Cass County Circuit/Probate/Family Court Administrator and Friend of the Court Director Sarah Mathews has been selected as a member of the National Center for State Courts Institute of Court Management 53rd Fellows Class. The Fellows Program was established in 1970 and is the highest level of ICM Certification for a court administrator.
Mathews graduated from the ICM Certified Court Manager Program in December of 2021 and from the ICM Certified Court Executive Program on May 24, 2023. She was selected along with 12 other court professionals to participate in the IMC Fellows program’s 53rd Class.
"Selection as a Fellow and completion of the program demonstrates a court professional’s advanced knowledge of court administration and leadership topics and skills," said Judge Carol Bealor. "We are excited to have one of our own court administrators selected for the ICM Fellows Program and to represent our courts at this level.”
As an ICM Fellow, Mathews will participate in a weeklong residency at the NCSC headquarters in Williamsburg, Virginia where she and other participants will participate in leadership and research activities with NCSC staff. After the residency portion of the program, candidates will participate in a virtual coursework phase and complete a research paper that they will present to a panel at the end of the fellows program. The ICM Fellows Program concludes with a graduation ceremony at the Supreme Court of the United States.
“Being selected to represent the Cass County Courts as an ICM Fellow is an honor and a privilege," Mathews said. "It is an amazing opportunity to engage with peers and leaders in the court administration field across the country to develop a deeper understanding of how to address the unique challenges facing state courts today. I am excited to continue to increase my court administration skills through the ICM Fellows program and to apply those skills serving the Cass County Courts and my community."
Mathews has served as the Cass County Circuit/Probate/Family Court Administrator and Friend of the Court Director since December 2021. Prior to being appointed to her current position, she served as the Deputy Friend of the Court for four years. She also served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office where she held various assignments such as Family Court APA, Child Support Division APA, District Court APA, and Felony Drug APA. Additionally, Mathews has previously had her own private law practice in Dowagiac, where she specialized in domestic relations cases and abuse and neglect cases.
The NCSC is a nonprofit organization founded in 1971 and acts as a hub of information and resources available to court systems across the country. NCSC’s training courses for court employees help keep state court operations consistent across the nation and provide court professionals with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to be effective managers and dynamic leaders.