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A Publication Featuring The Information
Services Technology of Maine State Government
| Volume VII, Issue 3 | March 2004 |
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By Janey Barton
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Ever wonder what someone looks like after you hang up the telephone? If you call the general statehouse number or someone at BIS (Bureau of Information Services), you may be speaking with Barbara Michaud. Barbara is a clerk typist III, working at the BIS front desk with Barbara Buck. Barbara Michaud has only been at BIS since September 2003, but she has been working for the state of Maine for almost 30 years. She was born and grew up in Windsor but now lives in Belgrade. She graduated from Erskine Academy, and later earned an AS in Photography at the University of Maine at Augusta (UMA).
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Barbara’s career with the State began as a clerk typist I in 1975 at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Later she worked for Maine State Energy Resources. Thereafter Barbara lived out of state for a couple of years. In those years she and her husband lived in Las Vegas, NV; Ashburn, GA; and Houston, TX. She said she only lasted one month in Houston and decided it was time to come home to Maine, where she has lived ever since.
From 1981-1984, Barbara worked several acting capacity clerk typist II jobs, until she began working for the Department of Human Services in a handicapped children’s program. For a few years, back problems forced her to be on disability. While recuperating, Barbara attended the Maine Photographic Workshop in Rockport and University of Maine at Augusta, where she earned an Associate’s degree.
She worked for a long time for Professional and Financial Regulation, where she was a clerk typist II. From there she went to work as a clerk typist III for Pat Beaudoin of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services as the board clerk for the Property Tax Review Board. This was a challenging position, and one she really enjoyed, but it was only part-time.
Since September 2003 Barbara has been working for BIS as a full-time clerk typist III. Part of her job responsibilities include working on job performance evaluations for managers, dealing with the telephone (calling card, collect, conference, and legislative calls), handling supply requests, sorting BIS mail, scheduling conference rooms, handling contract releases and travel requests, and various other tasks. "The new job is challenging. Dealing with all sorts of things and keeping up with answering the phone is a constant challenge. I do enjoy the people at BIS, and there are lots of wonderful people here."
For years Barbara has been taking classes in social services, photography, and accounting, as well as classes honing clerical and secretarial skills. She wanted to become a social worker at one time and took quite a number of classes in that direction. Photography is still an avocation dear to her heart, and she has done some wedding photography.
Barbara also runs a small construction business in partnership with her son. They build garages, install windows and siding, and do other small jobs. In her leisure time, she accompanies a friend who is a fan of horseshoe tournaments. To date they have traveled to world tourneys in Wisconsin and Alberta, Canada, with a planned trip to Pocotello, Idaho in July. Barbara also likes to travel within Maine. This past summer she went Downeast to Jonesport and Beals Island with her granddaughter, who is 12. They enjoyed biking and hiking on that trip, and also go snowshoeing together in the winter. Barbara is also a self-proclaimed "fair weather" hiker.
