Upon taking office, what steps would you take to restore credibility to the Clerk of Court’s office?
I have spoken with numerous people in all walks of life and I do not believe that the community has lost its respect for the credibility of the clerk’s office. While there may have been allegations against the previous clerk that does not speak for the entire office.
My character speaks for itself; Integrity, credibility, and a strong work ethic are at the core of who I am. I have been in service to Colleton County in one way or another my entire career. I will strive to make the office as transparent as legally possible and make myself available to anyone in the community as often as my schedule will allow.
•What is your understanding of the job of Clerk of Court for Colleton County?
The Clerk of Court, in the simplest of terms, is the keeper of the record; they should maintain proper handling of all records, from those publicly available to those secure and confidential. One of my goals is to make sure that the courthouse and court proceedings are ran with integrity; Make access to records easier for the county and make continued efforts to move toward the advancement of record keeping and access. It’s also equally important to lead from a place of equality and not hierarchy. I would never expect anyone on the Courthouse staff to do anything I wouldn’t be willing to do.
•Clerk of Court requires effective management and utilization of resources, Can you provide an example of how you have demonstrated fiscal responsibility and efficiency in a previous role and how would you apply these principles in the role of Clerk of Court?
While at the courthouse, one position that I held was Family Court Clerk. While in family court I handled month end, which consist of balancing the monthly money intakes from DSS-State and from regular child support payments and paperwork processing. I was also charged with making the deposits for the entire courthouse and was placed on all accounts. I assisted with the creation of the budget changes for next year’s budget. Utilizing that knowledge base will be integral, but I also understand that no one has all the answers to all of the questions and I am humble enough to surround myself with qualified people and ask for help and understanding when needed.
•Confidentiality and data security are paramount in handling court records, How do you propose maintaining the integrity of sensitive information while also promoting transparency and accountability in the management of court records?
As mentioned before, we would make all efforts to move into the future of record keeping. I would move to digitize all of records. This would make daily tasks more efficient for our clerks and make it possible to give access to the community, with the exception of our confidential records (i.e. juvenile records, adoption records, files sealed by a Judge, etc.). The current systems in use have built in safeguards to protect vital information; our hard copies of the files are safeguarded behind locked doors, and can only be accessed by staff or authorized personnel, but there are many ways to improve upon that security. I would also like to introduce continued training for all staff, myself included, to keep everyone up to our community’s expected standard.
