Posted: August 27, 2010

Clerk of the Chesapeake Circuit Court Faye W. Mitchell is the recipient of the 2010 Marian P. Whitehurst Women in Leadership Award.

Working as a clerk

I was elected clerk, an eight-year term, in 2003. I've enjoyed working in a court environment. Prior to that, I worked in a private sector and governmental contracting environment with the computer industry. After leaving the industry, I was fortunate to begin working in the very clerk's office that I'm now the clerk of.

I started working there as a manager for the civil and criminal divisions. After five years, I was appointed clerk in the juvenile and domestic court in Chesapeake. I did that for three years. During this time, there was a vacancy for a clerk position in the circuit court. I felt like I had the expertise to move into that office, so I decided to run for the position.

As clerk of the court, you are the chief administrator for court management, which includes but not limited to being responsible for land records, probate and estate planning and basically the custodian of all court records. You're also an integral component of public safety.

Computer world vs. circuit court

In transition from that world to this, I never thought it would work. Going into this court and judicial environment, it was like the job had been waiting for me all my life. I gravitated so easily to this job. I couldn't read enough or go to enough meetings and training for it. It was a natural fit for me. The most challenging thing for me was to understand the relationship to all of the laws and understanding how it impacts what we do. This job required a lot of training. I took several courses with the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, which is affiliated with the University of Virginia. These courses help you get certified and allow you to pick up all the fine points to do your job well.

The Marian P. Whitehurst Award

I've very pleased to receive this award. It's named for Chesapeake's only woman mayor who was a mentor, innovator and visionary for so many people. I was honored that the Chamber of Commerce felt that I embodied, at some point, those principles and graced me with this award. I am very active with various community organizations. I've been a volunteer with the Chesapeake Rotary Club for seven years working on various projects including Paint Your Heart Out. As a team leader on this project, I worked together with volunteers to help paint, clean and repair homes. I'm also working with the First Citizen Award team, which recognizes a leader from within our community. The award also serves as a funding mechanism of the Rotary Foundation. In addition, I'm a volunteer and mentor at Carver Intermediate School working on various projects and helping to make sure the students have the supplies and goodies they need. At Chesapeake Circuit Court, I have acted as a host facilitator for internship programs. The program allows high students to intern with us as well give them the opportunity to interface with the staff, meet attorneys and learn about the judicial system.

Giving back

The most enjoyable moments in my day-to-day life would be when a citizen comes into the office not knowing if we can help them and walks out satisfied. So my biggest reward is being able to give good customer service and have citizens leave my office with a renewed sense of faith in government and what we can do for them. Giving back is a value that my family instilled in me. My father always believed that we are stewards of the community and it was our duty to give back. My husband and I are active in the community and work on a lot of projects together. Since my children are all grown, I have a lot of extra time to devote to other projects. I think being involved in your community makes you a well rounded person. I thrive on it.

Downtime & legacy

In my downtime I enjoy reading. I'm currently reading "A Game of Character: A Family Journey from Chicago's Southside to the Ivy League and Beyond," by Craig Robinson, the brother of First Lady Michelle Obama. At the end of the day, I want people to remember that public service was important to me. I also want to be remembered as a mentor and visionary in terms of technology within the clerk office.