Legislative Services

Since 2005, Nanette Forbes has served as the Legislative Consultant supporting the County and District Clerks’ Association of Texas (CDCAT). Working with the Clerks energized her, she said. There was always more to learn about the role of County and District Clerks.

“They’re just an incredible, hardworking group of individuals,” she said.

She often refers to the Clerks as family, and the admiration is mutual. At CDCAT’s annual conference this month, Forbes was honored for her service.

“She’s just everything to the Clerks, and has been everything,” Potter County Clerk Julie Smith said.

Forbes has been a tireless advocate for the Clerks. Observing the increasing scrutiny of elections and numerous legislative changes over the past few sessions, she was instrumental in the establishment of TAC’s County Elections Academy. The academy is an annual education opportunity that offers practical support to county officials and personnel responsible for holding efficient and secure elections.

She was also integral in the creation of TAC’s County Elections Database, which provides a centralized source for county election results.

Her final project is a report about restitution programs in six states with systems similar to Texas. She notes that other states have implemented victim assistance software platforms that help locate victims — tools that would greatly support County Clerks in Texas.

Forbes joined TAC in 1998 as a paralegal in the Legal Services department, answering calls on TAC’s Legal Help Line. Before TAC, she had a diverse career path, including roles as a flight attendant, a consultant traveling the country for Encyclopedia Brittanica, an administrator of a community grant program in Jim Hogg County and a state employee.

“I’ve had a great career,” Forbes said. “At TAC, I have been allowed the freedom to create and develop, and to help the Clerks be successful however I can, and I’m so thankful for that.”