Officers
President – Jenny Abbott Kitchings (SC)
Jenny Abbott Kitchings received a Bachelor of Arts from Converse College with a major in Modern Languages, including Spanish, Italian, and French. She went on to graduate from the University of South Carolina School of Law with a Juris Doctor and from the top-ranked Moore School of Business with an International Masters of Business Administration.
Upon graduation, Jenny came to work in the judicial system as a law clerk for the Honorable Daniel F. Pieper, then a circuit judge who was later elected to the Court of Appeals. She transitioned to private practice as an associate with Thurmond, Kirchner, and Timbes in Charleston, South Carolina. She later returned to the court system as a law clerk at the Court of Appeals, until her appointment as Clerk of Court on January 25, 2012.
Upon becoming Clerk, Jenny implemented a new case management system, had her first child, and co-hosted the Charleston NCACC conference. And that was just in her first year as Clerk! She has served on the following committees: Executive Committee, Program Committee, including serving as Chair for the Lexington conference, Technology Committee, Awards/Memorials/Resolutions Committee, Site Selection Committee, and Convention Assistance. Jenny and her husband, Craig, are lucky enough to be the parents of two wonderful daughters. They enjoy hiking, traveling, and family game night.
President-Elect – Doug Shima (KS)
Doug Shima grew up in Rocky Ford, Colorado, a small farming community in southeastern Colorado, along the Arkansas River. Doug attended Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas, and then Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, Kansas, graduating in 1994. He started his law career as a central staff attorney with the Kansas Court of Appeals and later served as a judge’s chambers counsel until his appointment in January 2016 as the Clerk of the Kansas Appellate Courts, overseeing both the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. Doug is a past chairperson of the board of directors of the Topeka Bar Association (TBA) and has served in many capacities on the TBA board and its committees, including as chair and secretary. Doug received the TBA’s Outstanding Young Lawyer Award in 1997 and its prestigious Hon. E. Newton Vickers Professionalism Award in 2014. Doug is also active in the Sam A. Crow American Inn of Court, where he served as the Inn’s secretary-treasurer for eight years, and in Meals on Wheels, transporting meals for over 25 years, organizing two corporate routes, and serving in several capacities with the board of directors, including a two-year term as chairperson. In 2013, Doug was awarded the Rueter Award for distinguished service to Meals on Wheels.
Vice-President – Scott Mitchell (AL)
Scott Mitchell was appointed Clerk of the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals effective August 1, 2012, becoming the fifth clerk in the Court’s 113-year history. He was reared on a farm in Rosebud, Alabama, that has been in his family for six generations. He received his bachelor’s degree from Erskine College in Due West, South Carolina, where he majored in history and business administration with an emphasis in accounting. In 2002, he received his Juris Doctor from the University of Alabama School of Law.
After law school, Scott entered the practice of law in Montgomery, Alabama, with a civil defense litigation firm. In 2006, he began his career with the courts by serving as a staff attorney on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. From 2007 until 2011, he served first as a staff attorney and then as chief of staff and legislative liaison for the Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. From 2011 until his appointment as Clerk, he served as an attorney in the Alabama Administrative Office of Courts.
Scott has been a member of the NCACC since he became Clerk in 2012. He has served on numerous committees, including the executive committee, and has served as chairman of the awards and resolutions committee, the nominating committee, the site selection committee, and the program committee. Scott and his wife Mary Martin are the proud parents of a son and are active members of St. John’s Episcopal Church.
Treasurer – James Hivner (TN)
James (Jim) Hivner was appointed to a six-year term as Clerk of the Supreme Court of Tennessee in 2014 and was reappointed in 2020. In his role as Clerk, Jim serves the Supreme Court of Tennessee as well as the Court of Appeals and the Court of Criminal Appeals in Tennessee. Prior to his appointment, Jim served for two years as Chief Administrative Officer of the Shelby County Chancery Court. Before working for the courts, Jim was in private practice for almost 20 years as a solo practitioner in Alabama and later as an associate in the law firm of Waring Cox, PLC in Memphis, TN, and as an associate and member in the law firm of Glankler Brown, PLLC in Memphis, TN. Prior to his legal career, Jim worked at NASA as an accountant. Jim earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration with high honors from the University of Tennessee and received his J.D. and LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Alabama School of Law. Jim has been a member of the NCACC since 2014 and has served as Chair of the Bylaws Committee, Vice-Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee, and as a member of the Site Selection Committee.
Secretary – Claudia Jenks (TX)
Claudia Jenks has served as the Chief Deputy Clerk of the Supreme Court of Texas since March 2003. In that role, Claudia assists the Clerk of the Court in managing and supervising the operation of the Clerk’s Office. Prior to working for the Court, Claudia was employed in the Transportation Litigation Division at the Office of Attorney General where she processed filings for all the Assistant Attorney Generals who represented the Texas Department of Transportation, and distributed warrants on behalf of the agency for settlements and judgment claims. Claudia holds two bachelor’s degrees, in Speech and in Mass Communication, and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Texas State University-San Marcos. Claudia has been an active member of the NCACC since 2003 and has served on the Convention Assistance Committee numerous times.
