Awards

2009 Minnesota Association for Court Management (MACM) Awards

The Minnesota Association for Court Management (MACM) Awards for 2009 were presented June 4, 2009.

Award recipients were:

Excellence in Savings: Kate Fogarty

Senior Administrative Manager, Hennepin County

Kate lead the effort to establish a criminal central unit and a criminal call center with a goal of increasing efficiency and service while reducing the overall budget. Collaborating with her team and utilizing information from satisfaction surveys, human resources, stakeholders, information technology specialists and many others, these units are now up and running. As a result of these changes and through attrition and voluntary demotions, Senior Court Clerk positions were reclassified to Court Clerk positions, resulting in a first year savings of $26,876 and every year after the savings is estimated at $38,188. In addition, two additional positions have been identified for reclassification resulting in an estimated additional on-going savings of $56,188. Initial analysis of these two new units has been very favorable. There has been more consistency, a reduction of errors and timeliness of entry. Kate's innovative thinking, coupled with her high quality standards have positioned this criminal division to deliver more consistent, timely service at a lower cost. Without her leadership, this division wouldn't be where it is today.

Coach/Mentor of the Year: Mike Moriarity

10th District Administrator

Mike truly cares about the judiciary and its future. Not only is he a strategic planner and visionary, he recognizes that courts have an increased need for employees to acquire knowledge and to increase skills and abilities to assist in meeting goals in the years to come. He is dedicated to developing savvy leaders. If there is any doubt, just look at the number of his staff who recently completed the National Center for State Court's Court Management Program in May 2009. 13 out of 48 participants were from his District. Having so many court managers, administrators and supervisors complete the concluding seminar was a huge commitment and investment on his part. He invested his time, his energy, his district administration office and support staff. Lastly, Mike wants to leave the judiciary a better organization than he found it when he began his career...he is developing a nest of present and future court leaders and like any good mentor, he'll be the first to encourage them when the time comes to fly solo. What he may not realize is that "A mentor is like a tattoo, it stays with you forever." P.A. Vesilind

Distinguished Service: Chris Volkers

Court Administrator, Washington County

Chris' work embodies the critical role a court administrator serves as a leader of the courts. She has helped define the importance of court administrators and the expectations judges should have of them as managers of the court. She is recognized for her leadership abilities. Her involvement may begin as a committee or team member, but it is just a matter of time before she is sought out to help facilitate or lead. She is a creative change agent who is willing to look at new initiatives and ideas. In many ways she is an optimist who sees opportunities in the challenges we face. Her passion for court administration is always evident in her outspoken approach. There is no mistaking her commitment to excellence and while she may be demanding at times (ok, maybe all the time), she expects no less of herself. Chris' career also reflects the recognition of the importance of professional development and specialized learning. She is a Fellow of the National Center for State Courts' Institute of Court Management and while serving as the MACM President in 2007, she was also selected by the Hennepin County Bar Association to participate in its LINC Leadership Program (Leaders Impacting the Nonprofit Community). The number of national, state, district and local organizations she is or has been a member of fills an entire single-spaced, typed page, so that fact alone should illustrate that she understands the importance of professional organizations and being an active advocate on workgroups and committees alike. She came to work for the court system in 1988. Her career since then reflects her advancement up through the supervisory and management ranks in Ramsey and Hennepin County to her current position as the Court Administrator in Washington County. The impact and footprint she has made on the court system is apparent and will last many, many years after she is gone. And lastly, the person who submitted this nomination asked that this not be included, but it's too priceless not to - Chris also has the fastest texting thumbs in the state!

Past Awards

TOP