Melanie Shirk

Researching and preparing all contracts for services and goods to ensure absolute compliance in accordance with the Procurement Code and any other applicable Management Directives and Manuals.

Develop and oversee operating procedures for various OGC programs, including e-discovery invoicing and reimbursements to OGC, various Memoranda of Understanding for services between agencies for personnel services, and continued legal education programs throughout the year as well as the annual OGC University event.

Analyze statements and invoices for accuracy of information and determine appropriate methods for payment, such as OGC Purchasing Card, Comptroller's Office, or IES system.

Function as OGC's main travel coordinator and attend Travel Super User Groups meetings to provide information on travel issues to OGC personnel.

Act as an in-house trainer for the use of ESS Concur Travel and provide direction and assistance to OGC users.

Make necessary travel arrangements for hotels, rental car, train, and air reservations.

Prepare Out-Service Training forms, Out-of-State travel request Forms, and travel expense reimbursements.

Responsible for the overall administration and coordination of the PFBC's Office of Chief Counsel, including logging, tracking, and preparing correspondence to members of the General Assembly, high-ranking government officials, and others.

Review administrative operations and procedures to determine whether changes are needed and make recommendations regarding administrative work and procedures.

Perform public contact in a variety of important ways, including handling both urgent and routine telephone calls in a highly professional and polished manner.

Gather information from the public, resolve complaints, and provide responses to members of the public on matters within the purview of the PFBC.

Gather materials for use by the Office of Chief Counsel in connection with Commission meetings, public meetings, and public hearings.

Coordinate a wide variety of meetings with Commissioners, staff, high-ranking government officials of this and other agencies, visiting dignitaries, etc., including the preparation of agendas briefing materials, and meeting facilities.

Assist in the preparation of Commission meeting agendas and minutes.

Schedule and coordinate all submissions for meeting agendas and schedule and coordinate all preparatory meetings and walk-throughs.

Perform a wide range of administrative services for the Executive Director and Commissioners, including answering telephones; preparation of correspondence; opening, logging, and routing of correspondence; scheduling of meetings, and addressing Commissioner needs.

Maintain regulatory tracking system to ensure timely progress of rulemaking process.

Review, sort, and summarize public comments submitted in connection with proposed regulations and other Commission activities.

Prepare public comment logs and reports for use by the Commissioners, the Executive Director and staff.

Establish and maintain liaison with the Office of Attorney Generals on the status of pending contracts.

Prepare litigation reports in connection with the Commonwealth GAAP Audit Program.

Utilize Microsoft Office products and perform database management activities for the Office of Chief Counsel and Office of Policy and Planning and prepare complex documents including briefs, letters, memoranda, technical reports, affidavits, and mail merge projects.

Undertake complex correspondence tasks including preparation of merge letters up to hundreds of individuals, groups, and organizations.

Act as a law librarian for the PFBC.

Order legal publications.

Update and maintain the Pennsylvania Law Encyclopedia, Purdon's Pennsylvania Statutes, Pennsylvania Code, and other publications.

Administer contracts for computer-aided legal research and oversee relationships with West Publishing sales representatives.

Prepare, log, and track various correspondence at the direction of the Office of Chief Counsel and Office of Policy and Planning.

Manage the schedule, including travel, for the Office of Chief Counsel.

Work with SAP/Concur to provide travel arrangement needs.

Enter receipts into SAP/Concur for reimbursements.

Act as a purchaser for Office of Chief Counsel and Office of Policy and Planning of materials, supplies, equipment, and services.

Coordinate and administer contracts with outside attorneys for representation of PFBC in matters in state and federal courts.

Manage, oversee, and coordinate the creation and maintenance of hundreds of files for the Commission's legal and policy offices.

Maintain a readily accessible form of thousands of documents required for the operation of the Commission's legal, policy, and legislative functions.

Assist in the preparation of budget estimates and other fiscal and statistical reports.

Perform a wide variety of other administrative support duties as assigned.

Process all criminal, traffic, non-traffic, and civil/landord tenant paperwork as it comes into the office daily.

Answer phones in a friendly courteous manner.

Help any customers who come into the office and who may need assistance with questions with a positive courteous and respectful attitude.

Respond to incoming emails in an efficient and timely manner.

Respond to faxes that come into the office in an accurate and timely manner.

Process mail in an efficient manner and record certified state in the computer system. Assisting with coordination and implementation of court procedures and programs.

Keep office etiquette within the court staff and public.

Flexible collaborator when shifting between helping different colleagues with office tasks that need to be completed, helping customers at the window, and answering phones.

Possess first-rate communication and organizational skills.

Strength in a variety of administrative and support duties, including all office equipment and computer programs.

Interact and provide a high level of excellent customer service to a variety of different agencies which includes Judges and colleagues.

Criminal Complaint: Assist the Judge with paperwork that needs to be processed during any hearings such as Criminal Dispositions and processing dispositions in a timely, accurate manner for the defendant to sign at the time of his/her hearing. Change, add, dismiss, withdraw, and any other changes that are agreed upon within the office, Public Defender, Assistant District Attorney, and the defendant. Change bail in the system if an agreement is made with all parties involved.

Traffic/Non-Traffic Dispositions: Process dispositions and take payment in full or set up a payment arrangement with the defendant at the window or over the phone.

Juvenile Non-Traffic Dispositions: Set up an appointment with the juvenile and parents to meet with the Judge to discuss any options for community service or refer the juvenile to the YAP program.

On Call: Assist the Judge during on-call periods by coming into the office to ensure that paperwork is processed promptly for morning arraignments.

Warrants: Assist with issuing and printing warrants for criminal felony cases in a quick and accurate manner for police agencies when in a high priority status.

Extradition Cases: Work closely with Sheriff Departments and prisons to get inmates arraigned so inmates can return to the inquiring state in a timely manner to face charges.

PFA Violations: Process PFA violations when the Judge receives overnight PFA violators and processes proper paperwork to the correct agencies.

Local and PA State Police Agencies: File citations, criminal complaints, withdrawals, and scheduling officers promptly for upcoming court hearings. Process subpoena requests, and prepare warrants for criminal cases. Attorney and staff scheduling for attorney clients and continuance requests. Provide information to attorney offices regarding clients they will be representing Prepare hearing notices and release of prisoner paperwork to the prison staff for upcoming hearings. Contact the prisons directly to schedule a Zoom hearing for the incarcerated inmate.

Civil Filings: Process paperwork and send judgments to all parties in an efficient and timely manner. Help customers determine if filing belongs in the current jurisdiction or needs to be filed in a different office to therefore direct the client to the correct and proper filing court. If filing does belong to the current court, process the paperwork and take payment for filing.

Landlord/Tenant Filings: Help clients establish whether their property is in the current jurisdiction. Process paperwork, take payment, schedule a hearing, and prepare paperwork in a timely manner to be served by the constable.

Accounting Functions: Prepare weekly reports along with printing the weekly Department of Revenue checks and any other checks that are awaiting printing for the police department, constable's bi-weekly checks, along with any refund and restitution checks. Prepare reports that go along with the weekly accounting functions such as undispersed funds report, stale checks report, and make sure the reconciliation for the bank statement is completed by the 15th of each month.

Assume responsibilities and make sure all work is kept up to date along with time-sensitive reports and checks that need to be processed.