Immediate Past President – Greg Hilton (MD)
Gregory (Greg) Hilton was appointed Clerk of Maryland’s Court of Special Appeals in 2013. Prior to his appointment, Greg was the Chief Deputy Clerk and a Staff Attorney with the Court. He was in private litigation practice from 1996 through 2007, following his service as a law clerk to a Maryland Circuit Court Judge. Before his legal career, Greg served in the United States Navy as an active duty and reserve officer. Once his active duty service ended, Greg continued his military service as a reserve officer along with his legal career until his retirement from the Navy in 2017, after 30 years of service. Among other assignments, he served in the USS Richmond K. Turner (CG 20) and participated in Operation Earnest Will during the Iran/Iraq War, and in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Greg is a graduate of Holy Cross College (BA), Catholic University of America Law School (JD), and the United States Naval War College (MA). Hilton has served on the NCACC’s Strategic Planning, Technology, and Bylaws Committees. He is also a member of the Mid-Atlantic Association for Court Management.
Executive Committee
Pauline (Polly) Brock (CO), term ending 2024
Pauline (Polly) Brock has been with the Colorado Court of Appeals since 1996. Polly graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1992. She has worked in several positions for the Court of Appeals, including Deputy District Administrator. She was a staff attorney for the Colorado Court of Appeals specializing in appellate motions and jurisdiction for over 10 years. She is a graduate of the Colorado Judicial Executive Leadership Development Program (2015) and the Colorado Institute for Faculty Excellence in Judicial Education (2017).
Tracie Lindeman (AZ), term ending 2024
Tracie Lindeman is the Clerk of the Arizona Supreme Court, although she originally became involved in NCACC in 2008 when she was appointed Clerk of the Nevada Supreme Court, a position she held for 9 years. After a 4-year semi-retirement, Tracie was appointed Clerk of the Arizona Supreme Court, effective March 15, 2021. She received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University and her law degree from Gonzaga University School of Law. Tracie previously served on the Executive Committee of NCACC, as well as serving as Treasurer. She also hosted the 44th Annual Conference at Lake Tahoe.
Lonn Weissblum (FL) , term ending 2024
Lonn Weissblum was appointed Clerk of the Fourth District Court of Appeal effective April 7, 2014. Before becoming the Clerk of the Court, Mr. Weissblum served as a career staff attorney to the Honorable Jonathan D. Gerber of the Fourth District Court of Appeal. Mr. Weissblum also served as a law clerk to the Honorable David L. Levy of the Third District Court of Appeal, and was in private practice.
Mr. Weissblum received his B.A. in Psychology with Highest Honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1997, and his J.D. with Honors from the University of Florida in 2001. Mr. Weissblum has been a member of the Commission on District Court of Appeal Performance and Accountability and the Florida Courts Technology Commission. In addition, he has served on the Appellate Court Website Technical Advisory Board and the Public Online Docket Advisory Group. Mr. Weissblum also has achieved the Certified Court Manager and Certified Court Executive credentials from the National Center for State Courts’ Institute for Court Management.
Brian Cotta (CA) , term ending 2025
Brian Cotta was appointed Clerk/Executive Officer of the California Court of Appeal, Fifth Appellate District in 2018. Prior to this position, he was the Assistant Clerk/Executive Officer. Prior to joining the Court of Appeal, Brian served as the Chief Information Officer for the Fresno Superior Court for the last four years of his ten years of service there, where he led impactful initiatives with national and statewide influence in court technology.
Brian holds a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He is a member of the California Judicial Branch Information Technology Advisory Committee (ITAC) and co-led the development of the California Judicial Branch Strategic Plan for Technology. Brian is a member of various subcommittees and has sponsored multiple workstreams charged with identifying solutions to complex technology subjects. Brian has been a member of the NCACC since 2015.
Michael Cruz (TX) , term ending 2025
Mike Cruz has served as the Clerk of the Fourth Court of Appeals in San Antonio, Texas since November 2019. As Clerk of Court, he serves as the official custodian of records, Chief Financial Officer, and Director of Human Resources for the Fourth Court. In addition to his duties as Clerk, Mike was appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas to the Judicial Committee on Information Technology in 2022. Prior to his appointment as Clerk, Mike served as Office Manager for the Human Resources Division of the Office of the Attorney General from 2018-2019. He has also served the Supreme Court of Texas as a Deputy Clerk under the Honorable Blake Hawthorne and later as Executive Assistant to Justice Eva M. Guzman from 2011-2018. Mike was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas and received his B.A. from St. Mary’s University and his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law.
Lisa Dolph (DL) , term ending 2025
Elizabeth (Lisa) Dolph is the Clerk of the Supreme Court of the State of Delaware. She also serves as the Clerk of the Court on the Judiciary. Lisa joined the Court in 1998 as a Senior Court Clerk and worked her way through the ranks until she was appointed Clerk in 2017. That same year she earned her Lean Six Sigma certificate from the University of Delaware. Prior to joining the Court, Lisa worked as a Paralegal for Schmittinger & Rodriguez, one of the oldest law firms in Delaware.
Lisa received her degrees from Goldey-Beacom College and Widener University. Lisa and her husband Durrell have a beautifully blended family with three daughters and one son, a grandson, and a granddaughter. She enjoys traveling, specifically going to Disney World and University of Michigan college football games, hiking, restoring furniture, and spending time with her family.