Rhonda Casey-Curry

Casey-Curry also grew up on a farm east of Marion, and she and her husband, Mark, have five children and six grandchildren together.

Casey-Curry said her qualifications for county treasurer start with her rural roots.

“I have the kind of upbringing to provide the work ethic, the integrity, the common sense to fulfill the duties of the position,” she said.

Working with the law firm of Morse, Batt, and Brookens, Casey-Curry got exposure to real estate transactions that eventually led her to a 21-year career as a licensed associate real estate broker and office manager for Leppke Auction and Realty. She also worked as a legal assistant for a federal bankruptcy attorney.

“Money management has been at the forefront of what I’ve done,” she said.

Customer service is a priority for Casey-Curry, too.

“I’ve been on both sides of that counter,” she said. “I want people to know when they walk into that office the we’re there to help them, we’re there to serve them.”

Casey-Curry said one way she would improve customer experiences is to cross-train office staff for multiple types of situations, such as commercial vehicle licenses, so that more than one person is capable of helping customers with a given task.

A county treasurer should also be able to handle any customer and situation that comes into the office, she said.

Exploring office rearrangements could help to improve experience for both employees and customers, Casey-Curry said.

“Space is at a premium,” she said. “We ought to be looking for ways to more efficiently use it to make it more accommodating to employees and customers, and find a way to make confidential conversations possible.”

Casey-Curry said she believes it’s time for a change in the treasurer’s office.

“My opponent has been in the office for 22 years,” she said. “While she has done an OK job, I feel I can do the job better. I would bring to the office a fresh set of eyes. I’m a hometown girl that cares about Marion County, I have the experience to back it up, and I have the commitment and dedication to do good for the county. That’s kind of the bottom line. I want to do good work for the people.”