October 08, 2021

Inaugural Cohort of Graduates of the Accountability Court Coordinator Certification Program Recognized

The Council of Accountability Court Judges and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government Recognize the First Graduates of the Coordinator Certification Program

Athens, GA --- The Council of Accountability Court Judges (CACJ) and the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIOG) recognized the first graduates of the Accountability Court Coordinator Certification Program at the annual CACJ training conference’s closing session on Wednesday, September 29, 2021.

The CACJ partnered with CVIOG to offer an extensive training program to accountability court coordinators and program directors throughout the state of Georgia. Employing a combination of online and in-person training sessions, the Coordinator Certification Program includes eight courses for a total of 45 hours of instruction, and the curriculum covers topics central to successful accountability court administration: accountability & advocacy, communication, conflict resolution, financial concepts, grant administration, procurement & contract management, succession planning & delegation, and team & group dynamics.

As the number of accountability courts has grown rapidly over the past few years, the objectives of the Coordinator Certification Program are to increase the knowledge of the primary administrative functions of accountability court coordinators, develop the skills necessary to carry out the administrative functions as an accountability court coordinator, develop and maintain the high standards for the functioning of the accountability courts, and increase the professionalism of accountability court coordinators.

The following court professionals make up the first cohort of graduates:

Angela Anderson, Conasauga Mental Health Court
Jennifer Barnett, Coweta County Drug Court
Richard Bosten, Jackson County Drug Court
Stephen Brown, Savannah-Chatham Mental Health Court
Janice Cartwright, Dodge County Drug Court
Georgee Corley, Fulton County Misdemeanor Mental Health Court
Kristen Daniel, Western Mental Health Court
Priscilla Daniels, Gwinnett County Judicial Circuit
Marlow Dix, Coweta County Family Treatment Court
Lakisha Dixon, Clayton County Veterans Treatment Court
Robert Fox, Newton County & Walton County Resource Court
Shawonna Gaither, Rockdale County DUI Court
Steven Giglio, Towaliga Accountability Courts
Leslie Grabensteder, Coweta County DUI Court
Anita Grainger, Douglas County DUI/Drug Court
Scharita Greene, Newton County Juvenile Behavioral Health Court
Latrell Gulotta, Chatham County Family Treatment Court
Kristy Hardin, Gwinnett County Judicial Circuit
Glenda Harriman, Atlantic Judicial Circuit Drug Court/Liberty County DUI Court
Melissa Johnson, Cherokee Circuit Drug Court
Darcy Kamau, Cobb County DUI Court
Jennifer King, Douglas County Family Treatment Court
Beau Leyse, Pataula Drug Court
Karen McClain, Ogeechee Judicial Circuit Mental Health Court & Drug Court
Lauren Ortiz, Paulding Judicial Circuit Mental Health Court
Katelyn Parker, Cobb County Veterans Treatment Court
Patricia Pinkney, Savannah-Chatham County Drug Court
Dayna Solomon, Muscogee County Drug Court
Terry Sosebee, Conasauga Drug Court
Danny Stevens, Athens-Clarke County Family Treatment Court
Jennifer Tillery, Cobb County Family Treatment Court
Lynda Tobias, Burke County Accountability Courts
Monyato Tolbert, Henry County Juvenile Mental Health Court
Kelsey Topolski, Lookout Mountain Mental Health Court
Karen Tovey, Rome Circuit Mental Health Court
Jonathan Tucker, Clayton Judicial Circuit Behavioral Health Accountability Court
Melanie Valentine, Cobb County Mental Health Court
Samantha Whaley, DeKalb County DUI Court
Jennifer Williams, Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit Drug Court
Erin Young, Rome/Floyd County Drug Court

As of July 1, 2021, there are 170 certified accountability court programs in Georgia, and the mission of the CACJ is to provide a unified framework that promotes and improves the quality, accessibility, and administration of accountability courts with a vision to make accountability courts work for all Georgians. Established in 2015, the CACJ fulfills this mission through certification, standards, peer review, data collection, training, treatment fidelity monitoring, and grants.

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