POY nominee: Jill Sellers

Steadfast in service

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Bri Brasher
NLJ Correspondent
 
“She’s somebody you can depend on and somebody that goes an extra two miles. Jill is always the first one to volunteer to help. … She’s always in the midst of folks. She’s always warm, and she’s always friendly,” said Bette Sample, of her friend Jill Sellers.
Nominated for the News Letter Journal’s 2018 Person of the Year, Sellers is a community presence in her work and in her personal life. While Sellers will step down as Weston County clerk in the new year, the impact of her dedicated service will be felt long after. 
“It’s humbling to be nominated after a close loss. But it tells me there are people in the community that value the work that I did in that position. That gives me a grand perspective for my contributions,” Sellers said, adding that community service is a selfless occupation, and she is very glad to have had the opportunity to serve the county. 
According to Weston County Deputy County Clerk Shawnda Morrison, Sellers picked up the job of county clerk immediately, always working to educate herself by reading statutes in order to make the best decisions and asking for advice from other county clerks when needed. Morrison said Sellers’ goal was to improve the dynamic and workflow of the whole county and bring things up-to-date, all while maintaining a devoted presence in her family life. 
Sellers was unanimously appointed to the clerk position in 2016, starting in August. She said she hit the ground running, a role that felt natural. The county clerk position appealed to her. 
“It did appeal to me because my grandma (Evelyn Zingery) had held the job for many years, but it was
also the first job here that appealed to my professional experience and skills
as a leader. It was an obvious match for me to re-enter public service,” Sellers said. 
Sellers, who was also a Person of the Year nominee in 2013, spent 15 years working for the Department of Defense supporting intelligence operations all over the world. She and her husband, Shane, moved to Newcastle in 2007 to be near family and to raise their children in a small, rural, and welcoming community. While Sellers is not a native of Newcastle, her grandparents came to town in 1950, and she always enjoyed her time in Wyoming. Sellers’ sons — Joshua, 13, and Caleb, 10, are the fourth generation of her family in Newcastle. Sellers said she was baptized here.  
According to Sellers, the opportunity to serve as county clerk came at a time that worked well for her and in a community she wished to serve. She stressed that one does not serve to seek attention but rather to make sure things are getting done for others, a value she was raised with and taught to behold. Sellers said her purpose is to make sure she is living in the best interest of the people she has relationships with, which extends into the community as well.  
Sellers attributes her success as county clerk to her staff, stating that Morrison, Mona Wineteer, and Sarah Thompson are the backbone of the clerk’s office. She said the group works as a professional and effective team that she was privileged to lead.
“It was a joy to work for her. It’s going to be sad for me to not work for her anymore, and I wish the very best for her,” Morrison said. 
With the support of her family, Sellers said, she accomplished many goals, including leaving behind a strategic plan to be carried on after her term. Sellers said she left the position better than she found it and finds a sense of peace in those accomplishments, especially in such a short time. 
“We adjusted to her heavy workload by sharing chores at home.  She was a great example to our boys of commitment and responsibility,” her husband Shane said.
Shane said that his wife’s intellect, professionalism, and dedication to public service made her successful, and he has hope and faith in her future success. He also said that his wife’s nomination for 2018 Person of the Year is a surprise because of the outcome of the election, yet he is also not surprised because he has seen what Sellers can do at high levels of government. The nomination shows that others saw that too, he said. 
“I gave it my all. I was really dedicated to the position I was in,” said Sellers. “I’m sorry I can’t continue it. I was very connected to it, and I felt I was doing a good service to the community here.”
Sellers said she is excited to have more time for volunteerism with her church and her sons’ activities. She said she had a great time making cookies with the fourth-graders not long ago, and she attends as many community events as possible. The family particularly enjoys local concerts. 
“You just know that she’s working for us as citizens, and she’s always working for everyone. She’s just a kind young woman, and I think the world of her,” Sample said. “She put her whole heart into that job. I’m just so proud of her.”
“If I ever had any questions, I would go to Jill and ask. She was warm and helpful on several occasions,” Sample said. “As a personal friend, Jill is somebody I know I can speak my mind to, and she will still be accepting despite any differing views. She was, is, and will continue to be a powerful presence in our community.”