vol.6, issue 3 - aug-nov 2014
TRANSCRIPT
Current NACM Board
MINNESOTA ASSOCIATION FOR COURT MANAGEMENT
August 2014 to November 2014
REFLECTIONS
MACM Reflections Staff
Coordinator: Nancee Prchal, Administrative Assistant, Washington County Court
Editors:
Dave Goeddertz, Accounting Manager, Ninth District Administration
Jamie Majerus, Internal Audit Manager, SCAO
Linda Sandberg, Court Operations Analyst, SCAO
Publisher: Jan Krupicka, Court Operations Supervisor, Anoka County Court
Design Consultant: Susan Love, Judicial Education Program Manager, SCAO
Editor in Chief: Aaron Williamson, Project Manager, Hennepin County Criminal Court
Any MACM member may submit an article for the newsletter. If interested, please contact Aaron at [email protected] for more information.
Vicky Carlson Elected to NACM Board of Directors
In This Issue:
● Vicki Carlson Elected
to NACM Board of
Directors
● Jeff Shorba Tours
Hennepin Suburban
Courts
● 2014 MACM Annual
Conference Summaries
● Message from New
MACM President
● MACM Committee
Updates
● District Updates
● List of 2014 MACM
Executive Board
Members
Vicky Carlson, Carver County Court Administrator and Past President of MACM, was elected to the National As-sociation for Court Management (NACM) Board of Directors as the Secretary/Treasurer for the 2014-2015 year. Prior to serving as the Secretary/Treasurer, Vicky served as the General Jurisdiction Director for NACM from 2011 to 2014. Congratulations to Vicky and thank you for serving!
Judge Kevin Burke from the Fourth Judicial District also serves on the Board as Judge Director.
On October 7, 2014, Jeff Shorba, State Court Administrator, toured the three suburban courthouses in Hennepin County located in Brooklyn Center (Brookdale), Minnetonka (Ridgedale) and Edina (Southdale). Mr. Shorba commented, "During my visit, I had an opportunity to see firsthand how the Fourth Judicial District is using new technologies to improve customer service and increase effi-ciency at their suburban locations. This is a great example of how technology, and our Branch-wide focus on innovation, is allowing us to better serve the people of Minnesota." Two examples demonstrating the use of technology with quality customer service include the new check-in station at Ridgedale and the public defender kiosk at Southdale. Fred Hendrickson, senior administrative manager of the criminal division remarked, "We really appreciate Jeff coming to visit our courthouses and talking with staff about how technology has improved our work environment and our ability to provide better customer service."
Driving conditions from one location to the next were perfect on a sunny autumn after-
noon. The tour route started at Brookdale, proceeded to Ridgedale and ended at South-
dale. Collectively referred to as “the Dales,” they identify themselves as a hybrid between large
urban courts and independent county courthouses. The courthouses are approximately 14
miles away from each other and share building space with county service centers and librar-
ies. Sherry Dahlman, Southdale court operations supervisor, mentioned, “It was a great visit
with Mr. Shorba. I am very happy he came to visit us and the Southdale staff enjoyed it very
much.”
Jeff Shorba Tours Hennepin Suburban Courts
By: Nancy Peters—4th District
“This is a great
example of how
technology, and our
Branch-wide focus on
innovation, is allowing
us to better serve the
people of Minnesota”.
- Jeff Shorba
Page 2 REFLECTIONS
PD kiosk at Southdale Court. From left to right are: Kiersta Haugen,
Anthony Parisian, Ryan Sargent, Sherry Dahlman (Supervisor), Jeff
Shorba, and Brenda Langfellow (former Suburban Court Manager).
Jeff Shorba is standing next to the newly in-
stalled check-in and updating station located in
the court lobby at the Ridgedale Court-
house. The station is outfitted with two fully
equipped sit-to-stand work stations, a wireless
credit card machine and is located next to the
public defender kiosks. The ability to provide a
more effective and efficient level of service and
a reduction in courtroom noise and traffic are
just some of the benefits that will be realized
as a result of the project.
Jeff Shorba Tours Hennepin Suburban Courts (Continued from Page 2)
Brenda Langfellow, court operations manager of the Dales observed, “Jeff was very interested in the staff, how long they have been with the Court and what they did before they came here. I received many comments about how approachable and engaged he was at each location. Everyone was so pleased and impressed that he took the time to come out to their courthouse.”
Page 3 REFLECTIONS
Southdale Court reception desk. From left to right are: Genevieve Kaess, Jennifer Shea, Ryan Sargent,
Sherry Dahlman, Kiersta Haugen, Jeff Shorba, Brenda Langfellow, and Anthony Parisian.
Each location handles its fair share of cases statewide. In 2013, court filings totaled 8,824 at Brookdale, 8,979 at Ridgedale and 10,304 at Southdale. This is equal to almost two percent of the total state court filings in 2013.
New Check-in station at Ridgedale Court. From left to right are: Seated - Madelline Gibbs, Cathy Payne,
Standing – Lisa Lane (then Supervisor, now Suburban Court Manager), Kate Powell, Jeff Shorba.
Annette Fritz sent me an invite announcing for the first time ever, NACM will be live streaming parts of the July 13th through 17th annual conference. If you can’t be in Scotts-dale, AZ, you “can log in (for free) and take in some of NACM's educational content. The content is so good, we hope you won't keep it to yourself! Share the link with a friend or colleague.” They were not exaggerating for the caliber of the content proved to be beyond “good.” I watched the July 14th Keynote Address: NextGen@Work: Bringing out the Best in Every Generation, Presenter: Seth Mattison. The wit alone in the title of the training was enough to capture my curiosity. I spent an additional hour and fifteen minutes in Matti-son’s Keynote Follow-up break out session. Here I will borrow a phrase from Tony the Tiger who debuted in 1951 as a breakfast cereal icon . . . and clearly gives away in which generation I belong . . . the Generational Keynote address was “GRRREAT!”
Mattison explained the importance of understanding the differences between the genera-tions. He spoke of the Baby Boomers; Generation X; Millennials and the fact that they don’t even have an agreed name for the newest people on the planet following the Millen-nials. Some call them Generation Z. For those of us who have attended generation train-ings, you know the characteristics attributed to the generations. We are a product of the events and experiences we share. In the briefest of terms, Mattison explained Baby Boom-ers are considered idealistic, optimistic and contributed to major changes in social struc-ture. Generation X’s were raised by Sesame Street and MTV. “Why” is their favorite word! They witnessed an explosion of 24 hours around the clock news, tend to be skeptical, and were the least supervised generation growing-up. Millennials are “Natives” to technology, unlike their Gen X parents who were the “Immigrants.” One other important shift, Millen-nials were raised by parents who gave them a voice unlike the generations before that were parented from the top on down.
