Primer for job

WAURIKA — Carolyn Watkins talks about the tasks she encounters in the job she has, and then compares that list to the tasks that come with the job she’s pursuing.

Something seems clear — a lot of what Watkins does now will transfer easily to the job she hopes to hold after the July Democratic primary election.

Watkins has spent 22 years as secretary for the District 6 District Attorney’s office, which followed three years of working in the Jefferson County treasurer’s office.

Now, the longtime Waurika resident is running against incumbent Linda Graham for the position of court clerk, and Watkins believes her background and experience in the job she has will be compatible with the job she wants.

“Everything that has to be filed criminally has to go through the district attorney’s office first and then on to the court clerk’s office, so I already know how to handle traffic tickets, juvenile petitions and all of the criminal things the court clerk handles,” said Watkins.

“There will be some new computer programs I might have to learn, but I’ve already had experience with budgeting and all the other things the court clerk does.”

Watkins said two factors helped form the decision to seek to court clerk’s position — an improved pension system and a desire to bring her expertise to a new challenge.

“Actually,” she said, “I considered running for county clerk at first, but I just couldn’t leave the legal world. I think the court clerk is a position that needs a full-time person, and I think the office needs my help.

“There’s also the future to think about. Right now, my pension (as DA secretary) is only 2 percent, and the court clerk has a 10% pension. So that would really help my retirement.”

Watkins is a native of Zaneis, graduating from the Zaneis High class of 1966. She married Starriett Watkins in 1969, and the couple moved to Waurika, where their sons Starriett Bennett and Jarriett graduated from high school.

The Watkins have six grandchildren and Carolyn Watkins has been active in activities at First Baptist Church of Waurika, having served several years as director of the church’s teen program.

Carolyn Watkins’ first venture into the legal realm came when she spent six years as secretary for legendary Waurika attorney James Harley Ivy.

“Mr. Ivy started me in civic and legal law training,” she said. “He wanted me to be a paralegal, but I told him I thought having to write up all those legal briefs was dull!”

Instead, Watkins eventually moved over to the treasurer’s office at Jefferson County Courthouse, where she became first deputy to former treasurer Mary Lowe. She went to work for the district attorney’s office in 1986.

“I’ve worked for three different D.A.’s over the years — Melvin Singletary, Gene Christian and Bret Burns — and eight of those years with Gene I worked in the office at Duncan, but we still lived in Waurika,” she said.

During her tenure in the district attorney’s office, Watkins became a member of the Oklahoma District Attorney Association board of directors. She also served as chair of the Bogus Check Section DAC Counsel board, and has drawn praise for streamlining the bogus check program in Jefferson County.

“When I first started in the bogus check program, there was just a small draw full of completed bogus check filings, and most were out on warrants,” she said. “But I’ve tried to get bogus checks taken care of before there’s a warrant, and hopefully, we’ve reversed that cycle.

“We’ve returned a little over $43,000 to merchants through the program, and we’ve also set up a program with the OSU Extension Office that’s helped out real well.”

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