Longtime County Clerk and employee, Andrea E. Naugle, has announced she will seek re-election as Lehigh County Clerk of Judicial Records.

Naugle, of Allentown, has served as the first Lehigh County Clerk of Judicial Records since January 2008.

She oversees the civil, criminal, recorder of deeds and register of wills divisions.

Before her election as clerk of judicial records, Naugle was elected to three terms, beginning in 1995, as clerk of courts, overseeing the civil and criminal divisions.

Naugle, who has been a Lehigh County employee more than 40 years, is responsible for consolidating the recorder of deeds and register of wills with the civil and criminal divisions into one office location after her election as clerk of judicial records.

Since 2006, Naugle has reduced staff by 24 full-time and nine part-time employees and reduced the operational budgets for her offices even though the responsibilities of the divisions continue to increase.

“I have spent my entire adult life serving the public the best way possible and carrying out the numerous responsibilities efficiently and accurately of all four divisions of the clerk of judicial records,” Naugle stated. “These divisions are responsible for the filing, recording and maintaining all court records for the civil and criminal courts, all probate records, and all land title records.

“People do not realize the importance of the clerk of judicial records office until they have an occasion to use its many services.”

She says because of her years of experience and excellent office reputation, her office staff were recently chosen to assist Carbon County with its clerk of court office deficiencies.

Naugle is responsible for the electronic imaging of all land records in the recorder of deeds division which allows easy review of all land records and permits those records to be electronically recorded.

She is also responsible for computerizing docket records for the register of wills division allowing easy access to probate estate records.

The civil and register of wills divisions both have many years of their record file papers scanned and easily available to view.

In addition, Naugle is responsible for administering the electronic filing system in the civil division.

In 2005, Naugle oversaw the integration of the criminal division’s records into the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts’ Common Pleas Management System, the statewide criminal records database on the Internet.

In addition, in 1998, Naugle instituted a microfilm and imaging project in the civil and criminal divisions which substantially reduced the volume of paper records and saved valuable office space.

“These changes mean the public can access records much more easily,” Naugle said. “I would like to continue to use my many years of experience to find innovative ways to improve service and reduce costs.”

Naugle is an executive board member of the Pennsylvania State Association of Prothonotaries and Clerks of Courts, a member of the Pennsylvania Recorder of Deeds Association and the Pennsylvania State Association of Register of Wills and Clerks of Orphans’ Court.

She is a board member and secretary of the Allentown Northeast Kiwanis Club, board member of the Lehigh County Employees Federal Credit Union and a member of the Travelers Protective Association of America.

Naugle is a member of the Midway Manor Community Association and a lifetime associate member of the Fraternal Order of Police LeHampton Lodge 35.