Candidate: Traci Phillips

As a Citrus County native, Traci Phillips has dedicated her entire adult life to serving the citizens and residents of Citrus County, FL.  Graduating from Citrus High School in 1998, Traci went on to work her way through college at Sante Fe College in Gainesville, FL.  After earning her Associates Degree in 2000, Traci started her job at the Citrus County Clerk’s office as a data entry clerk in Financial Services.  Traci continued to work while she finished her Bachelor's Degree in 2013. 

For more than 23 years, Traci’s career at the Citrus County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller’s office has provided a plethora of well-rounded supervisory experiences, positioning her for her journey into lifelong servant leadership. Those positions included:

• Accounts Payable Data Entry Clerk

• Purchasing Clerk

• Finance Support Clerk 

• Grants Administrator

• Senior Accounting Clerk 

• Accounts Payable Supervisor

• Assistant Courts Director

• Accounting Services Director

• Chief Deputy of Financial Services

In 2018, Traci was promoted to serve as the Chief of Staff for the entire organization. The Chief of Staff is responsible for assisting the Clerk in safeguarding and serving the citizens, and is also responsible for oversight of the following Departments: Financial Services, Operations & Customer Service, Court Services, Official Records, Commission Records, Information Technology, Communications & Public Information, Human Resources and Emergency Management.  The Chief of Staff provides leadership, management and vision to ensure proper operational controls, administrative and reporting procedures and appropriate staff are in place, resulting in financial strength and operating efficiency for both the Clerk’s office and the Board of County Commissioners. 

As a seasoned Deputy Clerk, Traci has provided numerous classroom and conference training presentations to Clerk’s offices throughout the State of Florida, including the Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers’ New Clerk Academy since 2016. These presentations focus on the 1000+ statutory duties and responsibilities that Florida Clerks are required to provide in their respective counties as the Clerk to the Court, Ex-Officio Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Audit Officer, and County Recorder.  Clerks of Courts are required to complete 240 training hours to obtain and earn one of three designations based on their elected responsibilities: Certified Florida Clerk and Comptroller (CFCC), Certified Florida Clerk (CFC) or Certified Florida Comptrollers (CFCO).

In 2006, Traci obtained one of the highest designations for public managers in Florida through the Florida State University Certified Public Manager (CPM) program. Her prior education includes an associates degree from Sante Fe College, a bachelor’s degree in Management & Business Administration from the College of Central Florida (formerly CFCC), course competition through FEMA and the Emergency Management Institute, and in 2016 she graduated from the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Citrus program. 

Traci volunteers her time advocating for improving the lives of students, citizens, businesses, and communities. She has been a volunteer and/or a board member to many Citrus County organizations, both past and present:

• ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL of Citrus County, FL District 3

  • Chapter President 2021-2023

  • President-Elect 2019 - 2021

  • Vice President 2017-2019

• Leadership Citrus Alumni

• Citrus County Blessings

• Citrus County Reading Pals

• Phil Royal Legacy 

• West Citrus Church of Christ in Crystal River

Traci resides in Lecanto. Recently married, Traci’s husband James Perry is a line crew foreman serving the Central Florida area for over twenty years.