It is great to be back in Iowa where I started my career in court administration 25 years ago. I applied for the State Court Administrator position because I consider the Iowa Judicial Branch one of the best court systems in the nation. Now that I have been in the position for 10 months, I am excited for the opportunity to execute a vision where the Iowa Judicial Branch is known nationally as the leader in creativity, innovation and sound management practices.
I am pleased to have the support of Chief Justice Cady and the Iowa Supreme Court but need everyone in the branch to join me in the vision. I see evidence all around the state of a willingness to try new and innovative programs to improve the courts for all Iowans. In this newsletter, Chief Justice Cady discusses the dozens of committees that help us in the administration of justice in Iowa. Input from judges, lawyers, judicial branch employees, and community members from around the state is essential for developing the initiatives and guiding our decisions.
Since coming back to Iowa, I have completed my first legislative session, my budgeting process, and met many judicial branch employees from around the state. I am now beginning my first administrative term and will be working with the supreme court to implement policies and programs for the court system. Having served in both urban and rural jurisdictions during my 30 years in court administration, I have a first-hand understanding and appreciation for the diversity of needs that exist at the local level. That is why statewide representation on all judicial branch committees is so important. I have seen how a lack of inclusivity and dialogue makes for bad policy and how the blanket application of a policy or program can have a disproportionate impact in different parts of a state.
I began my career in Davenport as the Seventh Judicial District Assistant Court Administrator in 1987. Then, I moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina, to begin work as a trial court administrator, a position similar to a district court administrator in Iowa. In 1992, I became the trial court administrator in Charlotte, North Carolina, the largest judicial district in the state. Now, I am back in Iowa and looking forward to sitting down with the justices of the supreme court to chart a course for the courts to become universally renowned as the place where innovation takes root and where decisions are based upon data and evidence-based practices. With the success of the vision, the Iowa Judicial Branch will be hailed for achieving greater public trust and confidence in the system. I hope you will join me.