Vol. 36, Number 9—September 2004

2004 Director's Awards Recognize Record Number

The recipients of the 2004 Director's Awards have been named—a group of 22 court employees nationwide and the largest number ever recognized for their contributions to the federal Judiciary.

The Director's Award Program includes awards for Outstanding Leadership, for Excellence in Court Operations, and for Extraordinary Actions. From the nominations submitted by the courts, finalists were recommended by a panel composed of Judge Catherine C. Blake (D. Md.), Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle (D. D.C.), and Charlotte Peddicord, Assistant Director of the Office of Human Resources at the Administrative Office. AO Director Leonidas Ralph Mecham made the final selection of recipients.

"This year with the austerity of the Judiciary's budget, it is more important than ever to recognize the outstanding leadership, significant accomplishments, and extraordinary actions of our employees," Mecham said.

Outstanding Leadership

The Director's Award for Outstanding Leadership recognizes managerial employees who have contributed on a national level through their leadership skills. To receive this award, recipients must have led national endeavors to improve the Judiciary, exhibited stewardship and conservation of resources, envisioned and facilitated innovations that improve service, developed workforce programs to increase productivity, or ensured access to the courts by citizens. Three individuals were recognized.

Douglas Burris, chief probation officer, Eastern District of Missouri, began initiatives that led to a reduction in court workload and drastic reductions in the district's supervised release and probation revocations. These initiatives include work with the Department of Labor to make apprenticeship programs available to offenders; an Offender Education Program to help offenders acquire basic reading and writing skills; expanded treatment services, some at no cost to the district; professional workshops for officers; and a new service providing clothing and employment preparation for  offenders.

James J. Waldron, bankruptcy clerk of court, District of New Jersey, has, in the words of Chief Bankruptcy Judge Rosemary Gambardella, "set the bar for leadership high, through his incalculable contributions. . . . "

Among his achievements, Waldron wrote court recording guidelines, adopted by the Judicial Conference in 1984, and proposed and helped develop the Bankruptcy Claims System, which was a springboard into document imaging for the Judiciary. An active participant in the Clerk's Stewardship Seminars, his innovative cost savings have, since 1998, returned over $1.2 million to the Judiciary, and reprogrammed $529,592 to other court units.

His efforts include a variety of successful court programs that have improved security, allowed flexible work schedules, increased use of video confer-encing, involved Newark high school students in an intern program, and encouraged comments from the bar and public on bankruptcy-related matters through an interactive Lawyers Advisory Committee website.

Lawrence K. Baerman, clerk of court, Northern District of New York, has promoted an environment, on both the local and national levels, in which new ideas are encouraged and fostered. Baerman has instilled a customer service ethic at the court, ensuring the comfort of jurors, actively sponsoring participation of youth groups in court events, and insuring that members of the public are treated with dignity, patience and respect. He has spearheaded efforts to improve internal controls and stewardship of resources in the court by implementing the Jury Management System, the Judiciary's financial accounting system—FAS₄T, the Criminal Justice Act database, and the Case Management/Electronic Case Filing (CM/ECF) system. He also managed beta testing of the new civil and criminal accounting module. He has proactively identified areas of potential savings, including the consolidation of automation and telephone services and facilities.

Excellence in Court Operations

The Director's Award for Excellence in Court Operations recognizes employees who have contributed to the economical and efficient operation of the courts, provided innovations that improve service, or established community outreach program or enhanced the public's awareness of the Judiciary. There are four recipients this year.

Brenda W. Steutermann, financial manager, Western District of Kentucky, was the lead representative of court users in the development of requirements for the Judiciary's new financial management system's procedures and controls. According to Western District of Kentucky Clerk of Court Jeffrey A. Apperson,  Steutermann "has been a key leader and visionary from the outset of this national program."

Hers was one of four beta courts to implement the new financial accounting systems. Steutermann led the establishment of a successful implementation approach, in the process helping to train 20 courts and several mentor courts in the programs. Her efforts have resulted in wide-ranging improvements in policies, procedures, and system implementations that will benefit the entire Judiciary. Steutermann's award is for Excellence in Court Operations: Administration.

