May 9—CLINTON — Clinton County's auditor and commissioner of elections was honored Friday with the Clinton County Bar Association's 2023 Liberty Bell Award.
Eric Van Lancker, who has served as Clinton County auditor since 2008, is the recipient of the award given locally each May to recognize outstanding community service in conjunction with the national observance of Law Day.
When presenting the award to Van Lancker on Friday at the Clinton County Courthouse, Clinton County Attorney Mike Wolf described the Auditor's Office as "the hub of county government." He explained Van Lancker's extensive list of duties, which includes serving as clerk to the Clinton County Board of Supervisors, the county's financial officer, and the county's registrar of voters.
He maintains voter records, is custodian of the courthouse, makes sure license and permits for businesses are maintained, and oversees county plats, drainage, bridge and road records. He also assists in administering the county's Home Base Iowa and the community student loan assistance programs.
He also oversees all elections in Clinton County. He serves on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission Local Leadership Council, was the Iowa State Association of County Auditors president in 2014, has served as Iowa State Association of County Auditors District 6 president, and has been a state election administration instructor for several years.
He has been a member of the Iowa State Association of Counties Courthouse Security Committee and chaired its Record Retentions Committee, and has served on the Iowa Municipality Workers' Compensation Association Board of Directors.
Van Lancker serves on the Clinton Baseball Club's Board of Directors, is on the county's Citizens Emergency Response Team, and has served on the boards of MercyOne, Women's Health Services, and the Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce. He is a graduate of the Leadership Institute, a 2004 Jaycees Distinguished Service Award recipient, was a member of the Clinton High School Band Boosters and Clinton Community College's B-rrry Scurry Committee, and is a former Junior Achievement instructor.
In accepting the award, Van Lancker thanked his family, Auditor's Office staff members and other county workers.
"I appreciate what this award means today and I want to celebrate with everyone I work with," he said. "Because I feel like it's also an honor for good governance. That's what I've always wanted to do. And I was blessed to be able to land in a place where I could do that — right here.