Des Moines, July 5, 2017— The Iowa Supreme Court named Todd Nuccio state court administrator for the Iowa Judicial Branch. The state court administrator is responsible for the day-to-day management of Iowa's state court system. Nuccio will replace David Boyd when Boyd retires September 7 after 40 years of continual service to the Iowa Judicial Branch.
Nuccio brings more than 30 years of court administration experience to the position, starting as the assistant court administrator in the Seventh Judicial District of Iowa (Davenport) and most recently completing 25 years as the trial court administrator for the 26th Judicial District of North Carolina (Charlotte).
"We are very excited to welcome Todd to the Iowa Judicial Branch," Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady said. "With his previous work, he has shown the initiative to implement new and innovative approaches to providing justice. From case management to help for self-represented litigants, Todd brings tremendous experience in running a court system, and I anticipate that he will bring unique and successful services to the people of Iowa."
From Downers Grove, Illinois, Nuccio earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science from Northern Illinois University (DeKalb) in 1984, his master's degree in Judicial Administration from the University of Denver in 1985 and a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1999.
"I am honored to have been selected to serve the citizens of Iowa as their next state court administrator," Nuccio said. "The Iowa Judicial Branch maintains a renowned reputation for its fairness, impartiality, and sound management practices. It has also been a leader in the advancement of technology to improve efficiencies. I pledge to continue the good stewardship of the organization and to improve its national standing even further."
Outside of his role as trial court administrator, Nuccio was also an adjunct professor at UNC Charlotte teaching court management. Nuccio established Justice Initiatives, an independent nonprofit to educate the public on the needs of the court system, to advocate on its behalf, and to support and advance innovative and nontraditional programs through seed money. Justice Initiatives won the Harvard Kennedy School, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Bright Ideas Award in 2016.
Nuccio has received numerous personal and organizational awards including the G. Thomas Munsterman Award for Jury Innovation from the Center for Jury Studies at the National Center for State Courts; the American Bar Association, Judicial Division, Burnham "Hod" Greeley Award; the North Carolina Conference of Court Administrators, Judicial Administration Award; and the Mecklenburg County Bar Liberty Bell Award.
Nuccio will begin his duties September 18, 2017.
The state court administrator is the principal administrative officer of the Iowa Judicial Branch, who is responsible for the day-to-day management of the state court system, which employs about 1,700 people and has a $175 million operating budget. The state court administrator also serves as Executive Secretary to the Iowa Commission on Judicial Qualifications and the State Judicial Nominating Commission and is the administrator of the Iowa Judicial Retirement System.
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