Jimbo Shiver, a Republican, seeking to become the next Beaufort County clerk of court, believes he has the experience and qualifications for the position, which is now held by Democrat Marty Paramore.

Last week, Paramore filed for re-election. A clerk of court serves a four-year term.

“I’ve always wanted to get into politics. My father was a town councilman, then he was the mayor of Jamesville. In 2010, I was going to run for county commissioner, but some other people were running. So, I decided not to run,” Shiver said about what motivated him to seek the clerk of court’s position. “Marty’s being challenged this year. The way things are being run, I think it’s (clerk’s office) being run inefficiently. I think I can do a better job.”

Shiver explains why voters should support him.

“They should vote for me because of my management skills I developed in the Navy. … I can make the morale better, make people glad they’re coming to work,” Shiver said. “I believe when you wake up every morning and you say, ‘I’ve go to go to work,’ that’s the day you need to find another job. You need to enjoy doing what you’re doing. You need to treat people with respect and compassion. I know that clerks cannot offer legal advice, but if you come in with a problem, they can assist you the best they can and steer you in the right direction instead of saying, ‘You need a lawyer for that.’ … Just treat people like they’re a person instead of a number on a docket.”

As for his qualifications for the clerk of court’s position, Shiver cited his 10 years in the Navy as an operations specialist. Shiver left the Navy as a petty officer, first class. Shiver served in several supervisory positions in the Navy, from a combat information center watch supervisor to working in the war-gaming department at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I. He served as an acting chief petty officer on the USS Sphinx (ARL 24), an Achelous-class landing craft repair ship. He also served as a company commander at the transient barracks at Fleet Combat Training Center-Atlantic at Dam Neck in Tidewater Virginia.

Shiver, who works for Martin County Schools as technology technician, worked for the Administrative Office of the Courts installing new computers and updating software.

“I’ve been in over 20 different clerks’ offices, courtrooms. I know how an office should run,” he said.

Shiver holds three associate degrees from Beaufort County Community College: Internet technologies, information systems and network administration.

Shiver and his wife Danya have a son, Jordan Shiver, who lives in Montana, and a daughter, Sarah Shiver, who lives in Washington. Shiver has two stepsons: Jay Bailey, a student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Jordan Bailey, a student at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.