FEE OFFICES MAKE TRANSITION

As she prepares to take the helm as head of the Cape Girardeau and Jackson license fee offices, Norma Wildman anticipates a smooth transition for license bureau patrons.

Last month, Gov. Mel Carnahan announced that the Department of Revenue's fee offices had been awarded to the Southeast Missouri State University Foundation and that Wildman would manage the offices for the foundation.

The move ended a 12-year hold on the offices by the Cape Girardeau and Jackson Chambers of Commerce, who were awarded them in 1981 by former Gov. Christopher Bond.

Wildman said Sunday the offices, which will be closed today for inventory, will open Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. Hopefully, customers won't notice any difference in service, unless it's for the better, she said.

"This past week the foundation sent five people to Jefferson City for in-depth training, and I think that's going to be a big advantage in making the transition as smooth as possible," Wildman said. "From my point of view, I want to provide good customer service to the people in Cape Girardeau and Jackson.

"I have hired a lot of outstanding, friendly people, and I anticipate a very good transition."

All employees at the fee offices are new to the job. At Jefferson City, the workers learned the types of questions and problems they might confront at the license fee offices.

The Missouri Department of Revenue also is dedicated to good customer service in Cape Girardeau and Jackson, Wildman said.

"The department of revenue felt a strong responsibility to provide good service to the community, and they'll be sending a field representative to each office to work with us for a week or two," she said. "As far as the hours, we'll be keeping everything the same as it was before."

Wildman stressed that, contrary to recent rumors, the Jackson office also will open Tuesday after closing Monday for inventory.

"That rumor had been out, and the times when I was asked whether there would still be a Jackson office, I always told them there was never a question about that," she said. "The Jackson office will remain open and the hours will be the same.

"I'll be spending time each week in both the Cape Girardeau and Jackson offices."

Each office will be staffed by three other employees, she said. Those employees will report to Wildman, who will report to the foundation board of directors.

Wildman worked in the grocery business for several years in Van Buren and, for the past eight years, she has worked in banking, most recently as a teller at Capital Bank.

She and her husband, Walt, and two daughters moved to Cape Girardeau in 1986, where Walt Wildman took over the local Easter Seals office. In 1989, he was named executive director of the Cape Girardeau Area Regional Commerce and Growth Association.

Norma Wildman said she's looking forward to her new job and the chance to serve the public in Cape Girardeau and Jackson.

"With any new job, there's going to be a transition period," she said. "But all of us here realize the importance of customer service, and I think we're ready."