When asked about city clerk Berta Dinkins’ role in the city, many words and memories come to mind — 42 years of them, to be exact.
“She was the type of person who did an outstanding job but never drew attention to herself. She was unassuming,” said former Mayor Jim Ranney.
“She played an important part for our city to make sure everything was in proper order. She is a caring person. She has a great love for the city,” said former Mayor Chuck Dobbelaire.
“We’ll certainly miss her. ... It’s going to be a big change in the office because Berta is like a walking encyclopedia of different business of the city. We’ll do the best we can to transition all that knowledge, but in some respects there will be a void there,” said Mayor Dave Mingus.
After 42 years of service, Dinkins, 82, will officially retire Oct. 1. She began with the city July 1, 1968, working as a clerk for seven years. Then, in 1977 she became assistant city clerk for 16 years, followed by city clerk for 19 years. In total, she has worked for seven mayors.
So, what has kept her going all these years?
“It’s just something that’s in my blood,” said Dinkins with a smile on her face. “I keep telling the girls out here that I’m like the Energizer Bunny. I just keep going and going and going. But, I’ve got to learn how the Energizer Bunny slows down, too.”
She said two other factors made her long tenure all worth it: passion for employees and passion for the city.
“I have never had what I call a bad day with the city; I’ve enjoyed every day that I’ve worked,” she said. “There have been a lot of good mayors and commissioners. Each one did a great deal to change the city to what it is today, and we’re still changing.”
Dinkins, who has lived all her life on Elmwood Street, said she stumbled into her career with the city. She first began because two employees at city hall, then at 201 N. Main St., were going on vacation. She was just supposed to fill in.
She previously worked at Caterpillar Inc. for 13 years in auditing.
“I went home at the end of the two weeks and thought, ‘Well, that’s over with,’ and they called me that next Monday morning and asked, ‘Where are you?’”
The city wanted her back full time, and that is just what the city received, plus a little more.
Dinkins said her daily duties include many phone calls answering questions about the city, administering liquor licenses, dealing with Freedom of Information requests, keeping all records and countless duties that make the office tick.
And more than just the routine duties, Dinkins has gone above and beyond many times for city employees in need.
“We had a (public works) employee come in one day and came directly to me and said, ‘Berta, I just cut my finger off,’” she recalled. She told him to lie down, elevated his feet with books until an ambulance came and helped him retrieve his thumb from his glove.
Along with locating a missing thumb, Dinkins has witnessed many other developments in the city.
When she first began as clerk, the city was struggling, she said.
“It was the same East Peoria, but it was getting run down,” she said, adding it was in the late 1960s when the city started promoting a new downtown.
“From council to council, it kept getting bigger and bigger,” she said. “You could see the old buildings come down and the new ones go up. It was a nice feeling to know you work for the city and were a part of it.”
With Bass Pro Shops and other developments on the table, Dinkins said it has been exciting to see the city flourish again.
“I wish I was still working when they get completed with Downtown 2010 because I think that’s going to be great,” she said.
Dinkins said she will especially miss watching new council members begin and seeing them grow.
“They all have a plan, and they all work together very well,” she said.
She is also a member of the Central Illinois Municipal Clerks Organization since 1988, serving nine years as treasurer and also a member of the Beautification Commission for 26 years.
After retirement, Dinkins said she plans to spend time with her husband, Vince, her daughter, Teresa King, and her three grandchildren, who all live in East Peoria.
“We are a very close-knit family,” she said, adding her daughter lives right next door.
One thing is for certain, Dinkins plans to stay in East Peoria during her retirement.
“East Peoria has just always been a great place to live,” she said. “I think it’s a very friendly oriented town.”
