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Local bailiff/court administrator obtains special certification
Brian Scheetz, who serves as bailiff/court administrator to Medina County Common Pleas Court Judge Joyce Kimbler recently earned his Certified Court Manager credential. He is pictured here at his graduation ceremony with Ohio Supreme Court Justice Judith L. French and Judge Kimbler. (Photo courtesy of Brian Scheetz).
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: December 11, 2019
When Summit County bailiff Brian Scheetz moved over to the Medina County Court of Common Pleas in May 2017 to serve as civil court administrator to Judge Joyce Kimbler, he immersed himself in learning the ins and outs of his new position.
But his training didn’t end at the end of the day. That’s because shortly after he began, he started working to achieve national certification as a Certified Court Manager from the Court Management Program (CMP).
The CMP is a certification program available through the National Center for State Courts Institute for Court Management and the Supreme Court of Ohio Judicial College. It’s designed to provide court administrators, clerks, chief probation officers and program managers with the tools to strengthen their management knowledge, skills and abilities.
The Institute for Court Management offers two levels of certification within the Court Management Program: Certified Court Manager (CCM) and Certified Court Executive (CCE).
Level I of the Court Management Program requires a three-year commitment and consists of six two-and-a-half-day modules relating to the duties that are central to the administration of courts, such as case flow and financial resources management.
On Aug. 23, Scheetz was among 40 court leaders in Ohio to receive a Certified Court Manager credential.
The graduation ceremony took place at the Ohio Supreme Court, with Justice Judith L. French addressing the group.
An Ohio Supreme Court press release provided a portion of the address, in which Justice French stated, “The justice system is changing and improving and becoming more efficient. Your participation in this program shows a willingness to continue those improvements, and I thank you for that.”
Scheetz said the intensive training and commitment required to obtain the certification was more than worth it.
“The program really helps you hone your skills, improving your ability to manage the court and deal with the public,” said Scheetz. “Only a small number of people around the country obtain the certification, so it helps to distinguish you as an administrator.”
In an email, Judge Joyce Kimbler said she appreciated the time and effort Scheetz “was willing to invest above and beyond his normal work hours and duties. This reflects the commitment of the court to be efficient in the utilizations of public resources and responsive to the ever-changing needs of the justice system.
“The skills Mr. Scheetz brings to his position enable the court to continue to have one of the highest clearance rates of all the counties in the state of Ohio despite having a 70% increase in indictments over the last five years.”
Scheetz, who grew up in Cuyahoga Falls and Tallmadge, graduated from Tallmadge High School and studied computer science at The University of Akron.
He started his career in the Summit County Engineer’s Office in January 1988, working his way up to computer systems supervisor. In June 1997, he became the computer systems manager for the clerk of courts office at Akron Municipal Court.
His career took a different turn in January 2009 when he began as a bailiff to then Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Lynne Callahan. When Judge Callahan moved to the 9th District Court of Appeals, Scheetz served as a bailiff to retired Judge James Kimbler, who was assigned to administer Judge Callahan’s docket.
Judge James Kimbler put Scheetz in touch with his wife (Judge Joyce Kimbler) after her administrative assistant resigned.
While he started as a civil court administrator, he took on a dual role as Judge Kimbler’s bailiff in January 2018. He currently serves as bailiff/court administrator to Judge Kimbler.
Scheetz said he plans to use the tools he acquired in the Court Management Program to more efficiently solve problems in the court.
“One of the biggest advantages of the program is the connections you make with other court managers around the state,” he said. “I now have a network of other court managers to call upon and bounce ideas off of when facing a difficult issue. Oftentimes we think our issue is unique only to find out that many other courts have dealt with the same thing.
“I also became aware of the additional resources provided by the National Center for State Courts,” said Scheetz.
In addition, he said participation has improved his public speaking abilities.
“The program often required us to speak in front of the class,” he said. “I feel I am better prepared to address commissioners or present budgets.”
Having obtained his Certified Court Manager credential, Scheetz is now making headway toward becoming a Certified Court Executive.
“I am about a third of the way through the program,” he said. “The second level of the program focuses more on leadership skills like developing relationships between staff, budgets and public information duties.”
He expects to finish his Level II training in 2021. Scheetz will then have to decide whether to apply to the ICM Fellows Program. The only program of its kind in the United States, the Fellows Program focuses on leadership development. Successful graduates earn the distinction of being a Fellow of the Institute for Court Management.
“This would require me to identify a problem in the court and then develop and implement a project to solve the issue,” he said. “The implementation would be contingent on other court professionals signing off on my ideas.
“I would also be required to write a thesis-style paper and obtain the needed funding for the project so that it could be implemented while I was still in the program. The results would be evaluated as part of the credentialing process.”
For now Scheetz plans to focus on obtaining his Certified Court Executive credential, while continuing to ensure that Judge Kimbler’s court operates as efficiently as possible.
“I really appreciate the opportunities Judge Kimbler has given me to continue my education and learn new skills to become a better court professional,” said Scheetz.