J. Bonnie Rehder

J. Bonnie Rehder began her career in the Clay County Recorder’s Office in 1978 as a Deputy Recorder.  In 1983 she was appointed to the Chief Deputy Recorder position and elected to her first term as Recorder in 1990.  January 1991 Vital Statistics and Passports were moved from Court Administration to the County Recorder’s Office.  Rehder then became the Local Vital Statistic Registrar and a U.S. Passport agent. 

Rehder was a member of the Air National Guard 1973-1985.  During that time she received two technical degrees through the U.S. Air Force.  Through a four-year program with Bemidji Technology College and the Minnesota County Recorder’s Association (MCRA), Rehder became a certified County Recorder in 1994.  In 1998, through Century College and MCRA, Rehder received a four-year certificate with emphasis in Vital Statistics.  In 2002 Rehder received a four-year certificate from St. Paul Technology College with the Minnesota Association of County Officers (MACO).  And in 2006 Rehder received a four-year certificate from Century College with MACO.    

Rehder is an active member of Minnesota County Recorder Association (MCRA) and Minnesota Association of County Officers (MACO).  She was the chair of the MCRA Education Committee from 1995-2002, 2007 MCRA president and 2009 “Outstanding Recorder of the Year”.   Rehder has been a co-chair of the MACO Education Committee 2006 - present. Rehder is also a Core Team member of Minnesota Official Marriage System (MOMS).

Rehder publishes a newsletter called “The Recorder” to provide up-to-date information on laws, policies and procedures.   Rehder has offered training and workshops on various topics such as Drawing Legal Descriptions, Recording Requirements, Genealogy Research, Personal Property Records and Research Records On-line.   

Rehder has often been a leader in technology.  Rehder was the first Recorder in Minnesota to accept credit cards.  Rehder has been instrumental in designing software for recorders.  Rehder was the first to offer software capable of creating the correlation between Government Survey lots and quarter quarters.   Rehder was first to integrate real estate records with GIS maps.  Rehder again became first to computer track documents that don’t meet recording requirements.  This is done without duplication when documents are re-submitted.  The Work In Progress (WIP) system also includes an automated rejection report.  February 6, 2006, Rehder e-recorded the first e-document in real estate records for Clay County.  Rehder is one of the originators of the Red River Valley, Property Records Education Partners (PREP) Chapter through Property Records Industry Association (PRIA).