A get it done attitude leads to a successful career

By Carin R. Kirkegaard; photos courtesy of Tobi Duffey

For most residents, election season begins when temperatures drop, candidate signs start appearing staked in yards, and election ads run during commercial time-outs of the Denver Broncos game. For the City of Castle Pines City Clerk Tobi Duffey, election season starts at the pinnacle of summer when all interested candidates can start completing nomination petitions.

Duffey has been the keeper of records for the City since 2018. In her role as city clerk, she wears many hats – a few include filling record requests, creating and compiling city council agendas and processing liquor license applications and renewals. October 1, Duffey will be sworn in as president of the Colorado Municipal Clerks Association. Each odd-numbered year in November, in conjunction with the election date of Douglas County, Duffey dons the hat of the City’s designated election official.

In true city clerk fashion, Duffey is quick to urge all residents to make sure they have checked their voter registration and confirmed that they are registered to vote at https://www.douglas.co.us/elections/.

A Colorado native, Duffey grew up in Aurora and started her career in the healthcare industry. She settled in Parker where she stayed home to raise her two children – both now attending Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Reentering the workforce, initially Duffey returned to healthcare, and she said she was disappointed to see that in the years she was away, the salaries had actually decreased.

With that cue, Duffey entered the world of municipal government. Her first job was as the Town of Lone Tree municipal court clerk. From there, she quickly transitioned from working the night court to the role of Lone Tree’s deputy city clerk – eventually taking the role with the City of Castle Pines.

“I’m a planner. A get it done kind of gal,” Duffey commented. Working in municipal government was a perfect transition for Duffey out of healthcare. “I like being able to meet deadlines and the sense of accomplishment that comes from crossing tasks off a list,” she continued.

Duffey works with a small staff at the City of Castle Pines. “It’s a tight-knit group,” she said. “I love my work family. It’s one thing to have a job you love and a whole other thing to work where you are appreciated. It means a lot,” she mused.

Recently, Duffey changed her last name from Basile to Duffey and her address from Parker to Highlands Ranch when she married Patrick, a friend she had known for years – before kids and a divorce. They reconnected in 2016 and planned to marry in 2020 after a proposal at Trevi Fountain in Italy, where Patrick claimed the Latin inscription on the fountain said, “Will you marry me?”. Like most 2020 plans – the wedding didn’t happen. Instead, the newlyweds said their vows in front of a waterfall at a destination wedding in Iceland just weeks ago.

When Duffey isn’t wearing one of her city clerk hats, she can be found at the movies. Her favorites are scary ones. Even though she said most scary movies aren’t really scary, Duffey admits the best ones always have a good story. Her favorite is Jaws.

Duffey also loves to travel. She’s been to Rome, Paris, Beijing and spent many vacations on the beaches of Hawaii, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. Her bucket list travels include Spain, Portugal, England and Australia.

“I want to hold a koala bear before I die,” she laughed.