Information provided by the San Benito County Clerk, Auditor & Recorder/Registrar of Voters
The San Benito County Elections Department announced Michael Parsons has been designated as a certified State Registration Election Official (REO), the highest state professional achievement for election officials.
The REO designation is achieved through a multi-year course of study taught by the California Association of Clerks and Elections Officials, in conjunction with the Elections Centers Professional Education Program.
“This is the highest state designation available to election officials,” said Francisco Diaz, County Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters. “He is among a handful of people in the history of the Elections Department to receive this designation. This is an outstanding accomplishment.”
The intent of the program is to professionalize the management of voter registration and elections administration in promoting and preserving public trust in the democratic process.
“We are fortunate to have Michael Parsons working for the County,” Diaz said. “The great strength of Michael is that he can focus directly on both legal specific and technical specific duties of elections.”
The uniqueness of the certification program is that it provides county election organizations with an opportunity to train their county election officials extensively and substantively. The REO state certification has a goal of assuring competency in administering the process within the state rules, regulations and laws.
Parsons received his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Math from U.C. Davis. He is responsible for coordinating, planning, and leading information systems activities for the County Clerk, Auditor, Recorder, and Election Departments. In his free time, he enjoys attending San Jose Sharks’ games with his wife.