Secretary of State, Tennant speaks to Parkersburg Rotary Club
Photo by Clark Reese
From the Parkersburg News and Sentinel by Brett Dunlap...

PARKERSBURG - West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie E. Tennant wants people to be connected to her office through technology and a personal touch that comes with getting out and meeting people.

Tennant was the featured speaker at the Parkersburg Rotary Club luncheon Monday at the Blennerhassett Hotel.

The secretary of state spoke about how growing up in a large family being the youngest of seven children, becoming the first female West Virginia University Mountaineer mascot in 1990, her time as a television news reporter and how losing her first election to become secretary of state in 2004 have all helped her build character as well as prepare her for getting elected as secretary of state in 2008 election.

She talked about having to deal with older siblings and with those who were not ready to accept a woman as WVU's mascot.

''My approach to my office is open and engaging government,'' she said. ''Some of that might come from the reporter in me, because I think I would be very hypocritical if I were not open about what I am doing in the secretary of state's office when I used to be that reporter who had to lug all that equipment around and trying to get sound bytes and trying to get an interview and trying to get a story.

''Being the Mountaineer and losing the election in 2004 gives me the guts and confidence to answer all the questions.''

Tennant said she feels like it is part of her job to make government open and engaging. Part of that involves making herself available to people and using new technologies and new forms of communications, such as Twitter and Facebook.

Her office will debut a new Web site in about a month. These things will help her office and the public to engage one another on topics, she said.

''I think it is important for folks to know what their secretary of state is doing,'' she said. ''I believe in technology. It is good, but it doesn't solve all of our problems.''

''I know people who won't (post on Twitter or other sites) because they are afraid to put themselves out there. I am. I am putting myself out there. That is the approach I have because of the victories and the defeats that I have.''

She wants people to know about the functions of the office, including voter registration, conducting elections, registers and regulates charitable organizations, and certain licensing.

''I have been in office for almost seven months,'' Tennant said. ''I hope we can use technology in a way that is more efficient and with more cost-saving measures.''

She also sees her job as promoting West Virginia to others, which resulted in a national conference of the National Association of Secretaries of State coming to West Virginia.

Tennant said it is still important to get out and meet people in person, whether it is meeting with the Rotary Club, students or other citizens. She wants to share her story about how she arrived at this point in her life and not have it all be about her just being the secretary of state.

''Open and engaging is all about what we are doing (at the Rotary meeting) too,'' Tennant said. ''That why it was important for me to be here.''