Julie Cozzi announced her retirement after 15 years as Haines Borough Clerk.

Cozzi will leave her post at the end of March for personal reasons.

“It’s the right time to pass the baton on to someone who is younger, who has energy and fresh ideas,” Cozzi said. She said she loves her job, but “it’s just the right time for me and for the community.”

Cozzi penned a letter to the Mayor and borough assembly early this month endorsing deputy clerk Alekka Fullerton to take over her position. The borough plans to hire a new clerk by March 1.

“(Alekka) has the skills and abilities needed to succeed as the next Borough Clerk,” Cozzi wrote. “Her legal background, personality, attention to detail and communication skills make her an ideal candidate.” Cozzi added that Fullerton is highly respected by the advisory boards she supports as deputy clerk. “It’s my opinion that she is the logical choice.”

Cozzi said she “marvels” at the hard-working borough employees she will be leaving behind, and said that she will miss “rolling up our sleeves together.” She said in her letter that “they do not deserve the disrespect and bullying they sometimes get.”

“Every year it seems to get worse,” Cozzi said. “And I think a lot of the reason for it is because of the turnover in the manager’s office. Some people think that borough employees are lazy and overpaid, and none of that is true. We’re a lean machine.”

She also said social media has fostered disrespect toward borough employees, which gets demoralizing and discouraging.

“I despise the ‘us versus them’ mentality, but I want to stress that is not a contributing factor to my decision to retire,” Cozzi said. “I think all the problems, the issues with this community are going to take all of us working together to solve them and it doesn’t help to disrespect.”

Cozzi said this job was the most fulfilling of her career, but the skills learned in her other professions helped her do the job. She also worked as a technology and media support specialist, research analyst, data programmer, English teacher, assistant cruise director and the Haines Chamber of Commerce executive director.

Cozzi said she also pulls skills from her musical theater experience in her 20s and 30s.

“There’s a certain aspect especially during assembly meetings when I have to take advantage of my former performance skills just because it’s really important to be on even if I’m tired after a long day.”

Cozzi was also the president of Alaska Association of Municipal Clerk from 2007 to 2008, and was a member of the organization for four years. Aside from water and sewer plant supervisor Scott Bradford, Cozzi said she is the longest serving borough employee.

“I’m the type of person that has to be busy,” Cozzi said. She said she would give herself time to regroup, then most likely get a part-time job or become more involved with volunteer work. She said in her retirement she might continue a career as a jazz vocalist and help her husband at his store on Second Avenue.

Cozzi will work 10 hours per week in March to help train the new borough clerk “to do the job the way I think it needs to be done,” she said. “There are certainly state statutes and borough code that dictate what the job has to do and in some cases how it has to be done, but most of it is open to different ideas.” Cozzi said the clerk’s office is like “the hub of the wheel” that the borough departments go to for information.

“I’m grateful to have had this job. I can’t think of a better way to end my full-time career,” Cozzi said. “I wish nothing but the best for the borough and the community. People have told me ‘Haines is dying.’ I don’t believe that.”