The News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware), November 2, 2006, Thursday

Copyright 2006 The News Journal (Wilmington, DE)
All Rights Reserved
The News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware)

November 2, 2006 Thursday
Final Edition

SECTION: LOCAL; Pg. 5B

HEADLINE: Register of wills touts her accomplishments

BYLINE: ANGIE BASIOUNY {dcdc}Contact Angie Basiouny at 324-2796 or abasiouny@delawareonline.com.

BODY:
The News Journal
Everybody needs a will.
At least Diane Clarke Streett thinks so. That's the message she's been trying to get out for the past five years as New Castle County's Register of Wills.
With just days left before Tuesday's election, Clarke Streett, a Democrat, is hoping her track record in the row office will help her seal a win against Republican challenger James A. McClain Jr.
The Register of Wills deals with the probate matters regarding assets left by people after they die. It also helps guide families through the probate process and gives instruction on how to create a will.
Clarke Streett has found a creative way to do community outreach, with her "Everybody Needs a Will" workshops that offer information along with skits and role-playing to help people get over the reluctance they may have in talking about death. She's held more than 200 workshops during days, nights and weekends.
"I love what I do," she said. "I've always been involved in public service and this is just an extension of it. I feel like I help the community."
Clarke Streett, an attorney for 31 years, was appointed as Register of Wills to fill a vacancy in 2001. She was elected for a four-year term in 2002.
She was the first black woman to hold the office. She was also the first to create a Web site for the Register of Wills, with downloadable forms and a wills search function.
Clarke Streett also counts among her accomplishments a 23-page brochure about the office and a program that waives the $5 fee to hold wills in safekeeping for active-duty military.
To eliminate long waits in the lobby, she switched the office to appointment-only.
She also implemented several identity-theft protection measures, such as masking Social Security numbers on paperwork and requiring a photo ID to obtain certain documents.
McClain said he's impressed by the work Clarke Streett has done, and wants to find more ways to improve the office.
"What I'm looking to do is save the county money. Save, save, save," said McClain, a Bank of America manager who handles marketing for NASCAR.
This is a first foray into politics for McClain, who said he has aspirations for higher office.
McClain was encouraged to run by friend and fellow Bank of America employee Jason Hortiz, a Republican candidate for the county's Recorder of Deeds. Both men said if they win election, they will quit the bank and work in the row offices full time.
The Register of Wills has an operating budget of $1.4 million that is offset by the money it generates for the county through fees. The office collected $3.9 million in revenue last year.
McClain said he would like to examine the budget and find ways to reduce spending and increase efficiency.
Although he doesn't have the incumbent's extensive legal background, McClain said he believes his management and customer service experience will help him do a good job. He started his career with MBNA in collections and became a credit analyst, two jobs that deal with people discussing sensitive topics.
"I'm a quick study," he said. "If I'm able to manage the folks efficiently that are in the office doing the job, I think that is one of the most important things."
{dcdc}Contact Angie Basiouny at 324-2796 or abasiouny@delawareonline.com.
{dcdc}MEET THE CANDIDATES
{dcdc}Diane Clarke Streett
AGE: 55
PARTY: Democratic
RESIDENCE: Brandywine Hills, Wilmington
EDUCATION: Bachelor's, labor economics, Cornell University; law degree, Cornell University Law School
OCCUPATION: Register of wills
FAMILY: Divorced, one daughter
PRIOR PUBLIC/CIVIC SERVICE: Register of wills since 2001; member, vestry of Episcopal Church of Sts. Andrew and Matthew; board member of Delaware Law-Related Education Center; board member, Delaware Center for Justice; member, Delta Sigma Theta sorority; board member, Brandywine Hills Civic Association; president, Delaware Black Caucus; former Wilmington city solicitor; former assistant public defender, 1989-2000; assistant city solicitor and chief prosecutor for Municipal Court, 1986-89; former assistant U.S. attorney, Washington D.C., 1980-86; former counsel to U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on criminal justice; former counsel to U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on crime; assistant district attorney for Kings County, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1975-79
WEB SITE: www.Streett2006.com
E-MAIL: Streett2006@aol.com
{dcdc}James A. McClain Jr.
AGE: 31
PARTY: Republican
RESIDENCE: Highland Court, Wilmington
EDUCATION: Graduate, Clifford Scott High School in East Orange, N.J.; B.A., business administration, Delaware State University
OCCUPATION: Marketing channel manager for NASCAR for Bank of America Motorsports
FAMILY: Married, one child
PRIOR PUBLIC/CIVIC SERVICE: Volunteer, Habitat for Humanity and Meals on Wheels; member, NAACP
WEB SITE: None
E-MAIL: jmcclain22@yahoo.com