Michigan chief justice swears in St. Joseph County court administrator as new president of national association

Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack last Thursday swore in 45th Circuit Court/St. Joseph County Probate Court Administrator Kathy S. Griffin as the new president of the 1800-member National Association for Court Management (NACM) during its Annual Conference in San Diego. Chief Justice McCormack also swore in new members of the NACM board and presented at the conference.

“Administrators like Kathy Griffin are the reason Michigan is a national leader in responding to the pandemic, reducing risk to the public and staff, and keeping our justice system running,” said McCormack. “Kathy’s leadership proves that courts can be nimble, efficient, and responsive to the needs of the public. She is all about access and accountability.”

“Kathy has been incredible from day one. The county did not previously see the need for a court administrator, but we quickly learned that we needed one and she agreed to take it on in 2005,” said 45th Circuit Court Judge Paul E. Stutesman. “We are a county of 62,000, but with Kathy’s leadership, we have been able to be a leader in the state.”

Griffin, who has worked in St. Joseph County courts since 1997, noted that she became involved in the Michigan Association of Circuit Court Administrators (MACCA) in 2005 and NACM in 2009 to “hopefully make a difference in both associations and lead them in the right direction.”

In addition to her main responsibilities in managing the day-to-day operations of St. Joseph County courts, Griffin has completed multiple state and national-level court administrator trainings and served on numerous workgroups and task forces before stepping up to leadership roles in MACCA and NACM. Stutesman also credits Griffin with making sure the court was “ready to go” when the pandemic hit by facilitating a smooth transition to handling cases remotely.

Outside of the courts, Griffin further engages with the community by teaching fitness classes—when she is not training for a marathon, that is. The avid runner has completed several major marathons—Boston, Chicago, New York—and has even organized a run in conjunction with the NACM Annual Conference for the past several years, noting that “personal growth” is one of things she values most.


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