NEWS RELEASE
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Contact:
Lorri Montgomery
The National Center for State Courts
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lmontgomery@ncsc.dni.us
Washington
State Court Executive Named New NCSC President
Williamsburg,
VA (April 19, 2004) – The
National Center for State Courts’ (NCSC) Board of Directors announced
Saturday the selection of Court Administrator of the Washington State
Courts Mary Campbell McQueen as the next president of the National
Center. In making the announcement at the Board’s mid-year meeting in
Williamsburg, Chief Justice of California Ronald M. George, chair of the
National Center’s Board, said the decision was unanimous. McQueen
replaces Roger K. Warren who has served as NCSC president since 1996.
Warren announced his plans to resign in November and will remain through
August when McQueen’s appointment becomes effective.
McQueen said she views
the presidency as a “privilege” and a “chance to make a
significant contribution to the nation’s state courts,” which she
regards as being on the cutting edge of societal issues. “More than 98
percent of all court cases take place in the state courts,” she said.
“In this position I look forward to working with the staff, state
court administrators, and judicial officers to improve the way the
courts operate.”
Chief Justice of
Wisconsin Shirley S. Abrahamson who headed the presidential search
committee said McQueen’s broad range of court experience and
extraordinary leadership skills made her the top candidate. “Mary’s
presidency will be terrific not only for the National Center but for the
state court constituencies that it serves,” Abrahamson said.
McQueen has worked with
the Washington State Courts for 25 years, the past 17 as state court
administrator in which she is responsible for 175 employees and a $105
million budget. Prior to joining the Washington State courts, McQueen
served as court planning officer for the Washington, D.C. courts, and as
court planning officer for the Kentucky Department of Justice. She
earned a law degree from Seattle University and has attended
post-graduate programs in judicial administration through American
University, the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local
Government at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of
Government, and through the National Center’s Institute for Court
Management.
“Mary McQueen is a natural for the presidency of the National Center,” Warren said. “She is an experienced state court leader and administrator with vision, energy, and determination. The National Center’s future will be in very good hands.”
McQueen also has a long relationship with the National Center, which has 135 employees in its offices in Williamsburg, Arlington, Va., and Denver, Co. She served on the NCSC Board of Directors for three years in the mid-1990s, and in 1996 McQueen was president of the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) and vice chair of the NCSC Board.
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 with the encouragement of Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, provides leadership, research, technology, education, and training to the state courts. The National Center also is taking the lead on several key issues facing the justice system. For example, it has established a major civil justice initiative, which is a multi-year project that will examine the most efficient practices in civil case management and how complex litigation procedures can be improved through the use of technology. Other national initiatives being driven by the National Center include improving public trust and confidence in the courts, self representation, and the judicial selection process.
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New NCSC President Named
New
NCSC president Mary McQueen (second from left) with
Utah court administrator Daniel Becker, current NCSC president Roger
Warren,
and Chief Justice of Wisconsin Shirley Abrahamson