I hadn’t been to generation training in probably five years. Some things have changed! Mattison described Millennials as the “Chief Technological Officer” in their families since they could toddle about. They have been teaching the adults in their lives for years. They want a seat at the table and they believe the power of the people is greater than the peo-ple in power.
Page 4 REFLECTIONS
It’s a Generation Thing! (NACM Training)
By: Sue Halpern, Washington County CSO
“Anyone who knows me knows that I expect a
lot from a training opportunity. You might
call me a bit of a training snob. The way I see
it, if you are going to take me out of my rou-
tine, I should expect it is worth my time since
no one is doing my job while I’m away. You
don’t necessarily need to wow or woo me with
rhetoric but relevance is expected.”
Sue Halpern
Older generations see a much more military command of the world where wisdom was bestowed from the top on down. Millennial’s see the world as a giant “Network.” They get bored easily and must be engaged to do impactful work. Give them a project they can take ownership of. Also, be clear and honest with expectations such as “You probably won’t have my job in eighteen months no matter how industrious you might be.”
What do Millennials expect of a leader? They expect:
1. Help to navigate a career path;
2. Be provided with straight consistent feedback;
3. A leader willing to be mentor and coach;
4. A leader willing to sponsor them to participate in formal development programs; and
5. A leader comfortable with a flexible schedule
Mattison warned other industries are taking away the talent. The Courts must be willing to have the conversation regarding flexibility including when and how work happens, and recognize the world is connected 24/7.
If this is a topic that interests you, I would recommend viewing the video presentation. Three strategies Mattison provides:
1. Shine a light on the unwritten rules of your hierarchy. Do we have old policies that no longer serve our organization?
2. Invite everyone to have a seat at the table. Tap into the collective consciousness. That doesn’t mean Millennials will have the final say.
3. Unleash the power of ownership. How to you get them to buy in?
Engage your staff. When hiring or at performance evaluations ask the question: How do you define success? How do you measure that? Mattison promised you’ll be enlightened!
Page 5 REFLECTIONS
It’s a Generation Thing! (Continued From Page 4)
MACM Bylaws Update:
At the 2014 MACM Annual Conference, the MACM bylaws were amended as follows:
Article II – Purposes – Section 1 – replaced the term court managers with the term the members of the Association.
To include the past president as an Officer and language changes were made to Articles V; VI; VII; and IX.
The complete MACM Bylaws are posted on the MACM website here.
Mike Kelley and Sarah Lindahl-Pfieffer
Deputy Court Administrators . . . And Real People Too!
By: Ryan Sargent, Senior Court Clerk, 4th District, Southdale
The appointment of Kate Fogarty as Hennepin County’s Judicial District Administrator ush-ered in a new era of administrative leadership to the county. This transition in leadership includes the introduction of Deputy District Administrator Sarah Lindahl-Pfieffer to complement Deputy District Administrator Michael Kelley. Sarah and Michael are essential components of a team lead-ing the direction of the Hennepin County District Court. They meet with staff and court partners in order to most effectively reconfigure calendars and resources, as well as how to implement those changes and changes in policy. They compile court wide re-quests to address resource needs, and submit requests to the state legislature in order to fulfill those needs.
They also listen to music. And have families. There are things they like to do away from the job. Hopefully, these things go without saying, but due to the nature of their posi-tions, most of us simply do not have the opportunities to regu-larly rub elbows with Mike and Sarah. Title or not, manage-ment chair or none at all, they are still our coworkers. So, who are these people? What are their views on the court? And just what the heck is it that they do away from the job?
A Fairmont, Minnesota native, Mike has blazed judicial trails across the nation for the past 25 years. After completing his Masters in Judicial Administration at the University of Den-ver, he ventured to the Pacific Northwest for an internship with the Oregon Judicial Department. From Salem to Scranton, Mike’s “first real job” was for Lackawanna County, Pennsylva-nia’s Court of Common Pleas, but he quickly moved to a larger jurisdiction as he took a position in the State Court Administra-tion office in Illinois. (Continued On Page 7)
Page 6
REFLECTIONS
Mike Kelley
Deputy District Administrator
Kate Fogarty
Judicial District Administrator
Sarah Lindahl-Pfiefer
Deputy District Administrator
Mike Kelley
Mike Kelly and Sarah Lindahl-Pfieffer
(Continued from Page 6)
When Minnesota started calling him home, Mike landed in St. Cloud to take the Assistant Dis-trict Administrator position - a title he carried into the First Judicial District.
In 1998, Mike came to Hennepin County as an Administrative Services Director, eventually moving into the Deputy District Administrator role. He played an instrumental role in the transition from county to state funding and, more recently, the successful implementation of the eFile and Serve Project. Since coming to Hennepin County, Mike has received certification from the Institute for Court Management, through which he now teaches the Essential Components of Court Admin-istration class for the Court Management Professional certification program.
Sarah started her journey towards the criminal justice field at St. Cloud University. She studied both Criminal Justice and Psychology, looking forward to a career as a police officer. Despite offers from law enforcement agencies, she changed course towards the administrative side of criminal justice. Sarah made her decision, in part because of the fact that, due to the nature of these interactions, people are often at their worst when interacting with police officers. As someone who relates with others very well, she chose to follow her passion for the criminal justice field in a way that promised to provide more positive interactions and production.
After working for a security consulting company just out of college, Sarah started in the courts as a Criminal Division Su-pervisor in Washington County. Her next step was to Anoka County as the Scheduling Manager, where she quickly took on additional duties including supervising the Juvenile Division. Her achievements in the Tenth District continued as she became the acting Chief Deputy Court Administrator. In June of this year, Sarah advanced to the position of Senior Administrative Manag-er of Family, Juvenile, and Centralized Services for Hennepin County, a title she held until stepping up to the Deputy District Administrator chair.
No shocker that these two have the credential chops to hold down the Deputy District Administrator positions, they’ve proven as much to make it there. But then, we were under the impression that they are still people and may have interests away from the courts. Right?
A good summer time day finds Mike ripping down the St. Croix River in the family’s 19-foot runabout, blaring John Mellencamp, The Eagles, or Neil Young. For the last 18 years, the winter months had Mike and his wife ice-rink hopping, with any number of the three Kelley children hitting the boards and chasing the hockey puck. The spring month’s kid chasing traded the pucks for soccer balls, the ice rinks for grass fields. Now with just one daughter left in the home who no longer plays hockey and soccer, a teenager who is spending more and more time outside of the home, the Kelley’s are getting a relaxing glimpse of the empty nest years to come. A long deserved journey down under to New Zealand and Australia gets closer and closer to reality.
