they meet every other month to discuss new ideas for records management, outstanding public records requests, retention schedules and efforts for employee engagement and education.
“An organization the size of the City of Charlotte, you can’t operate without good records management principles behind it,” Flotree said.
The Vanguards are then tasked with taking the information, tips and techniques they learn with the members of their departments.
The Records Vanguard Team is an important part of the city’s records management process, but they can’t do it alone. All employees are responsible for the maintenance and preservation of the records they create every day.
The City of Charlotte continues to emphasize the importance of an organization-wide knowledge of records management, the responsibility that employees have toward preserving their public records, and knowledge of the processes and the city’s existing tools that allow them to do so.
Records Vanguard Team Members
Caitlin Moen, Aviation
Feven Negash, Aviation
Jacqueline Brown, Charlotte Area Transit System
Celia Gray, Charlotte Area Transit System
Brent Kelly, Charlotte Communications & Marketing
Ken Brown, Charlotte Communications and Marketing
Amanda Burch, Charlotte Communications & Marketing
Nicole Eaton, Charlotte Communications and Marketing
Christian Holm, Charlotte Communications and Marketing
Gwen Jenkins, Charlotte Communications and Marketing
Shawn Proffitt, Charlotte Communications and Marketing
Gregg Watkins, Charlotte Communications and Marketing
Tamara Blue, Charlotte Department of Transportation
Charlie Jones, Charlotte Department of Transportation
Joann King, Charlotte Department of Transportation
Michelle Littlejohn, Charlotte Department of Transportation
Amy Mitchell, Charlotte Department of Transportation
Debbie Smith, Charlotte Department of Transportation
Rob Cannon, Charlotte Fire Department
Jackie Gilmore, Charlotte Fire Department
Dennis Gist, Charlotte Fire Department
Kevin Gordon, Charlotte Fire Department
Ranjit Raju, Charlotte Fire Department
Shannon Dixon, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
Judy Emken, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
Bradford Koch, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
Jaynes Queen, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
Rob Tufano, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
Jenyfer Conaway, Charlotte Water
Jennifer Frost, Charlotte Water
Laura Runge, Charlotte Water
Shawana Almendarez, City Attorney
Tom Jones, City Attorney
Emily Kunze, City Clerk
Sarah Hazel, City Manager’s Office
Angela Maynard, City Manager’s Office
Terry Bradley, Community Relations
Mary Williams, Community Relations
Nyota Brown, Engineering & Property Management
Joan Campbell, Housing & Neighborhood Services/Economic Development
Bobbi Kendrick, Housing & Neighborhood Services/Economic Development
Mark Maliszewski, Housing & Neighborhood Services/Economic Development
Patricia Mason, Housing & Neighborhood Services/Economic Development
Rick Parker, Housing & Neighborhood Services/Economic Development
Susan Smith, Housing & Neighborhood Services/Economic Development
Sharon Lee, Human Resources
Tracy Swett, Human Resources
Austin Faulk, Innovation & Technology
Marjorie Jackson, Innovation & Technology
Shirahba Rasheed, Innovation & Technology
Lynette Stover, Internal Audit
Jennifer Holland, Management & Financial Services
Krystal King, Management & Financial Services
Kristen Barnhardt, Management & Financial Services
Tammy Wrobleski, Management & Financial Services
Sandra Montgomery, Planning
Katrina Young, Planning
Mavis Gant, Solid Waste Services
Did you know?
A number of records and city data are available to the public via the City of Charlotte Open Data Portal. The community can learn more about public records on the city’s website.
