Unpacking Mentorships: What is the Potential? What are the Pitfalls? What is the Path to Growth?

November 18th, 2025, Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast Episode

Brought to You in Cooperation with the National Association for Court Management

Mentorship isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s a game-changer. It bridges the gap between experience and ambition, turning goals of “someday” into measurable progress today.

A great mentor can:

• Share hard-won wisdom and real-world perspective
• Help navigate tough choices with clarity and confidence
• Accelerate growth by shortening the learning curve
• Boost self-assurance and professional presence
• Steer a mentee away from common pitfalls before they happen.

But mentorship goes far beyond building skills. It helps professionals feel seen, supported, and valued, part of a larger purpose and community. In the workplace, a mentor can decode unwritten rules, clarify expectations, and open doors to meaningful opportunities. For emerging professionals, it’s often the spark that ignites a sense of possibility, revealing paths they never knew existed.

Organizations that invest in mentoring don’t just grow talent, they grow loyalty, collaboration, and a culture of continuous learning. Mentorship builds bridges that strengthen teams, connect generations, and prepare leaders for what’s next.

Of course, every mentorship comes with challenges. Finding the right match takes intention. Mentors must learn to adapt to different personalities and learning styles. Mentees, too, may hesitate, unsure how much to ask or share. And without clear boundaries or trust, even well-meaning advice can miss the mark.

This month, we’re taking a closer look at mentorship: what works, what doesn’t, and how to make it better. NACM’s long-standing mentorship program has connected professionals across the country for years. How has it shaped careers? And what should mentorship look like in a rapidly changing world?

Join us as we explore how great mentoring turns potential into performance, and experience into impact.

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Today’s Panel

Tina M. Mattison is the Deputy Court Administrator of the Pima County Superior Court in Tucson, Arizona, serving as the Deputy Court Administrator for the Consolidated Justice Courts. Previously, she served as the Deputy Court Administrator for Pima County’s Juvenile Court from 2015-2022 and worked for both Riverside and Orange County Superior Courts in California from 1988-2015.

Tina holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from California State University, Fullerton and is a 2011 Graduate Fellow of the Institute for Court Management’s Court Executive Development Program. During her tenure with the courts, she has led numerous successful improvement projects, including caseflow management revisions, strategic planning, vicarious trauma training for staff, and the use of evidence-based practices in juvenile probation. Additionally, she has served on numerous state and national court management committees addressing the use of technology in the courts, courthouse security, and the professional development of court managers.

Tina is currently the President of the National Association for Court Management. She is certified faculty for the Institute for Court Management’s Operations Management course and is a contributing editor to the National Center for State Court’s annual report Trends in State Courts.

Stacey L. Fields is the Court Administrator for the City of Crestwood and has worked in the judiciary for 12 years. She has been a member of NACM for 5 years and serves on the Conference Development Committee.

Stacey also serves as Vice President of the Metropolitan St. Louis Association for Court Administration (MSLACA) and on the board of the Missouri Association for Court Administration as Professional Development Director.

Samantha Wallis has been working for the Idaho courts since 2017 and has been the Deputy Trial Court Administrator for the First Judicial District since 2022. During her tenure in the Trial Court Administrator’s office, Samantha has been onboarding new employees in specialty courts including family court service employees, treatment court coordinators, law clerks, and assists with onboarding new judges as well.

Daniel Alejandro Meza Rincón has been a Deputy Juvenile Court Administrator for the State of Utah since the fall of 2020. Prior to this position he served as Clerk of Court in the Third District Juvenile Court for Salt Lake, Tooele and Summit counties. He began his career with the Utah State Courts in 2013 as a Judicial Services Representative, and has since also served both as a Judicial Assistant and Judicial Case Manager. Daniel is twice a University of Utah graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and a Master’s in Public Administration.