By: The Committee to Elect Tina Vernon for Treasurer/Tax Collector
Nevada City October 15, 2010 — Candidate Tina Vernon thought it would be fun and worthwhile to sign up for the same 30 day online continuing education course being touted by her opponent as his chief educational qualification for the position of Treasurer and Tax Collector of Nevada County. Vernon paid the required $219 for non resident registration and was allowed access to the on-line course of study late Tuesday evening. She completed the course, receiving a 100% grade on her final exam Thursday evening at 9:20pm.
"I wish I could have devoted uninterrupted time to this course of study", said Vernon, "but I'm at the California Association of County Treasurers and Tax Collectors Conference in Burlingame so I'm also devoting time to learning about that which actually affects California's Treasurers and Tax Collectors. This course is very introductory and based on Georgia laws, so some of the content does not pertain to the position in Nevada County for which I'm standing."
The Carl Vinson Institute of Government course, available to anyone online at http://www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/is/treasury/ is designed for working professionals looking to further their understanding of Treasury Management. It consists of 9 lessons; cash management, banking services, forecasting, collections, disbursements, investments, internal controls, staffing and supervision, accounting and reporting. Each of the nine lessons allows the student to learn at their own pace. Most students report dedicating approximately one and one half hours per lesson, each of which is followed by a lesson self-test. At the completion of lesson nine the student must score at least 70% on the matching exercise before being allowed to attempt the final examination. The online final is a timed examination. The student has up to 45 minutes to complete the online exam for Treasury Management. Once submitted for grading the results are immediate.
After dedicating less than six hours to the entire adventure, Vernon scored 100% on the final examination. "I thought the program was very simple and probably could have taught this course, with the exception of the Georgia State law." stated Vernon.
"I'm making light of this but the Office of the Treasurer and Tax Collector is very serious business. While I was trying to bring a little levity into a serious situation I hope I have illuminated how easy it is to mislead voters when speaking of qualifications." Vernon continues, "It sounds very prestigious to have 'Studied Treasury Management from the University of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of Government' but that is in no way a qualification for the offices of Treasurer and Tax Collector. It's merely an introductory course designed to help fulfill continuing education requirements."
Vernon suggests voters treat the opportunity to vote as a job interview. She recommends looking at actual resumes and asking pertinent questions of all candidates seeking election. To this end she has published her resume for examination. To view Tina Vernon's resume online voters are invited to visit www.VoteForTinaVernon.com, click on the About Tina page, and click on Tina Vernon's resume.
Vernon studied Fiduciary Responsibility: Managing the County's Treasury through the California State Association of Counties (CSAC). She holds a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Phoenix, an online university. She completed her MBA while working full time and raising her children. Her Bachelors of Science degree was earned at the University of California, Davis, and the University of Nevada, Reno.
Two weeks after the tragic shooting rampage of January 2001, Tina Vernon was hired by Nevada County to help rebuild the traumatized office of Behavioral Health. In October of 2003, Vernon accepted the Analyst position in the office of the County CEO. To verify Vernon's employment with Nevada County, voters are encouraged to phone the County Personnel office.
Prior to working for Nevada County, Vernon was Office Manager for the late Dr. Hay and Associates. One could verify her employment at that position by contacting Dr. Kent Vernon, son of Dr. Audree Hay. (Kent Vernon, a chiropractor, is Tina Vernon's husband—they met when she was managing his mother and step father's medical office. Kent and Tina were married in 1999.)
"One should never assume that what candidates present as their background is true. Everything my campaign has presented to voters is true and that's why I'm perfectly willing to share my resume, job history, and references." Vernon shared.
As far as references go, Tina Vernon is endorsed by those who know and understand the duties of Treasurer and Tax Collector, including E. Christina Dabis, the Nevada County Treasurer and Tax Collector who recently retired after holding the office for seven terms, the Nevada County Sheriffs Management Association, all five Nevada County Supervisors, and three former County Supervisors, all of whom have first hand knowledge of Tina Vernon's ability and qualifications for this position.
