New treasurer says she has big shoes to fill
Dec. 1—Cherokee County's newly elected treasurer says her greatest challenge is filling the shoes of her predecessor.
JoAnna Champlain took office Nov. 1, and her years of financial expertise are considered an asset for her new role.
Champlain was born in Shingle Springs, California, and graduated from Ponderosa High School in 1991. She attended Heald Business College in 1993 and received an Associate's degree in Accounting.
She credits her years of working in the banking industry for the foundation of her work ethic.
"Most everyone knows that I worked at Bank of Cherokee County, so I worked for the late Gary Chapman. He was the most wonderful, knowledgeable man. I learned a lot from him, and every single person I worked with helped me learn how to treat every customer with respect and kindness," she said.
She started out as a teller and ended as vice president of operations in 2017. Champlain worked under then-Treasurer Patsy Stafford for five years before she threw her hat in the ring.
"As for already being in the Treasurer's Office, I am familiar with how it runs daily and what is expected of the treasurer and the staff. Having worked closely with the retiring treasurer, I feel very confident with the transition to the position," she said.
Stafford and Champlain spoke on occasion as to who would run for the office when Stafford retired. Champlain said she initially didn't think about running, and she had to consider several factors.
"Then I had to remind myself that I was a strong, smart woman. With the support of my family, friends, colleagues and community, I would be just fine. So about two weeks before the filing date, I decided I was going to run, and started preparing," she said.
Champlain said there will be little to no changes in her office, as it's run strictly according to Oklahoma statutes.
"What we can do as treasurer is continuing to make sure we run our office with friendly and knowledgeable staff. [We can also make] sure that we maintain transparency with regard to our bookkeeping processes, and ensuring we do our best to invest the county's money for the best rate of return," she said.
Stafford was in the treasurer's office since 2004 and didn't decided to run until 2014. Champlain said it would be a challenge to fill her shoes.
"She was such a great mentor to look up to. She knew her stuff and she was a great listener. Anytime there was an issue, she was there to help figure it out. She was always in the office, and was always attending classes, even up to her last few weeks before she retired," she said.
Champlain said there were no shortfalls in the office once Stafford retired, and her goal is to keep up the positive standard set by the previous treasurer.
"[My goal within the first year is] to have been able to run the office with integrity and efficiency, knowing that I was able to keep up the same standards and maybe even lifted it up a little," she said.
