November 01, 2022

Second 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 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 73 graduates of the Accountability Court Coordinator Certification Program at the annual CACJ training conference’s closing session on Wednesday, October 12, 2022.

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 second cohort of graduates:

Tiffany Barclay, Fulton County Juvenile Family Treatment Court
Katie Barrs, Houston County Mental Health Court
Rebecca Bennett, Mountain Judicial Circuit Family Treatment Court
Deborah Boddie, Clayton County Drug Court
Victoria Bowman, Piedmont Judicial Circuit Specialty Courts
Mary Brown, South Georgia Judicial Circuit Accountability Court
Katie Bruner, Hall County DUI Court
Gina Calero, Gwinnett County Family Treatment Court
Michelle Calhoun, Tift County DUI/Drug Court
Nicole Cavanagh, Western Judicial Circuit Drug Court
Ethan Childers, Cherokee County Treatment Accountability Court
John Collins, Fulton County Accountability Court
Brittany Currans, Dawson County Treatment Court
Angela D’Agata, Cherokee County DUI/Drug Court
Panya Dixon, DeKalb County Family Treatment Court
Brittney Ellis, Atlantic Judicial Circuit Family Treatment Court
Jessi Emmett, Northeastern Judicial Circuit Accountability Courts
Jennifer Fabbri, Southern Judicial Circuit Accountability Courts
Stephonie Goddard, Waycross Judicial Circuit Accountability Court
Gwen Green, Cherokee County Juvenile Drug Court
Patricia Griffin, Dougherty Superior Court Mental Health/Substance Abuse Treatment Program
Jeanette Gurr, Hall County HELP Program
Kevin Harvard, Dublin Judicial Circuit Mental Health and Veterans Treatment Court
Constance Hawkins, DeKalb County Juvenile Mental Health Court
Leslie Heffron, Spaulding County Accountability Court
Monique Henderson, Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit Mental Health Court
Heather Herrington, Northeastern Judicial Circuit Accountability Courts
Megan Hill, Dawson County Family Treatment Court
Chris Holt, Appalachian Judicial Circuit Veterans Treatment Court
Chrissy House, Northern Judicial Circuit Drug Court
Tracy Jacob, Bartow County Family Treatment Court
Jennifer Johnston, Forsyth County Accountability Courts
Lisa King, Henry County DUI/Drug Court
Jylise Lee, Fulton County Behavioral Health Treatment Court
Barbara Little, Cordele Judicial Circuit Drug Court
Wes Long, Newton County Drug Court
Caitlyn Malone, Muscogee County Family Treatment Court
Magdalene McDonald, Enotah Judicial Circuit Family Treatment Court
Jennifer Mehdikarimi, Cherokee County Veterans Treatment Court
Donna Michel, Griffin Judicial Circuit Drug Court
Porsha Middlebrook, Cobb County Drug Court
Connie Morris, DeKalb County Accountability Courts
Traci Moultrie, Gwinnett County Juvenile Drug Court
Gretchen Neal, Lookout Mountain Drug Court
Craig Ogilvie, Henry County Accountability Court
Crystal Page, Richmond County DUI and Veterans Treatment Court
Nichole Panter, Appalachian Judicial Circuit Drug Court
Megan Paul, Enotah Judicial Circuit Drug Court
Beth Pelaccio, Mountain Judicial Circuit Drug Court
Lindsey Ray, Appalachian Judicial Circuit Mental Health Court
Sharon Reaves, Fulton County Accountability Court
Ashaunte Reid, Muscogee County Juvenile Drug Court
Monica Roberts, Tifton Judicial Circuit Accountability Courts
Quineka Robinson, Alapaha Judicial Circuit Drug and Mental Health Court
Carol Simpson, Forsyth County Accountability Courts
Leah Simpson, Griffin Judicial Circuit Drug Court
Beth Smith, Rockdale County Family Treatment Court
Denise Smith, Troup County DUI/Drug Court
Michaela Smith, Piedmont Judicial Circuit Veterans Treatment Court
Mark Spaulding, Brunswick Judicial Circuit Drug Court
Suzanne Stanley, Northeastern Judicial Circuit Accountability Courts
Marqueta Stanton, Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit Family Treatment Court
Sheila Storey, Carroll County Family Treatment Court
Marisa Sullens, Hall County Family Treatment Court
Judy Talkington, Toombs Judicial Circuit Drug Court
Sharla Taylor, DeKalb County Misdemeanor Mental Health Court
Shundrekia Taylor, Atlantic Judicial Circuit Veterans Treatment Court
Karen Van Blarcom, Carroll County Drug Court
Donna Bowling, Appalachian Judicial Circuit Juvenile Drug Court
Dana White, Rockdale County Drug Court
Rachel Williams-Clark, Enotah Judicial Circuit Mental Health Court
David Wood, Chatham County DUI Court
Paige Worley, Mountain Judicial Circuit Mental Health Court

As of July 1, 2022, there are 183 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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