Sarah is just now getting a glimpse of the manic child athlete years to come. Her third grader son keeps the house hopping with football and baseball. Her daughter is taking on gymnastics as she begins her elementary career this year in first grade. Time will tell if the children inherited Sarah’s own athletic skill. As was one of the few girls on the Sauk Centre High School Swimming team, she practiced, and competed, with the boys’ team. As a pioneer on the Girls Swim Team, Sarah’s foot-prints helped lead today’s Mainstreeters team of 30+ to be a highly competitive force in the West Central Conference. A veteran of numerous triathlons, Sarah still does some competitive running, though swimming has taken a back seat to cheering on her children. Undoubtedly, her one season as a high school cheerleader has paid dividends there, but don’t tell her that I said so. (Cont Page 8)
Page 7
REFLECTIONS
Sarah Lindahl-Pfiefer
Mike Kelly and Sarah Lindahl-Pfieffer
(Continued from Page 7)
Sarah’s favorite Pandora stations are, Jason Aldean, Lady Gaga, and Simon & Garfunkel, and she would rather hear nothing over talk radio. Mike’s iPod is filled with classic rock from the 70s and 80s, and during his commute he is often kept company by public radio. His Netflix queue holds titles like House of Cards and Sons of Anarchy, while Sarah is more apt to hunt down a Modern Family epi-sode or a How I Met Your Mother rerun. (Read “rerun” with a sad face.) Sarah likes to take her chil-dren to the movie theater, while Mike hasn’t been to one in years. However, under the My First Car category, they both filed for Ford Mustang.
Sarah Lindahl-Pfieffer is the Deputy District Administrator over the court’s operational areas. Michael Kelley is the Deputy District Administrator over what he affectionately calls “Infrastructure Services”: Information Technology, Human Resources, Finance, Facilities, Security, Psychological Ser-vices, and Self-Help. From different backgrounds, they approach separate responsibilities under the same umbrella with common goals, to come to the same conclusion: especially with so many varied perspectives of what “the job” is, each and every court employee’s experience and ideas are valua-ble, and that these ideas are appreciated and deserve to be heard.
Together with Judicial District Administrator Kate Fogarty, Mike and Sarah both work hard deliver a vision of how the Hennepin County District Court should operate. Accomplished in their ca-reers and skillful at their jobs, our Deputy District Administrators are not only assets to the County, but they’re pretty cool people too. Next time you see them, ask Sarah about playing charades with toddlers, or find out if it really is the Goldendoodle that runs Mike’s house. Chat with them, and let them know your thoughts on how efficiency in the courts can be improved upon, or maybe share your take on the Breaking Bad finale. As leaders of our big court team, Mike and Sarah are com-mitted to acting on what’s best for the District, and all the people under that banner.
Page 8
REFLECTIONS
A View of the Fourth Judicial District Bench
The Fourth Judicial District, a.k.a. Hennepin County District Court, has 62 judge positions. Of the 61 judges currently on the bench, there are 31 females and 30 males. Judges self-reported ethnicity as 31-white and 16-other ethnicities (2-American Indian/Alaska Native; 2-Asian/Pacific Islander; 6-Black/African American; and 6-Hispanic/Latino). By the end of 2014, 13 new judges will have been appointed or elected to the Hennepin bench. The average age for a judge in Hennepin County is 55.82 years, a slight de-crease from a few years ago.
Torch Passed To New Judge in the Fifth District
By: Justin R. Lessman
Retiring trailblazer challenges Bentz to blaze her own trail
A trailblazing district court judge passed the torch of judicial authority last week to a woman she challenged to blaze her own trail.
The Hon. Linda S. Titus of Jackson County, the first female judge in Minnesota’s Fifth Judicial District, administered the oath of office to Darci J. Bentz during a judicial investiture ceremony Friday afternoon in Jackson’s historic courtroom. At the inves-titure ceremony Titus transferred judicial authority to Bentz, the Fairmont attorney and turned over the chair she has occu-pied for the last quarter-century.
Titus said she had the privilege of working with Bentz over the years as the new judge served as a celebrated public defender in Titus’ courtroom. Titus said she was always impressed with how tire-lessly Bentz represented her clients and added she is “confident she will devote the same energy and dedication to the duties of her judicial office.”
Titus also challenged Bentz to always act “fairly and honestly” according to the rule of law.
Bentz was sworn in with her right hand raised and her left resting on a Bible held by her two chil-dren, Kate and Samuel Grogin. Her husband, William Grogin, a fellow attorney Bentz met in the
courtroom, robed the new judge.
Titus then presented Bentz with her nameplate, removed her own and took a seat in the jury box next to 10 other robed judges on hand for the occasion.
Titus said the ceremony reminded her of her own judicial investiture nearly a quarter-century ago, at which the judge who swore Titus in recalled his own investiture some 20 years prior to that.
“Indeed,” she told Bentz, “this is a day you will never forget.”
Bentz said she was honored to have been sworn in by Titus.
“You have set a very high standard,” Bentz told the retiring judge.
To those gathered in the courtroom, Bentz pledged a tenure of fairness.
“This is a privilege and responsibility I take very seriously,” she said, promising to treat everybody who enters her courtroom with “respect and dignity.”
“The people of Jackson County and the Fifth Judicial District are what matters,” she said. “I will work extremely hard to ensure justice is served in this courtroom.”
Page 9
REFLECTIONS
The Honorable Darci Bentz
The Honorable Linda Titus
Update On the Centralized Appeals Unit
The Centralized Appeals Unit will celebrated its 1-
year anniversary in November! On November 4,
2013, the Centralized Appeals Unit was established
as a pilot project. The Centralized Appeals Unit
serves as a support partner and resource to local
courts throughout the State. It also serves as a liai-
son between local courts and the Appellate Courts.
During the first year, the Centralized Appeals Unit
assisted SCAO with several initiatives including re-
gression testing and the index enhancement fea-
ture. After implementation and establishing the
unit, we are working at revising and fine tuning a
few work processes, reports, and tracking within the
department. Recently, the unit arranged a site visit
and meeting with the Court of Appeals and the Clerk
of Court, AnnMarie O’Neill. The experience was enlightening and beneficial to all. The photo is sig-
nificant in that the space the photo was taken previously housed District Court files on appeal. The
Unit recently sent a survey to all local courts and partners throughout the state in an effort to im-
prove and enhance our services. The results provided valuable and useful feedback and ideas we
will use to improve service. A sincere “Thank You” to all who participated!
Strengthening the Connection:
Our Courts, Our Communities, Ourselves
“I Always Feel Like Somebody’s Watching Me”
Presenter: Mark Lanterman, Chief Technology Officer, Computer Forensic Services
Note Taker: Kim Carlson, Training and Development Specialist, Sixth District
Mark’s session seemed to be pretty popular among MACM members. Mark is currently retained by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab, where he is involved in computer forensics, which as he explained is the application of analytical techniques to computer data structures in determin-ing the potential for evidence. (Continued On Page 11)
Page 10
REFLECTIONS
Sarah Lindahl-Pfieffer (Fourth District Deputy
Administrator), Amanda Bloodsaw, Sara Hackenmueller,
Todd Braun, Krista Sandhoefner (CAU Supervisor), AnnMarie
O’Neill (Clerk of Court of Appeals)
2014 MACM Annual Conference: Session Summaries
He looks at “metadata” which is “data about data.” The data or content is the first layer, and all the information about the data is the second layer, the metadata. The metadata is what helps him put the timelines together and tells a story. He mentioned that he was involved in the analysis of the Intoxilyzer Source Code, which got a big response from the audience.
