After unexpected death of village clerk, North Palm Beach announces new hire
![Jessica Green was appointed village clerk for North Palm Beach Aug. 8. She served as deputy village clerk for five years prior to her appointment. [Contributed by Village of North Palm Beach]](/gcdn/authoring/2019/08/22/NPPP/ghows-LK-9d13b853-8cb5-4aaa-a299-9274db6d0eb0-8a3c045d.jpeg?width=660&height=447&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
NORTH PALM BEACH - North Palm Beach didn’t look far to find its new village clerk.
In a unanimous vote Aug. 8, the village council appointed deputy village clerk Jessica Green to the position, which was vacated after longtime clerk Melissa Teal passed away unexpectedly in July.
Teal had served with the village for more than 30 years, and was its clerk for the last 15.
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“It was devastating,” Green said of Teal’s passing. “A lot of people were shocked. We still have times that we can’t believe it happened.”
Green worked under Teal for five years as deputy village clerk. She said she plans to continue upholding the standard of service and professionalism that Teal put in place during her three decades of service.
“If anybody comes here, they’re going to get prompt service to the best of our abilities,” said Green, a Royal Palm Beach resident who grew up in Wellington. “This really is the best place to live under the sun, like our saying goes.
“The village is very big on serving their residents and the public. We just want to uphold that standard.”
Green, 45, brings plenty of experience to her new role.
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A certified Master Municipal Clerk who worked with other municipalities before joining the village, she also has served as president of the Palm Beach County Municipal Clerks Association.
“It’s very good to have somebody who knows the job,” village spokesperson Ed Cunningham said. “She’s well-prepared, and she has a lot of training for it.”
Green, a King’s Academy graduate, will wear several hats in her role as village clerk.
In addition to serving as the village’s records custodian, she also will provide administrative support for North Palm Beach’s special magistrate.
“ I hope to streamline things a little bit, just rotating a little bit of what we’ve been doing and maybe seeing if there’s anything we can try and do better, or more efficiently and quickly,” she said.
Green will oversee a staff of two in the clerk’s office, though the village hopes to hire a deputy clerk to work with her.
The clerk’s office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information, visit https://www.village-npb.org or call 561-841-3355.