Honored
Romulus Deputy City Clerk awarded 2025 title by state association
D’Sjonaun Hockenhull has been honored as the Deputy Clerk of the Year by the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks. The prestigious award was presented to the Romulus Deputy Clerk during an official ceremony last week.Hockenhull has served as the City of Romulus Deputy Clerk since September of 2020. He was appointed to the position during the 2020 Presidential election. Hockenhull began his career with the municipality in 2007 working at the 34th District Court.
Hockenhull was nominated for the honor by Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight.
“D’Sjonaun identified the need and oversaw the implementation of a number of efficiencies to enhance not only the day-to-day operations of the city clerk’s office, but all city departments.
“Some notable projects include implementation of DocuSign, automated FOIA software, online applications, and forms…Romulus is fortunate to employ such a talented and dedicated young man, and I am proud to submit his name for consideration for the MAMC 2025 Deputy Clerk of the Year,” McCraight said in his nominating letter.
Hockenhull was also nominated for the honor by long-time City Clerk Ellen Craig-Bragg.
“His ability to build strong relationships with colleagues, elected officials, and community leaders contributes to a positive work environment. D’Sjonaun has a strong understanding of municipal and election law, which can be showcased by successfully coordinating an Early Voting site during the 2024 election cycle and dedicating the time to study Prop 22-2 and the new election laws,” she said.
Hockenhull secured a $27,000 Election Security Grant through FEMA administered by Michigan State Police to enhance and upgrade the security camera system for the City of Romulus early voting site. In addition to the grant, he created training manuals and procedures for processing early voting ballots, officials said.
Hockenhull is an active member of the Association of Wayne County Clerks, MAMC, IIMC, and Michigan Municipal League. In 2023 he was elected treasurer for the Association of Wayne County Clerks and then re-elected in 2025. In addition, he serves as the treasurer of the Juneteenth Planning Committee and member of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Planning Committee for the City of Romulus.
Hockenhull currently serves on the Michigan Municipal League (MML) Municipal Services Committee and the MML Municipal Services Subcommittee on Elections where he offers a clerk’s perspective on bills introduced by the Legislature. He said his goal is to elevate the voices of clerks in other domains of government while using relevant connections to solve complex issues. Hockenhull is also an advocate for the needs of the profession by budgeting appropriately and responsibly, officials noted.
“My prior experience gave me only a limited understanding of the role. I was quickly overwhelmed by the breadth of responsibilities. It’s truly a job no single person can fully handle. I see my position as a gatekeeper for the clerk…They trust that the office is running smoothly, as if they were personally overseeing every detail,” Hockenhull said.
The MAMC is a professional organization that exists to promote, enhance, and encourage the professional development and standing of municipal clerks through cooperation, communication, education and training by utilizing seminars, institutes and meetings; to promote and encourage improvement of methods and procedures of duties performed by clerks; and to address legislative matters relating to the municipal clerk’s responsibilities, according to a prepared statement.
Of the eight states that administer elections on the local level, Michigan is one of the largest with 280 city clerks and 1,240 township clerks. The Michigan elections system is administered by 1,603 county and local election officials making it one of the most decentralized in the nation. There are an additional 257 village clerks in Michigan, represented by the MAMC, the statement continued.
The award was presented at the 25th Annual MAMC Summer Conference – Sterling Silver Jubilee Celebration on June 5. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson addressed the crowd of clerks and presented her recognition to the award recipients.
