FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Calvin Green, Court Operations Consultant @ (813) 307-4798

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LOCAL COURT ADMINISTRATOR BRANCHES OUT TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CIRCLES

TAMPA, Fla. (June 24, 2008) – When the members of the Executive Session for the State Court Leaders in the 21st Century convene periodically over the next three years at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Mike Bridenback, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit’s Court Administrator, will join the select group of emerging and influential state judicial leaders to engage with pre-eminent academics and several others to think expansively about challenges facing the judicial branch of state governments, and how judicial leaders can address those challenges. Bridenback has been fortunate during his more than two decade career to have experienced success and has been at the forefront in many areas of the civil and criminal justice arena, including mediation, public information, starting the Elder Justice Center in this circuit and utilizing technology in innovative and efficient ways throughout the courts. But like his colleagues across the state and some others across the nation, these last few years, he has braced for unprecedented challenges with fiscal realities this branch of government has not realized in decades. No doubt these experiences will yield light into the discussions to come. The work of the Executive Session stands to have great influence over the way in which state judiciaries are perceived and function in the 21st century.

Bridenback’s reputation and dedication to tackle difficult problems has landed him another assignment through the National Center of State Courts, as he will venture to Kosovo this fall to work with leaders of this emerging democracy to assist them in setting up their trial courts. “Much of this work is similar to the way our early American democracy was formed, which makes it exciting when you think about Jefferson and Hamilton and those men,” Bridenback explained. He will have the opportunity to work with the leaders of Kosovo as they forge ahead in the developing stages.

For more information about the Court Administrator or programs in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, log on to www.fljud13.org.

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