Special to IFN
Iredell County Clerk of Superior Court James Lee Mixson III was recently sworn in as president of the N.C. Conference of Clerks of Superior Court.
N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice Trey Allen administered the oath of office to Mixson during a ceremony at the Conference’s Summer Educational Conference in Waynesville. Justice Allen also administered the oath of office to the conference’s other incoming officers: Jess Hill, first vice president (Columbus County); Susie Thomas, second vice president (Lee County); Lisa Johnson-Tompkins, secretary (Guilford County); and John Deaton, treasurer (Montgomery County).
“Serving as the president of Conference of Clerks of Superior Court is an honor and, in many ways, the high point of my career,” said Mixson. “Our conference is made up an incredible group of professionals that are dedicated to serving their respective counties and the State of North Carolina. As Clerks of Superior Court, we have many important roles in our state’s judicial system. We serve as the court’s record keeper, administrator, and comptroller as well as the Judge of Probate in each of our counties. In the role of Judge of Probate, we serve as the presiding judicial officer in all matters concerning guardianships, probate, estates, and many special proceedings. We are experiencing a transformable period now with the continued statewide implementation of eCourts.
“This is both a challenging and exciting time for our conference and I am looking forward to working with my colleagues over the next year,” added Mixson.
Mixson has served as Iredell County’s Clerk of Superior Court since 2012. He was recognized by his peers throughout the state in 2021 for his work as chairman of the Conference of N.C. Clerks of Superior Court’s Training Committee. He was presented the “Boots on the Ground Award” by the conference for his leadership in developing innovative means of delivering training to North Carolina’s elected, assistant and deputy clerks of court during the pandemic. In addition to serving as the chairman of the Training Committee, Mixson has also served on the Conference of Clerks of Superior Court’s technology, legislative and public relations committees. In addition, Mixson has previously served as the conference’s treasurer, secretary, second vice president and first vice president.
Since 2019, Mixson has served as a commissioner on the N.C. Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission, which makes recommendations to the N.C. General Assembly for modifications of sentencing laws and policies, and for the addition, deletion, or expansion of sentencing options as necessary to achieve policy goals. Mixson is also a member of the UNC School of Government’s Judicial College Advisory Committee, which provides guidance in overseeing and evaluating the comprehensive and specialized education program for judicial officials including judges, magistrates and clerks offered by the UNC School of Government.
A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Mixson is also active in the community. He is the scoutmaster for Scout Troop 609 in Statesville. Mixson is a past president of the Statesville Rotary Club, a member of the Board of Directors for Iredell County Crimestoppers and a member and past chairman of the Iredell County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council.
The Conference of Clerks of Superior Court was created in 2006 by the N.C. General Assembly to improve the administration of justice in North Carolina. The Conference, consisting of the 100 elected clerks from across the state and supported by an executive director and administrative staff, works to improve public accessibility to the courts through the Clerks of Superior Court, serve as a resource for the clerks in key areas of court administration, and to act as a liaison on behalf of all elected Clerks of Superior Court to both governmental and non-governmental stakeholders.
