(10/28) This will be my last essay before the election. I humbly ask you for your vote.
My candidacy is centered on the principles of integrity and accountability. I also have the education necessary, hands on experience, and I am a natural leader. I also have a vision for my role and the future of the Clerk's office.
When asked, I respond that the main reason that I decided to run was my integrity. I believe in and care about the institution of the Judicial System and the effect it has on the people in their everyday lives. No one wants to wait in line to receive help, or wait for their case to be called on the docket. Frederick County residents don't
want to go to court, and miss work, on days that they do not have to. And, no one wants to have a bench warrant sworn out on them on account of Clerk's office errors.
I will be accountable to the public and to offices that are directly affected by the Clerk's office. Last year, the Maryland Electronic Court (MDEC) was implemented. This transition was abysmal. I have pledged that if I am elected, I will create a Quality Control Division. This division would have staff devoted to not only solving immediate
problems, but will be tasked with getting to the root of the underlying problem and solving it. Solving the root of the problem will resolve the issue for the future and for other people.
I have the education necessary to be a highly effective Clerk of the Court. I earned a Bachelor's Degree, all the while working full time and raising a toddler. I woke up early, before he needed me, to study, I studied on my lunch breaks, and I studied after I put my son to bed for the night. I graduated Cum Laude in Legal Studies. Through
the Judiciary I was able to earn a Master's Level Certificate through the Institute for Court Management (ICM). That toddler is now a senior at Frederick High School, and after a rigorous application process, I have been accepted into the ICM's Fellows Program.
I come with vast courtroom experience to include Montgomery County Circuit Court as well as Frederick County District Court. The majority of my career with the Judiciary has been with the Circuit Court for Frederick County. Through the years working in Frederick, I have developed strong relationships with stakeholders such as: the Judges
and Magistrates, their chambers, the State's Attorney's office, the
Public Defender's office, and local attorneys. I have the overwhelming support of the local attorneys in Frederick County. They have witnessed first hand my work ethic, professionalism, and attention to detail. If you drive down Patrick Street near the courthouse, you will see many signs in the offices of our local bar members. Prior to my
Judiciary experience, I spent seventeen years managing personnel in the private sector, all the while earning bonuses based on profits that I made for the company.
My vision for the Clerk's office is improving the workings of the office through streamlining the staff to work to the best of their natural abilities. I will focus on the strengths of the staff through positive guidance and support that will flow down from the top down. I envision a dialogue with private attorneys to create realistic
goals. I view the position as a hands on administrative position as opposed to a ceremonial one. The office is in desperate need of modernization of it's communications, to include updates to the web-site and phone system. Because Justice Delayed is Justice Denied.