Over the last several years, Mark has not had a case that did not involve a cell phone, PDA, iPad, etc. and referred to them as “snitches in your pocket.” He reminded us that “delete doesn’t mean de-lete” and he is able to dig down and find things we think are completely deleted.
One of his stories was about credit card theft from gas stations. There’s a device called a skimmer that reads credit card numbers. A man figured out how to steal credit card numbers by inserting these skimmers into gas pumps. According to Mark, the man bought a gas pump on eBay. The pumps come with keys and he was able to use the key to open several gas pumps and install the skimmers. Every couple days, the man would go to a particular gas station, connect wirelessly to the skimmer and collect all the credit card numbers that had run through it. Mark was called in to do the analysis on the man’s cell phone. The cell phone tracked the latitude and longitude data and tracked his location at several gas stations in the Twin Cities. The police department went to every gas station tracked from Mark’s analysis and opened up the pumps to confiscate the skimmers. The case went to jury and the man was found guilty. Forty-thousand cards were identified that had been stolen from 30-40 gas stations.
Mark also gave frightening information about websites selling stolen credit cards. Thieves can not only choose the type of card they would like to use, but also the location, the expiration date and the last four digits of the card. One way they avoid any fraud alerts is by buying stolen cards from within their own city. These stolen cards are normally used to buy gas and food; the owner some-times doesn’t even notice the charges.
Some of Mark’s advice regarding your electronic device: If you think you have deleted the data from the device, you probably haven’t and if you reformat it, the evidence is still there. Don’t ever click on anything that says “click here” if it doesn’t look legitimate. If you get an email or a text that doesn’t seem quite right, it probably is not. Hackers don’t normally know how to spell, and they don’t use spell check – those are clues. If you’re getting rid of an older computer, take the hard drive out and drill it full of holes before discarding it. Don’t trade in older cell phones, such as iPh-one 4 and 4S and anything older – take a hammer to it instead because hackers can still get the data on it even though it has been scrummed.
Court Services: “Help! The Roster Doesn’t Work!”
Presenter: Polly Ryan, Coordinator of the Court Interpreter Program and Language Access Services for the State Court
Administrator’s Office and Lisa Jore, Psychological/Psychiatric Examiner Services Program Coordinator for the
State Court Administrator’s Office
Note Taker: Lu Ann Blegen, Court Administrator, Tenth District
Polly Ryan, Coordinator of the Court Interpreter Program and Language Access Services for the State Court Administrator’s Office, provided information on the redesign of the interpreter database and invoicing system which has an expected delivery date in 2016. (Continued On Page 12)
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REFLECTIONS
2014 MACM Annual Conference: Session Summaries
(Continued From Page 10)
This redesign is an opportunity to address concerns raised by the internal audit as well as to provide more information to the user, better address the needs of court staff, interpreters, and court cus-tomers in need of interpretive services. Polly answered questions from the audience regarding hir-ing interpreters in unusual circumstances, billing issues, documentation recommended for approv-ing invoices, and when invoices should and should not be submitted through the state invoicing sys-tem. Polly can be reached at [email protected] or at 651-215-9468.
Lisa Jore, Psychological/Psychiatric Examiner Services Program Coordinator for the State Court Ad-ministrator’s Office, presented information on the audit findings related to the Psych Services Pro-gram. The current system relies heavily on manual reviews of examiner invoicing data. She provid-ed her audience with many helpful tips for approvers and managers including what types of services should be included in the “Other Service” category, how to communicate with the examiner when denying a claim, who pays for the interpreter for an examination, questions to ask when hiring a non-rostered examiner, and how to ensure compliance with court policies governing the hiring of examiners. Lisa can be reached at [email protected] or at 651-297-1096.
Contributing to a Safer Minnesota: MINNCOR Industries and the Department of Corrections
Presenter: Mark Thompson, Vice President of Sales
Note Taker: Lu Ann Blegen, Court Administrator, Tenth District
As Vice President of Sales, Mark Thompson leads all of MIN-NCOR's sales management and product marketing functions. MINNCOR’s role in the Minnesota Department of Corrections is a fascinating story how running fac-tories in Minnesota’s state correctional facilities contributes to a safer and more productive Minne-sota. Their mission is driven by three tenets: 1) employ as many offenders as possible, 2) cover the cost of operating these factories, 3) teach and document work skills to assist in reentry into society. MINNCOR is a $42 million “business”, operating as a program in 6 of the 9 state correctional facili-ties.
The factories span over 750,000 sq/ft of space and employ over 1600 workers (offenders) each day. There are over 18 different business units and a division that supplies contract manufacturing for private sector companies. This activity relates to a lower rate of recidivism by a measure of 30-50% over the general prison population. All this is done at no cost to the citizens of Minnesota, as MIN-NCOR takes no general fund money to run this program, in fact in FY14 MINNCOR was able to give back to the DOC and State of Minnesota, over $5.3 million.
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REFLECTIONS
2014 MACM Annual Conference: Session Summaries
(Continued From Page 11)
Infectious Diseases
Presenter: Cynthia Hickman
Note Taker: Linda Sandberg, Court Operations Analyst, SCAO
This session had some tough competition, however those who attended were pleasantly surprised. Though the topic was quite dry, Cynthia did a great job keeping it interesting and entertaining. She provided infor-mation on the following:
What is an infectious disease?
How is it transmitted?
How to stop the spread infectious diseases.
She specifically talked about: MRSA, TB, Influenza, HIV/AIDS, Histoplasmosis (from bats), Ebola, H1N1
Key points to prevent any of these and other ill-nesses:
WASH YOUR HANDS thoroughly and OFTEN
Cover your cough
Very good information for home and work!
Effectively Living and Working In A Diverse World
Presenter: Jodi Pfarr
Note Taker: Linda Sandberg, Court Operations Analyst, SCAO
The session was very interesting and thought provoking. Key points included:
Blue triangles (the majority) vs. red triangles (minority)
Blue triangles can be themselves while red triangles have to change to “fit in” with the blue.
She demonstrated how much easier it is for those who have more blue than red triangles, such as reflective listening; how the courts stereotype; media sensational-izes and reinforces the norm; language will switch to enforce the norm; and if we don’t own our experience, we act out of it.
