Vol 2: Issue 1
Spring 2006

Nancy Miller, a human resources specialist who works in the AOC, and family court administrator Gina Apicelli, are part of a team of court administrators who have come together to provide ongoing support for staff as they adjust to the many changes occurring throughout the court system. On May 12, Nancy and Gina sat down with the Staff Advisory Committee, and Chief Justice Broderick, to talk about how the team hopes it will assist employees make it through the transition from old familiar ways of doing business, to the new.

In addition to Nancy and Gina, the “change team” includes Probate Court administrator Marty Wagner; District Court regional administrator Lauren Thorn; Judicial Branch education director Barbara Sweet; Rockingham County Superior Court clerk Ray Taylor; and Family Court administrator Susan Ashley.

The team’s plans are in the early stages, but Nancy and Gina gave a few examples of what they hope to do:

Co-ordinate communication about upcoming changes Explain why a certain change is taking place Assist in putting together “change plans” Communicate about progress being made

Both Gina and Nancy urged members of the Staff Advisory Committee to spread the word that the development of the “change team” is underway. For more information, contact Marty Wagner at 271-2521. 

What’s so hard about change?
        
Administrative Judge Edwin W. Kelly spelled out some details about the effects of change in an April memo thanking everyone for their hard work and patience as the Family Division sets up new locations all around the state:

“This is an exciting yet stressful time for our staff who are working hard to transfer all open files, set up workspace and learn to process different types of cases. It is also a time of change for the staff of the surrounding courts, whether they are now sharing space with the Family Division or separating from friends they worked with for years.”

Statewide expansion of the Family Division is the biggest change in the structure and jurisdiction of the state court system in more than 25 years, requiring the shifting of staff and resources from Superior, Probate and District Courts into the Family Division. Five new Family division sites opened in Carroll and Coos Counties in late April and a site in Belknap County opened in May.

A special thank you…
        
Many thanks go to Diane Caron from the Civil & Equity Department at Rockingham Superior Court who served as the first chairperson of the SAC and helped get this very important committee up and running.

The SAC members are:
Mary Barton
Sara Beaulieu
Sherry Bisson
Michele Boutin
Diane Caron
Bunny Clark
Marie Daniels
LoriAnne Dionne
Ann Marie Finnemore
Barbara Hogan
Pam Kozlowski
Sherri Kluesener, Chairperson
JoAnn Lemay
Sharon Matte
Heidi Morgenstern
Kimberly Quint
Patrice Rasche
Stacey Raven
Patrick Ryan
Lance Walton