Douglas C. Palmer, systems manager, Eastern District of New York, assisted in the creation of an auto e-mail feature that extracts case opening information from court CM/ECF databases and e-mails it to the tracking system of the Multidistrict Litigation Panel. The ability to electronically upload the information saves significant human resources, especially as more and larger cases are handled in the current restrictive budget climate.

Among other information management technologies and applications he has developed, Palmer created and supports the JUDSYS, a listserv for Judiciary systems staff that allows the broadcast of an issue or question with immediate feedback, and has saved many hours of research and troubleshooting. He also assisted in the preparation for and transition to CM/ECF and the new financial accounting system, FAS₄T, and in the improvement of case conflicts software. Palmer's award is for Excellence in Court Operations: Court Technology.

Ellen J. Krause, chief probation officer, District of Delaware, has worked tirelessly to improve court operations at both the local and national levels, especially through her participation on numerous advisory committees and working groups.

For example, she is one of four chief U.S. probation officers on the professional education initiative working group, which is designing a comprehensive training plan for managers. As chair of the Training and Education Committee, Krause was instrumental in producing the Charter for Excellence, which articulates the probation and pretrial services system's identity, goals, and values. And as a member of the chiefs' advisory group from 1998 to 2001, she brought insights and knowledge of core mission responsibilities and functions that were instrumental in bringing the probation system to where it is today. Krause's award is for Excellence in Court Operations: Mission Requirements.

PSI Shell Team of 10, Probation Office, Southern District of Florida, developed the first database application in the nation to write presentence investigations (PSI). The application makes it easier to complete a PSI, adding standardized text, performing mathematical calculations, assisting in identifying specific offense characteristics, and providing links to manuals and assistance. This automated tool will lead to a reduction in the amount of time probation officers spend typing their investigations and collaterals, further ensure consistency within the district, reduce reliance on clerical support, and likely result in cost savings. This program design may become standard for the nation.

The team members and award winners are U.S. Probation Officer Virginia Cataldo, U.S. Probation Officer Edward Cooley, Office Manager Helen Davis, U.S. Probation Officer Gregory Jenkins, Deputy U.S. Probation Officer Katherine T. Koonce, Division Systems Specialist Barbara Lavin, Systems Manager Mark Mussatto, Programmer Slavica Nikolic, Supervising U.S. Probation Officer Michael J. Thompson, and Web Developer Oscar Valdivia. The team's award is for Excellence in Court Operations: Court Technology. Due to Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan, the group photo of the PSI Shell Team was delayed, but will run in the October Third Branch.

Extraordinary Actions

The Director's Award for Extraordinary Actions recognizes Judiciary employees who have responded in an outstanding manner to emergencies and other critical situations, exhibiting bravery and concern for others in the face of adverse conditions, displaying creativity and resourcefulness in a critical situation, or ensuring that the Judiciary's mission is met during an adverse situation.

This year, the award was won by a group of six employees from the Western District of Tennessee, Deputy-in-charge Sonya Pettigrew, Procurement Administrator/Budget Analyst Laura Vanzandt, Director of Information Services Ron Dowling, Automation Specialist Ike Mussleman, Senior Systems Engineer Jesse Gan, and Programmer Marion Stevens.

On the evening of May 4, 2003, a series of tornadoes ripped through Jackson, Tennessee, significantly damaging the downtown area, including the new federal courthouse. Heavy rain threatened a total loss of the facility and its contents.

"A remarkable thing then occurred," wrote Chief Judge James D. Todd. "Court personnel, often accompanied by spouses, children, and friends, immediately began removing electronic equipment, covering furniture, and boxing and removing files. As a result of this extraordinary action . . . not one file was lost or destroyed. Almost all of our electronic equipment was protected and saved, and most of our furniture. . .was salvaged.

Although all court personnel performed admirably, during this difficult time, six of them performed in such an extraordinary fashion that they deserve special recognition."

The actions of these individuals included prompt removal and transport of files, furniture and equipment; securing of storage space during a city-wide disaster; and restoration of court services in an adjoining federal building within three days, and a return to full court operations within five days. In fact, the clerk's office began accepting filings two days after the tornadoes.