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REFLECTIONS
2014 MACM Annual Conference: Session Summaries
(Continued From Page 12)
Digging Deeper
Presenter: Jodi Praff
Note Taker: Linda Sandberg, Court Operations Analyst, SCAO
She continued the discussion from her plenary. Key points: In order to get power and legitimacy, you need
1. To feel heard
2. Rules have to be predictable
3. Authority has to be fair
She had the group look at a policy/procedure we have in place and determine how it benefits the normalized group, create an obstacle for those not part of the norm, how can we change it to bene-fit all and finally how do we support this change as individuals/organizations/community. Finally she reviewed the 6 stages of an organization from exclusionary organization to multicultural organi-zation to determine where ours would fall.
Hearing the Victim’s Voice: The Role Courts Can Play In Combating Prostitution, Sex Trafficking and Commercial
Sexual Exploitation
Presenter: Patina Park ([email protected])
Note Taker: Judy Peterson, Guardian Ad Litem Manager, First District
Trafficking is not a new a problem and has been around as long as we’ve been here. While the focus has typically been on women/girls, it affects both genders and transgender people. Patina Park stressed the importance of remembering that most victims don’t want help due to fear, threats, trauma, and trust. Patina covered the myths of sex trafficking, including that victims are often from other countries, they are not residing in their own home and that it doesn’t arise from prosti-tution. Many adult prostitutes began as victims of underage sex trafficking.
There are 3 types of trafficking, individuals, informal criminal, and formal criminal. The response often differs according to class and race. Influences for becoming a victim include vulnerability, both environmental and individual. The process includes recruit/bind/break /control. The most effective approach for recovery has been a Trauma focused approach. In Minnesota, the law is more generous than federal law for prosecution and has always been embedded in prostitution codes. Positive changes by the courts include looking at the acts of trafficker and not the victim. The safe harbor law recognizes victims as victims and focuses on services.
The Indian Women’s Resource center has worked extensively on this issue, find more information here .
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REFLECTIONS
2014 MACM Annual Conference: Session Summaries
(Continued From Page 13)
MJB Ethics Under the Microscope
Presenter: Susan Love
Note Taker: Jeri Boetcher, Human Resources Manager, First District
During this session, Susan assisted participants in exploring the challenging and thought-provoking ethical decisions that are faced by managers and employee’s day in and day out. The course includ-ed a review of MJB policies, the Code of Ethics, equipped managers with information and resources to be used when facing difficult questions and ethical situations. Several case studies allowed par-ticipants to explore various situations, apply MJB policies and discuss possible resolutions. Partici-pants used the MJB Ethics Policy as a guideline when considering the situations and making deci-sions. This course provided great ethical framework for examining factors useful in making recom-mendations and key decisions every day.
American Sovereign Citizens Movement
Presenter: NeTia Richards
Note Taker: Brigid Murphy, Court Operations Supervisor, Seventh
District
NeTia Richards spoke about how sovereign citizen move-ment began and how it has come from a non-violent movement from the early 70’s. Now there are more who may escalate to violence and there really is no clear way to determine when that will happen. Advice to court staff is to be very clear in your word choices and to speak only on what you know. Interactions have to be very calm and deliberate.
Page 15
REFLECTIONS
2014 MACM Annual Conference: Session Summaries
(Continued From Page 14)
MACM’s MISSION: MACM is an organization committed to the enrichment
of its members through professional growth and
development, opportunities, promoting advancements
and innovations in court administration, and partnering
with other professionals working to improve the justice
system in Minnesota.
Thank you for electing me as the new president of MACM. I am honored to serve MACM in this role. The association represents 300 court leaders who are serv-ing in a court system in Minnesota; the majority serving in the judicial branch. Our mission: MACM is an organi-zation committed to the enrichment of its members through professional growth and development opportuni-ties, promoting advancements and innovation in court administration, and partnering with other professionals working to improve the justice system in Minnesota. I plan to work with our committees toward our mission so that we continue to increase our skills to respond to the demands that face our courts. I look forward to serving as the president for the next two years, working with the committees, the Executive Board, and all of MACM’s members.
We held our 2014 conference from September 24-26 at the Marriott Hotel in Brooklyn Park. In reviewing the survey results, it’s nice to see that so many of you felt the confer-ence met or exceeded your expectations. The MACM committees work hard to sponsor conferences that provide quality content and presenters, on a variety of topics. A huge thank you to Peggy Gentles, for all of her work in leading the committee through another successful conference!
I began my term as the Education Committee chair, following the September confer-ence. We hit the ground running as the Committee has been working, checking out po-tential locations for our 2015 conference in Central Minnesota. We have selected Breezy Point in the Brainerd Lakes area for our conference, which will be held September 30th to October 2nd, 2015. We look forward to seeing many of you at the conference!
MACM 2015 Annual Conference
September 30 to October 2, 2015
Message From MACM President
Education Committee Update
By: Monica Tschumper, Chair, Education Committee
Page 16
REFLECTIONS
Annette Fritz, MACM President
Washington County Court Administrator
The Membership Services Committee is here to serve you! Our job is to make sure that you value being a part of MACM and that you get what you want out of the association. One great way to get more involved with MACM is to join a committee! You are not required to attend every monthly meeting to be involved on a committee.
All committee meetings are held via phone or Lync, so you always have the option of attending remotely. The committees try to utilize sub-committees to accomplish specific goals and strategies, which is a great way for you to be involved in a short-term MACM initiative with a group of other members.
The committees all meet on the first Thursday of the month. (This year, the January and July meetings were moved to the second Thursday of the month due to holidays.)
Feel free to contact any of the committee chairs if you have any questions about joining or participating on a committee.
Membership Services Update
By: Aaron Williamson, Chair, Membership Services Committee
Page 17
REFLECTIONS
Aaron Williamson, Chair
MACM Membership Services
Committee Function Committee Chair Meeting Time Meeting Location
Legislative & Outreach
Encourage legislative engagement and outreach to the community.
Wendy Van Duyne 10-11:00am
Meeting locations vary. All meetings
are held in the same location for
that particular month though.
Education Plan the annual conference and provide educational opportunities to members.
Monica Tschumper
11:00am-1:00pm
Membership Services
Provide membership services, such as newsletter, networking events, scholarships, expanding membership, ect.
Aaron Williamson 1-2:30pm
New Members: New members are always welcome. If you have new
supervisors, managers, or others in leadership positions, please talk with them about joining MACM! The member application can be found on the MACM website.
MACM Awards: If you see your co-worker doing something you want to
recognize, consider making a note so that when we solicit award nominations you will have the information ready to work with.
As Autumn approaches, our thoughts turn toward the end of the
year and we take stock of what we have done. As the new Chair-
person the Legislative & Outreach Committee, I can proudly re-
port that this Committee had a year filled with activity and
achievement. In conjunction with SCOA, the Legislative & Out-
reach Committee initiated the Legislative Process Training pro-
gram, which focuses on informing Judicial Branch members how
the legislative process works, such as how an idea becomes a bill,
to how that bill then works its way from committee hearing to both legislative houses to the gov-
ernor’s desk for signing. This training includes actual footage of committee hearings, as well as
providing information and tips on how to effectively interact with local legislators. Under the able
guidance of the SCAO and the Legislative & Outreach Committee, trainings were offered in the
First, Second, Fifth, and Tenth Judicial Districts.
