Florida’s 68 independently elected Clerks of Court and Comptrollers (67 Counties + Orange County Comptroller) provide critical public services that have a positive impact on the public, the court system, and the Boards of County Commissioners (BCC).
Delivering quality services to the public requires dedicated employees with a wide variety of work experience, education, and credentials. This starts with the elected Clerk, a dedicated team of department directors and supervisors and a talented group of Customer Service professionals delivering front-line services to our customers.
In addition to serving as the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Clerks serve as the County Treasurer, Recorder, Auditor, Finance Officer, and Ex-Officio Clerk to the County Commission. Florida’s Clerks of Court and Comptrollers have nearly 1,000 statutory responsibilities.
The role of Clerk requires a multitude of skills to manage and lead the Clerk’s Office. Clerks across the state have a variety of backgrounds. I have a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an accounting major from George Washington University. I am a Certified Government Financial Manager and a certified Clerk of Courts.
Florida law directs the Supreme Court to create and implement a certification program for elected clerks and county comptrollers. The Florida Court Clerk & Comptrollers Association (FCCC) is tasked with creating and implementing the certification program. All newly elected Clerks and elected county comptrollers are required to complete this initial certification by achieving a minimum of 240 hours of training within 24 months of assuming office.
Participants can earn the required 240 hours by attending the required in-person New Clerk Academy training and participating in conferences, seminars, regional trainings, online programs, and workshops and engaging in committee meetings, committee workgroups, and giving presentations. I completed the initial certification and received the designation as a certified Florida Clerk and Comptroller (CFCC). The CFCC designation formally recognizes that Clerks and Comptrollers are committed to continually expanding their industry knowledge and updating their expertise.
To maintain the CFCC designation, Clerks and Comptrollers are required to complete continuing education, totaling at least 36 credit hours each year. Individuals are required to choose continuing education opportunities that are useful and relevant to their professional role and interest. This requirement serves the public interest by keeping Clerks current with changes that impact their offices and ensuring they are proficient in their areas of expertise. These courses include training in processes such as Collections, Data Quality, Evidence Handling, Foreign Judgements, Guardianships, Records Management, bonds, and a variety of technology courses such as Network Security, Electronic Document Strategies, and Data Analytics. Clerks and Comptrollers are required to complete an additional four hours of ethics training and eight hours of investment training annually.
As Clerk, I understand the importance of learning new things and updating my skills, so they remain current. Since receiving my initial CFCC designation, I have continued my education by ensuring that I stay up to date on changes and new trends that impact the Clerk’s Office, ensuring that I continue to maintain the CFCC designation. In addition, I serve on multiple committees for the Florida Association of Court Clerks and Comptrollers and the Clerk of Courts Corporation to stay up on the latest in laws, budget and legislative actions.
I encourage all staff to continue their education, formally or informally through college programs or by engaging in organizations that provide education related to our work.