Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera has appointed Pamela Harris as the new State Court Administrator, effective August 5, 2013. Harris is the first woman to hold this position and succeeds Frank Broccolina, who announced his retirement after over 35 years with the Maryland Judiciary.
“Pam has more than 25 years of leadership experience at the Judiciary and has distinguished herself as a skilled and thoughtful administrator,” said Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera. “I am proud to elevate her to a statewide role, where she will be able to ensure the effective administration of the court system in all jurisdictions for the benefit of the people of Maryland.”
Harris previously served as the first female court administrator for Montgomery County Circuit Court since 1989. She is involved in various judiciary committees and boards, including serving on the Maryland Judiciary’s Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure. Additionally, she is a Public Policy Conflict Resolution Fellow through both the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and Maryland Judiciary’s Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office.
“It is a great honor to have been selected for this position by Chief Judge Barbera,” said Harris. “I thank her for her confidence in me, and I will remain committed to infusing evaluation-based practices into every aspect of court administration to achieve the best results for court staff and court users statewide.”
The role of state court administrator involves oversight, strategic planning, direction, and monitoring administrative activities across all state courts. Responsibilities include Human Resources, Facilities Administration, Budget and Finance among others. The administrator also acts as principal policy advisor to the chief judge.
Harris brings extensive experience from national programs on ethics and leadership training in case management. She is Immediate Past President of NACM (National Association for Court Management) and holds several other board positions related to international legal cooperation.
Broccolina will continue at the Administrative Office until December 1, 2013, serving as Transition Team Director before his retirement.