Additionally, the Legislative & Outreach
Committee conducted a very successful state-wide
food drive campaign, raising over four thousand dol-
lars for Second Harvest Heartland. There was much
appreciated participation on behalf of all districts and
SCAO. The proceeds of the drive will benefit Sec-
ond Harvest Heartland, one of the largest food banks
in the Mid-West located in St. Paul. Second Harvest
is responsible for providing food to those in need, as
well as initiating programs to help prevent hunger
across Minnesota.
As the new officers begin with MACM, we
look to the future as well as the past. We are proud to have John Hultquist, Drug Court Coordina-
tor for the Fourth Judicial District, aboard as a new member. We are also excited to announce that
the Committee will be offering a template letter that can be tailored to address your local legisla-
tor along with the legislative outreach brochure. Stay tuned for more details regarding this!
I personally look forward to the opportunity to chair this committee as we continue to as-
sist in the shaping of legislation that affects court management in the Judicial Branch, as well as
reaching out to the community and becoming involved in projects that will assist the public we
serve as a Branch. If you would like to join the Committee, schedule a Legislative Process Train-
ing in your District, obtain a copy of the legislator letter and outreach brochure, or have any ques-
tions, concerns, or ideas for the Committee’s consideration, please contact Wendy Van Duyne at
[email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you.
MACM Legislative & Outreach Committee Update
By: Wendy Van Duyne, Committee Chair
Page 18
REFLECTIONS
What is International Fraud Awareness week? A week dedicated to fraud awareness, detection and prevention. This is a global effort to minimize the impact of fraud in organizations by pro-moting anti-fraud awareness and education to employees, management and financial staff. Fraud costs organizations worldwide an estimated five percent of their annual revenues, according to a study conducted by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). Interna-tional Fraud Awareness Week kicked off on Nov. 16, 2014 worldwide. The seriousness of the global fraud problem is one of the many reasons the Minnesota Judicial Branch participated in International Fraud Awareness Week, Nov. 16-22, 2014, as an official supporter to promote anti-fraud awareness and education.
ACFE President and CEO James D. Ratley, CFE, said that the support of organizations around the world helps make Fraud Week an effective tool in raising anti-fraud awareness. “The latest sta-tistics tell us that fraud isn’t going away, and companies that don’t have protective measures in place stand to lose the most,” Ratley said. “That’s why it is reassuring to me to see so many busi-nesses, agencies, universities and other organizations involved in the Fraud Week movement. The first step in combating fraud is raising awareness worldwide that it is a serious problem that requires a proactive approach toward preventing it.”
Raising awareness and educating our employees will encourage safeguarding the Judicial Branch’s resources to secure a financially and ethically sound future for the Branch. During Fraud Week, as an official supporter, the Branch engaged in various activities, including participating in fraud awareness trainings for employees and internal audit. Internal Audit has posted articles on
fraud awareness, resources for preven-tion and the “Fraud of the day” on the Internal Audit SharePoint page. For any office that has interest, the Branch Inter-nal Audit will assist offices in taking the “Fraud Prevention Check-up”.
For more information about increasing
awareness, reducing the risk and preven-
tion of fraud visit Fraudweek.com or con-
tact Jamie Majerus, MN Judicial Branch
Internal Audit Manager.
International Fraud Awareness Week
By Jamie Majerus, Internal Audit Manager
Page 19
REFLECTIONS
ROWE or IWIN, a beneficial challenge regardless of the acronym
By: Angela Warwick, Court Operations Supervisor, Juvenile Court
After hearing about the ROWE pilot in Hennepin County Juvenile, we decided that we would like to see how it could work in Ramsey County. First and most importantly we needed to determine how a new initiative could be implemented without impacting our customers. Any benefits to the office must not take away from the services that we provided the public.
We started to evaluate our current timelines to determine how we could maintain or surpass our current output. We gathered comprehensive baseline statistics for several months prior to imple-mentation to allow for comparison after the start of the initiative. The goal is to ensure that we are meeting or exceeding our previous standards.
SCAO provided an orientation to the newly renamed Innovative Workplace Initiative (IWIN) which focused on establishing and measuring results as well as providing staff the opportunity to have some control over when, where and how they work. Staff were very inspired and motivated to make the initiative successful. Following the orientation, our team needed to mold and adjust the presen-tation and materials to fit our expectations and the responsibilities of our office. Using the training materials, and templates provided by the SCAO, as well as guidance provided by Hennepin County, we developed a team agreement that would allow for more flexibility and provide a higher level of accountability. We redefined some of the daily assignments for staff, and provided training in new computer programs to assist staff in new approaches to procedures. By keeping the dialogue open and getting feedback from staff as the initiative progressed towards implementation, staff felt in-vested in its success.
While diligently working out the details, statistics, team agreement, and technology needs of staff, we also set the ground rules for expectations and responsibilities. The initiative has been a learning curve for all of us.
Given that the initiative has been in place for less than two months, it would be premature to claim conclusive success, but we have already seen some improvements in the speed in which paperwork is processed, a decrease in the days that people request off, and reduction in the time that...
MINNESOTA STATE COURT NEWS
FROM THE LAND OF 10,000 LAKES
Second Judicial DistrictSecond Judicial DistrictSecond Judicial District
Page 20 REFLECTIONS
Introducing Fourth Judicial District Administrator, Kate Fogarty
by Samuel M. Johnson, Law Clerk to the Honorable William H. Koch
From her humble farm upbringing, Kate Fogarty’s entrepre-
neurial spirit has driven her to achieve great things. In her
new role as Fourth Judicial District Administrator, Kate plans
to use her proven leadership skills to improve the experience
for all people who use the Hennepin County District Court.
Kate approaches her new role like a new business owner. She thinks of the
public, attorneys, and judges as her customers. Like any good business
owner, she wants her “customers” to have the best experience possible. To
that end, she is committed to the Court’s mission and craves feedback on
ways the Court can improve.
(Continued On Page 22)
Fourth Judicial DistrictFourth Judicial DistrictFourth Judicial District
Page 21 REFLECTIONS
District Updates - Continued from Page 20
management needs to spend finding coverage in the event of an un-planned absence.
For managers and supervisors, it has been a challenge to let go of some of the traditional oversight, for example, looking for staff 8:00 - 4:30. For staff, it has been a challenge to understand new approaches to old pro-cesses as well as a new-found responsibility for their own schedule. Moreover, staff are required to be more flexible in finding different ways to reach out to other staff members who might be working remotely for the day.
