Incoming President’s Column

Soon after my swearing in as a judge, I received a letter from the American Judges Association offering me a free one-year membership. The letter arrived during my first year “judge jitters,” and it was a welcome sight. I thought about how nice of a gesture this was and how I could become involved with the Association. After being on the bench for a bit, I contacted Judge Terry Elliot, the then education chair, to ask how I could assist with his Education Committee.

I found him welcoming and supportive of me as a new judge. I worked on several projects with him, including distance learning, which was then on the cutting edge of education. I inherited the chair of the Education Committee and had the privilege of coordinating the AJA conferences for the next three years.