If you spend any amount of time in Summit County, you start to notice the people who show up — not just once, not just for one cause, but over and over again. You see them in different rooms and with different groups, working quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) to make this place better. Malena Stevens is one of those people.
I don’t mean that in the vague, “she cares about the community” sense. I mean she is actually in it — across many different facets — and has been for years.
You’ll find her teaching yoga, creating space for people to reconnect with themselves. You’ll find her volunteering and supporting local nonprofits, not just in name, but through real, hands-on work. You’ll find her at Rotary, engaged in service alongside other community leaders. And you’ll find her in the less visible spaces, too: in the meetings, the working groups, and the conversations where real community-building happens. That kind of broad, lived engagement matters.
The role of county clerk isn’t about politics. It’s about people, process, and trust. It requires someone who understands the community not as a concept, but as a collection of real individuals with diverse needs, perspectives and experiences. It requires someone who has already built relationships across those lines and knows how to show up for everyone. Malena does.
She has been involved in public service and nonprofit work in ways that provide her with a rare, well-rounded perspective. She understands how systems work, but more importantly, she understands how they impact people. She has consistently demonstrated a commitment to serving the entire community regardless of affiliation, background or viewpoint.
Perhaps most practically, she is not new to the act of showing up. We don’t have to wonder if she will engage with the community once she is in office. She already does.
In a role that depends on public trust and day-to-day interaction with residents, that consistency matters more than any talking point. Summit County is best served by leaders who are already deeply connected to the people they represent. Malena Stevens is exactly that kind of leader.
Jennifer Kanzler
Coalville