Given that the initiative has been in place for less than two months, it would be premature to claim conclusive success, but we have already seen some improvements in the speed in which paperwork is processed,
a decrease in the days that people request off, and reduction in the time that management needs to spend finding coverage in the event of an unplanned absence.
Fifth Judicial DistrictFifth Judicial DistrictFifth Judicial District
Page 22 REFLECTIONS
District Updates - Continued from Page 21
A good business owner also wants to have engaged, energetic, and helpful
employees. Great employees deliver great service, so Kate is focused on
developing a culture of creativity and innovation to drive morale. To deliver
on that promise, Kate will fight for proper funding from the Minnesota legis-
lature to continue improving what is already one of the highest functioning
criminal justice systems in the country.
Kate’s modesty is one of her best attributes. She knows she didn’t earn the
top job on her own. Kate knows that behind every great leader are great
people. She feels truly honored to be given such a great responsibility and
will strive to build a better Court system, both for the Court’s employees and
for the “customers” they serve.
Kate Fogarty sworn in by Chief Judge Peter Cahill
Denise Brandel, Appointed Court Administra-tor in Four Counties in Southwestern Minne-sota by Patty Amberg, Redwood County Court Administrator
Denise Brandel was appointed the Court Administrator in
Murray, Nobles, Pipestone and Rock Counties effective Sep-
tember 24, 2014. Denise has been a Senior Court Clerk in
Rock County since 1998. Prior to that she worked in the Rock
County Auditor/Treasurer and the Community Corrections
Departments and also was a legal assistant at a law firm in
Fairfax. Please join us in congratulating Denise on this ap-
pointment!
Denise Brandel
Kate Fogarty sworn in by Chief Judge Peter Cahill
Thirty Five and a Half Years of Dedicated Service by Connie Belgard, Martin and Jackson County Court Administrator
After 35 1/2 years of hard work and dedication as a Senior Court Clerk in Jackson County, Barb Spaeth has decided to take a permanent vacation and retire on November 4th. Her vast knowledge and years of service in all areas of the office, will be greatly missed!
Page 23 REFLECTIONS
District Updates - Continued from Page 22
Carol Weikle, Appointed Court Administrator for Brown and Nicollett County by Patty Amberg, Redwood County Court Administrator
Carol Weikle was appointed the Court Administrator for Brown and Nicollet
County District Courts. Weikle will replace Carol Melick, who recently re-
tired after 35 years of service with the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Weikle
has worked for Brown County Court Administration since 1988, and has
been Court Operations Supervisor in Brown County since 2000.
Carol received training at Hutchinson Community College and Southwest
Minnesota State University in Marshal, MN. Weikle’s appointment became
effective July 21, 2014. Carol Weikle
Barb Spaeth
Kathy Gronewald Retires on November 4, 2014 by Barb Worrell, Assistant District Administrator
Kathy Gronewald started her career with the courts on December 11,
2000 as a senior court clerk in Martin County and continued in that
role until March 8, 2005. During this time, Martin County “went
live” on MNCIS in November of 2004. In March of 2005, the 5th
District found itself in a predicament – we had only implemented
MNCIS in about a third of our 15 counties when our MNCIS training
coordinator resigned. After only using MNCIS herself for about 4
months, Kathy accepted the MNCIS Training Coordinator position in
a temporary capacity in March, 2005. Over the next year, Kathy fin-
ished MNCIS rollout in the 5th District and also helped out in several
3rd District Counties. Her appointment became permanent in June
2006 she has served as the 5th District Training & Development Spe-
cialist (aka MNCIS Coordinator) ever since. We are so happy for
Kathy and grateful for all she has done throughout the years to deliver
quality education and training to 5th District judges and employees.
She will be a tough act to follow and will be greatly missed!
Kathy Gronewald
Page 24 REFLECTIONS
District Updates - Continued from Page 23
eCourtMN Training Staff On Board by Kelly Iverson, Blue Earth County
Sonja Kruger will start on November 5, 2014. Sonja currently works
in Blue Earth County and has been with the courts for 21 years. Son-
ja has a B.A. degree, double major in Public Administration and Par-
alegal Studies from Minnesota State University – Mankato. She has
served on many state and district committees, including the Human
Resources eCourtMN Project Team, 5th District Labor/Management
Committee, Technology Planning Committee, Review Advisory
Board, and as a member of the 5th District Document Security Spe-
cialist Team. Sonja will initially focus on the eSignature project,
helping to implement and train this in the 5th District. Once that is
rolling along smoothly she will also provide assistance to the
MNCIS Task Manager team.
We are extremely fortunate to have Sonja joining our eCourtMN
University team! As you cross paths with Sonja in the coming
months, please welcome her. Sonja Kruger
Carla Lawrence, Court Business System Coordinator for the 5th District
by Barb Worrell, Assistant District Administrator
Carla Lawrence has accepted the position of Court Business Systems Co-
ordinator for the 5th Judicial District. The position became open due to
the impending retirement of Kathy Gronewald. Carla has been a Senior
Court Clerk in Faribault County for 22 years. In 2012, Faribault County
was named as one of eleven pilot courts in the state to lead the way to a
paperless environment. Since that time Carla has become familiar with all
aspects of the eCourtMN project.
While working full-time and raising a family, Carla completed post-
secondary education at Southwest Minnesota State University graduating
in 2011 with high honors and earning a B.A. in Public Administration.
Carla has been active on a number of state and district committees includ-
ing the Statewide Criminal Reengineering Committee, Confidential 2 Fo-
cus Group, the eFile and Serve User Group Committee for pilot counties as well as serving as co-chair
to the current 5th District Labor/Management Committee.
Carla Lawrence
Sixth Judicial DistrictSixth Judicial DistrictSixth Judicial District
Page 25 REFLECTIONS
District Updates - Continued from Page 24
Training & Development Specialist by Kim Carlson, Sixth District
Amy Turnquist, St. Louis County Court Administrator, was ap-
pointed Court Administrator of Carlton County on June 17, 2014.
Amy now joins the ranks of other Multi-County Court Adminis-
trators throughout the State with responsibilities in all four court-
houses - Duluth, Hibbing, Virginia and Carlton.
Tammy Lillo was promoted to Court Operations Supervisor in St. Louis County-Duluth in August. Tammy began her career with the Sixth District in June 2012, as a Senior Court Clerk in St. Louis-Hibbing, and then later in St. Louis-Virginia. During her time as a Senior Court Clerk she worked on family, civil, and mi-nor criminal cases, and did extensive work on records manage-ment in Virginia for two years. Tammy would characterize her first two months as a COS as BUSY! Her initial group of em-ployees included those in the family and CHIPS units in Duluth. Following a reorganization she will now also be supervising the civil staff. Tammy thinks the best aspect of being a COS in Duluth is the strong support she receives from the Management Team. By her account, she's asked a million questions and has gotten excellent support and guidance. Tammy is also grateful for the opportunity to keep learning, and is currently enrolled in the NCSC's Tier I CMP program, Supervisory Spectrum, and the EDGE program. She's originally from Duluth and most of her family is still in Duluth, so she appreciates being able to visit them more often now that she's working nearby.
