NACM in Albuquerque 2026: What Was Your Biggest Takeaway?

April 21st, 2026, Court Leader’s Advantage Podcast Episode

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

The 2026 NACM Midyear Conference brought together court professionals from across the country. They came to share best practices, confront common challenges, and explore new ideas. The theme of the midyear conference Preserving the Rule of Law and Judicial Independence, connects to an important national milestone. In 2026, our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary.

This moment calls us to reflect on our justice system’s founding principles. It challenges us to recommit ourselves to those basic tenets. We, as court professionals, play a vital role in this effort. Every day, we ensure that our justice system is fair, accessible, and accountable to all. The midyear conference brought together both experienced leaders and emerging voices who care deeply about the future of our courts.

This month, we ask court professionals a simple question: What was your biggest takeaway from the 2026 NACM Midyear Conference? We examine what court professionals can do to protect the Rule of Law and Judicial Independence at a time of unprecedented challenges.

These challenges raise fundamental questions about whether our justice system can live up to its ideals. They also come at a time when public trust in our institutions is already under enormous strain. Whether you are an experienced administrator or just beginning your career, this episode highlights the ideas and lessons that mattered most at the 2026 Midyear. It also sharpens our focus on what matters most to court professionals as we all move into the future.

Listen to the April 21, 2026, CLA Podcast Episode on your way to or from work. 22 Minutes 2 Seconds. Be sure to share the link to this episode on your social media pages. It lets more people know about the important work of court administration in our community.

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Today’s Moderator

Tina M. Mattison was 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 a past 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.

Today’s Panel

Amanda Hammer is the Court Executive Officer for the Tenth Judicial District Court in Tucumcari, New Mexico. The district comprises three counties with one general jurisdiction judge and three county magistrate courts which are limited jurisdiction. She has been with the courts for 5 years, and before that she was in administration at a community college.

Michael J. Cuccaro is the Executive Director for the Council of Judges in El Paso, Texas. Michael received his Juris Doctor at University of Georgia School of Law, and his undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania

Sean O’Sullivan is the Chief of Community Relations for the Delaware Administrative Office of the Courts. He is the immediate past president of the Conference of Court Public Information Officers and has served on the board of CCPIO since 2017.

Sean acts as a resource for the Delaware Courts at all levels from misdemeanor court up to the Delaware Supreme Court. He works with state and national media, helps promote the work of the court and court initiatives and programs, and is part of the Delaware Judiciary’s legislative team.

He graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo with a double major in English and Media Study. Prior to joining the courts, O’Sullivan was an award-winning print journalist for more than 20 years, working at daily newspapers in Maryland, New Jersey and Delaware.