July Supervisor Spotlight- Tina Cooper

Posted By: Marsha Bills

TINA COOPER HAS SPENT 25 YEARS FINDING
SATISFACTION
HELPING OTHERS IN TIMES OF CRISES

Having just passed the 25th anniversary of her arrival in the District Clerk’s office, Criminal Courts Supervisor Tina Cooper loves her job and exudes a fresh enthusiasm rare among new arrivals, much less long-time veterans.

For Tina, the best part of her job is helping people. “It moves my spirit and makes me feel good,” she says. That kind of continuing personal positive motivation and resulting rewards no doubt have played a large role in her continued rise within the District Clerk’s office, where she began in 1984 as a certified record copy clerk. She quickly was promoted to the position of a civil courts clerk, then chief clerk and finally civil courts trainer. In 1993, she was promoted to magistrate court supervisor from where she was promoted to the newly created position of criminal courts supervisor in 2000.

“I have so many memories, but there are several that stand out. I once helped a mom who is just like I am: a hard-working mom dressed professionally with a good job who had a son for whom she had worked hard and for whom she had provided the best she could,” says Tina.

“The 16- year-old son started hanging out with the wrong crowd and got into serious trouble and the mother was deeply distraught,” says Tina. “When the mom finally found me after getting shuffled around without answers or what she perceived as genuine concern from so many people, which unfortunately happens in the crush of our complicated system, all I could see in that mother was myself.”

“The connection I made with that mother and with so many others have given me satisfaction and rewards beyond explanation,” concludes Tina. “By helping people and letting them know we are here to listen, understand and help them, I’ve found a continuing source of inspiration and joy in my work, which flows over into every other part of my life.”

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