NEWS RELEASE

The National Center for State Courts
300 Newport Avenue · Williamsburg, Virginia  23185

Contact:
Lorri Montgomery
Communications Manager
The National Center for State Courts
757.259.1525 or lmontgomery@ncsc.dni.us 

Court Professionals Graduate
 from Intensive NCSC Program Before U.S. Supreme Court

Williamsburg, VA (May 17, 2004) – Twelve court professionals from around the country recently become fellows of the Institute for Court Management (ICM), which is the educational arm of the National Center for State Courts. The graduates appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court May 14 as part of graduation ceremonies from the National Center’s prestigious Court Executive Development Program (CEDP).

CEDP is the only program of its kind in the United States and was established more than 30 years ago, in part, by U.S. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger in his call for improving state court administration. The rigorous program consists of four phases, and those who successfully complete all four phases become fellows of ICM, which better prepares them for management and leadership positions in the courts. Since the first class of CEDP graduates in 1970, more than 1,000 court professionals from 48 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and 12 foreign countries have become fellows.

This year’s graduates include:

  • Susan M. Byrnes, court administrator for the St. Louis County Courts in Minnesota
  • Patricia Garcia Duggan, court administrator for the Third Judicial Circuit in South Dakota
  • Terry F. Holtrop, case management manager for the Kent County Michigan Courts and the 17th Circuit
  • Jerome M. P. Kole, trial court administrator for Midland County Courts in Michigan
  • Gary L. Krcmarik, court administrator for Coconino County Superior Court in Arizona
  • Kevin Lane, assistant clerk and administrator of the San Diego Court of Appeals
  • Kellye Mashburn, research analyst for the Administrative Office of the Courts in Little Rock, Arkansas
  • Stacy Parke, deputy court administrator for the 47th District Court in Michigan
  • Dawn Marie Rubio, court management consultant for the National Center for State Courts in Denver
  • Deborah Schaefer, court administrator, Yavapai County Superior Court in Arizona
  • Henry Stacey, assignment commissioner for Hamilton County’s Court of Common Pleas in Ohio
  • Mark Stodola, deputy court manager for the Criminal Division of the Tempe Municipal Court in Arizona

 The curriculum phases are as follows:

  • Phase I requires participants to take six in-depth courses on topics such as court performance standards, research methods, caseflow and fiscal management, human resources, and technology management.
  • Phase II is a three-week full-time course at the National Center’s headquarters in Williamsburg, Va. in which participants participate in a range of classes to sharpen their conceptual and interpersonal skills and to learn leadership and management theory as it applies to court management.
  • Phase III requires participants to prepare a master’s-level research paper that relates to evaluating and implementing a key court activity in their home jurisdiction.
  • Phase IV participants present their research projects and evaluate their classmates’ reports.

The National Center for State Courts is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. The National Center, founded in 1971, provides leadership, research, technology, education, and training to the state courts. 

 

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