Court Leader's Advantage

Managing the multigenerational workplace is more demanding today than ever before. Why is it now such a challenge? One reason: we are living and working longer. If you were born today, you could expect to live 79 years, that is 18 years longer than if you were born in 1935. Another reason: technology is changing our lives and the rate of that change is increasing. Once, just being a 30-year veteran of an organization made you a valued expert. Today, we are valued for our technical expertise in mastering artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and social media. Does assigning traits to the different generations help or hurt when managing the workplace? What insights do we have for today’s managers dealing with up to four generations working side-by-side? Zenell Brown, Alisa Shannon, Rene Armenta, and Kelly Hutton discuss what it means to oversee a court with so many different age groups working together.

This is an absorbing podcast episode for listeners curious about generational differences, managing the generations, courts, and court administration.

Leave a comment or question about the episode at clapodcast@nacmnet.org.

Guest Speakers

As a Court Administrator, Zenell Brown has garnered respect for her ethical leadership and innovation. She has built her approach on three pillars: communication, leadership responsibility and accountability, and diversity and inclusion. She has shared her “Justice for All” leadership and organizational wisdom at local, state, and national level conferences for court managers and teams.  Zenell continues to add to her current credentials of Juris Doctor (Wayne State University Law School), Public Service Administration Graduate Certificate (Central Michigan University), Court Administration Certificate (Michigan State University), and Certified Diversity Professional (National Diversity Council-DiversityFirst).

Rene Armenta was born and raised in Tucson, AZ, He graduated from Rincon High School and started his career with the courts in early February of 2019 at the Pima County Juvenile Courthouse, assisting both  clients and court staff, directing them to their appointment, and providing assistance on court date information. Recently transitioning to the downtown Superior Courthouse as a Case Management Specialist assisting on the Family Law Bench, he assists in the efficiency of caseflow by processing court documents, ensuring court dates and times are correctly scheduled, assisting in scheduling Pro Tems and so much more.

Alisa Shannon has served as a civil servant for the past twenty plus years. She is the Deputy Court Administrator of the Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan - Criminal Division. In this role, Alisa oversees the management of the criminal case processing departments and works tirelessly to build strong relationships and help to administer criminal justice in a fair, professional, and efficient manner.

In addition to overseeing the operations of the Criminal Division, Alisa has led many court-wide leadership committees. As a trusted leader, she directed the state’s largest trial court through the Strategic Planning process. Much of her career success can be attributed to her ability to build relationships, create supportive environments, and advocate on behalf of others.

Alisa has earned a Master Certification in Business Leadership and Management, with a specific focus on Strategic Decision-making, Strategic Leadership, and Strategic Management from Michigan State University. She is a certified trainer in Restorative Practices and in the art of having Crucial Conversations. She served on several committees with the National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies, and most recently represents the court on the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board of the Michigan Diversity and Inclusion Council.