Biography of County Clerk Kelly Eskew

Kelly Eskew

Kelly started her career in local government in 1994 at the Town of Crawford - Pine Bush, NY. Before long she was recruited to serve as the town’s elected Tax Collector.  Developing a strong reputation as a hard worker with an ability to excel working in a team setting, Kelly was encouraged by local community members to run for Town Clerk.  Kelly served a distinguished tenure as the Town of Crawford Clerk from 2002 – 2013.

During her many years of public service within the Town of Crawford, Kelly instituted a state-of-the-art Records Management Program, became a steward for the preservation of historical records and was the first line of defense for many issues facing town residents.   If you needed an answer to your question all you had to do was ask Kelly and she and her team were there to help. Under her direction the Town of Crawford Clerk’s Office enjoyed a reputation of being service driven, open, and welcoming to all residents.

On January 1, 2014 Kelly was appointed as Deputy County Clerk.  Over the next eight years Kelly supervised 41 county employees and managed 11 departments. On top of her management experience, Kelly brings to the Clerk’s Office her knowledge of records management, recording “Precious Documents” and the distribution of mortgage tax.  Kelly and her staff have strengthened the Orange County Clerk’s office through their ingenuity and work ethic.  

On November 2, 2021 the residents of Orange County rewarded Kelly’s hard work with an overwhelming election day victory enabling her to become the 38th Orange County Clerk.

"Our Goal is to Continue to Strive for Excellent Service to the Residents of Orange County"

The Orange County Clerk’s Office is a window to local government, coming into contact with more people on a daily basis than perhaps any other branch of county government. The clerk’s office is one of the oldest known official positions within local government, Its beginnings date back to Ancient Greece; the clerks would read aloud documents to the crowd at the opening of public meetings. When the colonists came to the United States, one of the first positions they established was a clerk. The colonists appointed a member of the colony in Plymouth to act as a “recorder” for the people.

Kelly Eskew is currently the County Clerk for Orange County, being the 38th person elected to this position. The first person to hold this office was Derick Strom in 1702. The Office of County Clerk is an elected position that is voted on every four years. Kelly is honored to be given the privilege to serve all of the residents of Orange County, whose population has grown to over 390,000 since it was established in 1683.

Kelly has accomplished the transition to a more modernized advanced setting by having documents uploaded online, so that they are accessible to the public, from their home or office. So whether your reason to visit the clerk’s office is to get a copy of your deed, a passport, open a new business, or a Department of Motor Vehicles service: you can be sure that Kelly Eskew and her helpful staff will be able to assist and answer any questions that you may have. We invite you to visit us and experience all the Clerk's Office has to offer.