The Sixth District is now fully implemented on Co-Sign. The journey began in May with Hon. Shaun
Floerke in Duluth and now all judges, judicial and court staff are on board. District Administration
staff are now piloting Co-Sign for non-MNCIS electronic signature needs.
Duluth and Carlton also welcomed Referee John Schulte on August 11. Referee Schulte's responsibil-
ities include conciliation, harassment, default divorces, evictions and domestic abuse in both of those
courthouses.
The Sixth District held employee appreciation luncheons in September at all of its court sites. Mem-
bers of the management team and judges in each site provided food and a bit of entertainment for all
the staff.
Tammy Lillo
Tenth Judicial DistrictTenth Judicial DistrictTenth Judicial District
Page 26 REFLECTIONS
District Updates - Continued from Page 25
Tenth District ENE Coordinator
The Tenth Judicial District welcomes Angela Lussier as their ENE Coordinator. Angela received a BA in Spanish and a BS in Secondary Education from Oklahoma State University and her Juris Doctor from Hamline University School of Law. She worked as a Judicial Law Clerk in the Seventh Judicial District for the Honorable Michael L. Kirk and the Honorable Galen J. Vaa. While in the Seventh District, Angel helped develop multiple counties' ECM programs. She is cur-rently working with the Tenth District ENE Committee to provide an analysis of existing programs, as well as assisting counties with im-plementations and improvements. Angela will be launching a Tenth District ENE Provider Calendar using SharePoint. This calendar will allow all counties in the Tenth to schedule providers real-time. Any provider serving multiple counties will be linked, so once the provid-er is scheduled in one county, that booking will appear for all coun-ties served by that provider. Angela attended her first MACM con-ference in September and is looking forward to the next one.
Angela Lussier
Brenda Langfellow Joins Washington County Court Administration
by Annette Fritz, Washington County Court Administrator
Washington County recently welcomed a new colleague to their manage-
ment team. Brenda Langfellow began with us on November 3rd. Brenda
is the new Administrative Services Manager for Washington County Court.
She comes to us from Hennepin County where she was the Criminal Opera-
tions Manager for the Fourth Judicial District managing their three subur-
ban divisions for more than 9 years and served as the Family Court Supervi-
sor for 5 years prior to that. Throughout her career with the Fourth Dis-
trict, Brenda worked on innovative programs such as Early Neutral Evalua-
tion and Stop on Red. She served on the Hennepin County Domestic Fatal-
ity Review Board and has received numerous awards for excellence, ser-
vice, and innovation. In June 2012, Brenda became a Certified Court Exec-
utive with the National Center for State Courts, Institute for Court Manage-
ment. Brenda plans to take on an active role in MACM after she has settled
into her new role at Washington County.
Brenda has been married to her husband David since 2001. They live in
Woodbury with their two Siberian Huskies (Sam and Gus). She enjoys
downhill skiing, cooking and working out.
Brenda Langfellow
State Court Administrator’s OfficeState Court Administrator’s OfficeState Court Administrator’s Office
Page 27 REFLECTIONS
District Updates - Continued from Page 26
New Statewide Educational
Offerings! by Lynn Wagner
State Court Administration Human Resources and Development have brought back a revamped in-
person statewide New Employee Orientation. In-person New Employee Orientation had been hiatus
for a number of years during the budget cut-backs of the Great
Recession. The statewide HR team formed a workgroup
including representatives from around the state to re-
vamp the program. The ultimate goal was to develop a
day-long program that would provide new employees
with critical information on the Judicial Branch struc-
ture, strategies, and priorities, so that new employees
would have a clear picture of the innovative organization
they are joining.
In September, 50 new employees attended the first re-
vamped in-person New Employee Orientation. High-
lights included Jeff Shorba, State Court Administrator,
presenting on purposes of our courts, branch organiza-
tional structure, and strategic priorities. What a great opportunity for all new hires to meet our State
Court Administrator!
The program also includes an ethics component along with legal advice versus legal information train-
ing. We also talk about our court culture and where we’re going as an organization.
This program is offered quarterly for all new employees including a catch-up schedule for employees
who may have not attended. Employees can register for the program in the Halogen Learning Manage-
ment System.
Another program that is gaining attention across the state is Franklin-Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Ef-
fective People” which is one of the most respected and popular learning experiences available. The 7
Habits are proven to have a significant and positive impact on attendee’s professional and personal life.
Susan Love and Lynn Wagner have been facilitating this wonderful program around the state. They
have visited the 6th, 9th, 10th Districts, along with SCAO. Over 150 staff have gone through the pro-
gram over the past year. Because of the demand of this program, there will be a spring offering in the
south (location not yet confirmed) and a fall offering in Brainerd. Participants will be able to enroll
through the Halogen Learning Management System in a few weeks.
The 7 Habits are
proven to have a sig-
nificant and positive
impact on attendee’s
professional and per-
sonal life.
The 7 Habits are
proven to have a
significant and
positive impact
on attendee’s
professional and
personal life.
Page 28
REFLECTIONS
Current MACM Executive Board
President Annette Fritz Washington County Court Administrator
Secretary Kim Carlson Training & Development Specialist, St. Louis County Court
First Vice President, Legislative & Outreach Committee Chair Wendy Van Duyne Court Operations Supervisor, Ramsey County Civil Court
Treasurer Susan Portugue Court Operations Manager, Anoka County Court
Second Vice President, Education Committee Chair Monica Tschumper Isanti County Court Administrator
Past President Vicky Carlson Carver County Court Administrator
Third Vice President, Membership Services Committee Chair Aaron Williamson Project Manager, Hennepin County Criminal Court
Bylaws Committee Chair Lisa Lane Court Operations Manager, Hennepin County Criminal Court – Suburban Division
First District Karen Messner McLeod/Sibley County Court Administrator
Sixth District Susan Roerig Court Operations Manager, St. Louis County Court
Second District Sharon Harper Human Resources Manager, Ramsey County Court
Seventh District Rhonda Bot Douglas/Morrison/Wadena County Court Administrator
Third District Patty Ball Mower County Court Administrator
Eighth District Susan Stahl Renville County Court Administrator
Fourth District DeAnn Hallberg Hearing Office Supervisor, Hennepin County Court
Ninth District Sean Jones Itasca/Lake of the Woods/Koochiching County Court Administrator
Fifth District Patty Amberg Redwood County Court Administrator
Tenth District Krista Anderson Court Operations Supervisor, Wright County Court
State Court Administrator’s Office Nancy Dietl
Director of Human Resources & Development, Minnesota Judicial Branch