As the Kosciusko County Auditor’s Office chief deputy, Alyssa J. Schmucker is already involved in about everything the auditor does.
Thursday, she filed with Kosciusko County Republican Central Committee Chairman Mike Ragan to be a candidate for county auditor.
Current Auditor Rhonda Helser submitted her resignation Monday, effective Aug. 31, for personal reasons. A Republican caucus is scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug. 15 in the old courtroom of the Kosciusko County Courthouse to name Helser’s replacement.
Schmucker has served the county in the auditor’s office for the past eight years.
Asked why she decided to put her name in the hat for the auditor position, she said, “It just seemed like the thing to do. I felt like I have the experience to do it.”
Before making her decision, she said she talked to a few people about it.
Schmucker worked in the Tippecanoe Township Assessor’s Office from 1991 to 1999.
From 1990 to 2015, she worked at the North Webster Tippecanoe Township EMS. That included as a volunteer EMT from 1990 to 1999 and full-time EMT from 2000-2003. Starting in 2004, she’s been a part-time EMT for Plain Township EMS. She worked full and part time for Multi-Township EMS (which became Lutheran EMS Kosciusko) from 2006 to 2016. From 2004 to 2015, she served as the North Webster EMS director and EMT-A.
She was the Tippecanoe Township trustee for one term, serving from Jan. 1, 2003, to Dec. 31, 2006. As the trustee, her duties included preparing budgets, financial accounting, processing claims, managing people, projects and payroll. While the trustee, she also served as a North Webster-Tippecanoe Township volunteer EMT.
In total, she worked for an EMS for about 30 years.
She began working in the auditor’s office Feb. 29, 2016, as the financial secretary. Former County Auditor Michelle Puckett and her chief deputy taught Schmucker “a lot of the stuff I needed to know and that I use every day now,” Schmucker stated.
A lifelong Kosciusko County resident, she graduated from Wawasee High School in 1990.
She has served as a den leader for the Boy Scouts of America for five years, and is still occasionally active with BSA Troop 726, North Webster. She served as a leader for four years for the Girl Scouts.
She’s been a member of the North Webster Lady Lions since 1991. She has organized and planned Mermaid Festival events - including the Cutie and Queen pageants - for the past several years.
She organized the Lady Lions Club Community Christmas Program for many years, and served as treasurer of the North Webster Area Community Services for about five years.
She’s been a member of the North Webster American Legion Post 253 Ladies Auxiliary since 1998, where she has served in leadership positions.
Schmucker said she and Helser have had conversations about Schmucker being the next possible county auditor, and Schmucker said she doesn’t feel like it would be a major transition for her or the office. All the processes would remain the same.
The auditor will be elected by secret ballot of the majority of the voting caucus members to fill the office vacancy. Candidates must reside in Kosciusko County and be a Republican in good standing.
Declarations of candidacy are available at the office of Kosciusko County Clerk of the Circuit Court, 121 N. Lake St., Warsaw, and must be filed with Ragan no later than 72 hours before the commencement of the caucus. Ragan’s telephone number is 574-265-1430. Eligible candidates will be allowed a maximum of three minutes to address the voting caucus.