President's Message
Welcome to the Federal Court Clerks Association (FCCA)!
The FCCA has an impressive history of service and professional development dating back to 1922. The FCCA has excelled in educating court professionals, improving the administration of justice, and supporting the federal court community and the community at large through blood drives, relief efforts, and volunteer work.
Management of the non-judicial business of the courts has grown tremendously in scope and complexity during the FCCA’s nearly 100 years of existence. The FCCA has worked hard to keep pace, promoting efficiency in court administration and sharing best practices. I commend our talented membership, the tireless professionals who serve in many administrative and operational roles throughout the federal judiciary.
The FCCA held its 2019 annual conference in beautiful Fort Myers, Florida in August. The conference showcased exceptional educational programs and offered networking opportunities for participants with diverse backgrounds from across the country. The conference’s peer to peer sessions enabled employees in similar roles to share work experiences. Our keynote speakers, Professor Gary Marchant, Mary Abbajay, and Brian Biro gave engaging and thought-provoking presentations that left us wanting to hear more.
I thank all of those who attended the conference, those who served as presenters, and our wonderful board of directors and committee members who made the conference a huge success. I especially want to thank our host court, the Middle District of Florida Bankruptcy and District Courts, particularly Sheryl Loesch and Elizabeth Warren, and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and the Federal Judicial Center for their exceptional support.
The final graduation ceremony for the Michigan State University Judicial Administration program at the conference was bittersweet. We are proud of the many graduates for their hard work and determination. Although our partnership with MSU has come to an end, the FCCA remains committed to providing equally beneficial educational opportunities to court professionals in the coming years.
For the first time, FCCA utilized an attendee engagement app called Whova at our annual conference. Many of our users started using it a month or more before the conference; making connections, planning social events and posting pictures of previous conferences. Once at the conference, the app allowed the attendees to connect to one another and stay informed about upcoming sessions or last minutes changes.
I want to thank our outgoing president, Brian Karth, for his tremendous leadership. Brian oversaw a record number of disaster relief efforts as FCCA president. He also did important work behind the scenes to further strengthen the FCCA’s business practices, making the president’s job easier for those of us who follow in his footsteps.
Please mark your calendars now to join us for our 2020 Annual Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, June 30-July 2, 2020. This will be the first FCCA conference ever held in the State of Texas. Fort Worth is a thriving city, currently the 15th largest in population, with a rich history and culture that everyone will enjoy. We look forward to giving everyone a hearty Texas welcome in 2020!
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