Kathy Sauter
Judicial District Operations & Programs Administrator
Emmaus,PA
Summary
Collaborative leader with over 20 years of court experience and a long standing dedication to partnering with judges and various levels of executive leadership to empower the judicial work culture. Documented strengths in building and maintaining working systems with a diverse range of stakeholders. Highly communicative and skilled in developing and implementing system processes while adhering to project timelines and goals. Passionate, driven and people-focused individual looking to take on new challenges and to build a long term, successful relationship with an outstanding organization.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
4
4
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certificate
Work History
Judicial District Operation/Program Administrator
Supreme Court, Administrative Office Of PA Courts
Harrisburg, PA
02.2022 - Current
- Cultivating strong relationships with Judges and Court Administrators throughout the Commonwealth of PA.
- Identifying opportunities to streamline processes and improve judicial district operations and efficiency.
- Collaborated with team members in the statewide process of judicial redistricting, also referred to as re-establishment, which is a statutorily required process that takes place once every 10 years to determine how to allocate state court system resources to best serve the Commonwealth’s citizens. The review covers case filing numbers and boundaries of each of the state’s 539 magisterial districts.
- Creating reports, presentations, trainings and other materials for judges and judicial staff to identify areas for improvement and to minimize regulatory risks and liability across the judiciary.
- Communicate regularly with administrators to discuss progress on newly implemented processes and to build support for our operations program.
Deputy Court Administrator - 43rd Jud Dist of PA
Supreme Court, Administrative Office Of PA Courts
Stroudsburg, PA
08.2015 - 02.2022
- Oversaw recruitment, hiring, training and discipline of Magisterial District Judge (MDJ) Court staff while understanding and complying with collective bargaining agreements.
- Provided operational oversight to the MDJ Courts including caseflow management and scheduling, data collection and analysis, managed Right to Know requests, strategic planning efforts, while continually maintaining and improving operational efficiencies.
- Prepared and managed annual budgets for each MDJ Court and the courts as a whole.
- Coordinated with appropriate IT staff to develop and ensure proper use of technology to improve efficiencies and reduce operational costs.
- Confirmed current court information was posted and available to court users on the court website and other web-based information sources.
- Created and implemented policies/procedures for the 43rd Judicial District of PA that are agency or federally mandated such as Continuity of Operations Planning, compliance with the Americans' with Disabilities Act, provided services to Court users with Limited English Proficiency, and oversaw record retention requirements.
- Collaborated with local bar associations, court-related office department heads, and elected officials to accomplish mutual goals and operational improvements to ensure access to justice for all.
Magisterial District Court Office Supervisor
County Of Lehigh
Allentown, PA
10.2009 - 08.2015
- Work in direct contact with the Magisterial District Judge for Magisterial District Court 31-2-03 in the 31st Judicial District of Pennsylvania.
- Responsible for the oversight of all court related activities including but not limited to office accounting, court scheduling, case processing and file management, purchasing, and payroll operations.
- Established workflow processes, monitored daily productivity, and implemented modifications to improve overall performance of personnel.
- Developed and maintained successful relationships with court users, local law enforcement and other judicial offices and entities.
Judicial Programs Analyst
Supreme Court, Administrative Office Of PA Courts
Harrisburg, PA
03.2006 - 10.2009
- Worked closely with the Supreme Court's Rules Committees and other administrative departments to implement policies, procedures, rule changes and reporting standards.
- Collected, analyzed and disseminated data and information regarding court operations and case file management.
- Established standards and procedures for court performance and process audits and evaluations.
- Developed and conducted trainings and continuing education classes for Magisterial District Judges and District Court Administrators.
- Assisted in the research, writing and editing of text to be included in a Bench Book for Magisterial District Judges.
Systems Trainer/Business Analyst/Technical Writer
Supreme Court, Administrative Office Of PA Courts
Mechanicsburg, PA
12.1996 - 05.2004
- Partnered with developers in system design and enhancement projects.
- Interviewed personnel and established detailed understanding of the end user's business requirements, rules, procedures and job functions in order to define system parameters.
- Wrote and maintained system requirement and reports standards documentation.
- Acted as a liaison between end users and developers to provide assistance during system go-live.
- Tested new and revised software from the end user's perspective ensuring accuracy and validity of data. Assisted in data migration verification.
- Coordinated system and end user interface testing. Recorded, tracked and reported system defects from all testing phases.
- Proactively identified end user training needs, developed training courses and materials and trained classes ranging in size from 2 to 50 participants. Developed and conducted annual update training sessions on system enhancements and updates.
- Researched, co-authored, and edited a four-volume end user software instruction manual that was published and distributed to over 3500 end users.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Education
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Kutztown, PA 09.1986 - 05.1990
Skills
Strategic leadership
undefinedAffiliations
Mid-Atlantic Association of Court Management (MAACM)
Pennsylvania Association of Court Management (PACM)
Certification
Pennsylvania Minor Judiciary Education Board - Magisterial District Judge Certification, 1992-2008
Timeline
Judicial District Operation/Program Administrator
Supreme Court, Administrative Office Of PA Courts
02.2022 - Current
Deputy Court Administrator - 43rd Jud Dist of PA
Supreme Court, Administrative Office Of PA Courts
08.2015 - 02.2022
Magisterial District Court Office Supervisor
County Of Lehigh
10.2009 - 08.2015
Judicial Programs Analyst
Supreme Court, Administrative Office Of PA Courts
03.2006 - 10.2009
Systems Trainer/Business Analyst/Technical Writer
Supreme Court, Administrative Office Of PA Courts
12.1996 - 05.2004
Bachelor of Science - Education
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
09.1986 - 05.1990
Pennsylvania Minor Judiciary Education Board - Magisterial District Judge Certification, 1992-2008
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