Anoka County's new court administrator gets multiple thumbs-up from Wisconsin voters

A few months into her new job as Anoka County court administrator, Lori Meyer got a strong endorsement from the people she'd served in her old job: They re-elected her.

On Nov. 4, voters in St. Croix County, Wis., chose Meyer to be their clerk of courts for another four years, by about a 19,000-12,400 margin.

But Meyer, who held that position for more than two decades, is remaining in Anoka County, where she has earned praise from officials since becoming administrator in midsummer.

She was on the ballot in Wisconsin because she had filed for office in June and won the primary and, by law, her name stayed on the ballot, even though she was no longer running. The procedural details are still playing out, but Meyer will politely decline the chance to return.

So now, five times a week, she steps into her car, pops in an audio book and drives 45 miles from her Hudson home to her new job. It's not the easiest or shortest commute, but Meyer doesn't mind: "It's not too bad, but ask me that in January," she said with a laugh.

Meyer was appointed court administrator in July, replacing Jennifer Schlieper, who resigned after being investigated for allegedly having charged $2,500 in personal expenses to the state. No charges were brought against Schlieper.

Michael Moriarity, administrator for the 10th Judicial District, was acting court administrator for Anoka County for about six months while Schlieper was on paid administrative leave. He played a key role in hiring Meyer.

Meyer also brings more than 25 years of experience, including her 22 years as clerk of courts in St. Croix County. She holds a master's degree in education and a bachelor's degree in management. She also has experience teaching as an adjunct instructor in paralegal and business programs.

Anoka County District Judge Jenny Walker Jasper was struck by Meyer's attentiveness when she first started. Meyer watched how the courthouse worked, took notes and asked questions before she implemented any changes. She brings a fresh and new perspective to the courthouse, the judge said.

In her short time on the job, Meyer has led big strides toward turning the courthouse paperless. Employees started scanning all court documents in August 2013, and Meyer is hoping to have all files in an electronic format by next year.

If anyone is going to push for the transition, it's Meyer, who implemented e-filing in the St. Croix County Courthouse.

This year, when a water line broke in the Anoka County records room, she looked at the mess and figured out a plan to save the documents and take them off-site. Those files were already scanned, and judges had to view them online as the paper files were getting treated.

"She was calm and measured and didn't spend a lot of time being mad about it," Walker Jasper said about Meyer's handling of the water damage. "It was like, 'OK, how are we going to deal with this?'"

Being "calm" and "measured" has been Meyer's attitude since making the transition from the smaller Wisconsin courthouse to the larger one in Anoka County.

Meyer, whose annual salary is $101,017, is taking on a staff about four times as large and a $5.9 million annual operating budget, as well as learning new state court rules and guidelines.

"There's never a dull moment," she said. "No two days are the same."

Walker Jasper said Meyer didn't feel threatened, wasn't scared or concerned when taking on the new job.

And if you ask Meyer, she is glad to be working in a position that's appointed and not elected.

When she was first elected in Wisconsin, she went up against a senior incumbent. She won by running a "strong grass-roots campaign," she said.

Without campaigning, she doesn't get to interact as much with constituents, but Moriarity said Meyer communicates well with the staff. Walker Jasper agrees, saying that several younger and newer clerks have told her Meyer introduced herself to them, which is not common at larger courthouses.

Meyer said it's important for her to learn names and recognize faces.

On the first floor of the courthouse, in a far corner past cubicles and filing cabinets, is Meyer's office overlooking E. Main Street in downtown Anoka. Inside, there's a shelf full of cards with "good luck" messages, photos of her family are displayed throughout the room, and a plaque signed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court justices hangs next to her desk.

Karen Zamora • 612-673-4647