by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
With less than a week on the job, Debra Davis, the new executive assistant to Clerk of the Courts Jim Fuller, is receiving what many are calling a “crash course in the clerk’s office.”
“I knew they were making a lot of changes here so I applied,” said Davis. “I’ve known the Fullers for years and I think very highly of Jim Fuller. I know he and [Chief Assistant Clerk Gordon Morgan] will be great to work for because I know they’re committed to their people. I was delighted to take the job.”
Before coming to Jacksonville, Davis spent several years in what she referred to as “corporate America.” She worked for Scientific Atlanta and later as a sub-contracting administrator for IBM’s federal systems division in Washington, D.C. Most recently, Davis was running her own interior design firm in Deltona when she found out there was an opening in the clerk’s office.
“My new job is really a return to what I had been doing before I started my own business and I was ready to get back to that,” said Davis. “Plus, I think Jacksonville is a wonderful place. It’s like a little metropolis.”
According to Morgan, Davis’ arrival couldn’t have been better timed.
“We had a need and she was available,” he said. “We’re very excited to have her with us. Mr. Fuller and I both have complete confidence that her skills sets will fit in wonderfully here. She’s a team player, a self-starter and she has the capabilities we look for in every employee.”
According to Morgan, during Davis’ first month, she’ll be “learning the basics.”
“We want her to feel comfortable,” he said. “Before long she’ll be working with the other departments more closely so she can continue to hone her skills so she can apply them to our day-to-day operations.”
Morgan noted the employees who have been with courts for years, are no less competent.
“We have very capable people here, but sometimes it comes down to timing,” he said. “I know Mr. Fuller felt very strongly that she was strong candidate for the position and her hiring was really an organic process. But that is not a reflection of anyone here being incapable. We’ve promoted from within in the past and we’ll continue to do that in the future.
“We like the idea of her having fresh eyes. She might see things that we might not see, which will be a definite asset. Her job will be challenging.”
And it’s a challenge Davis is ready for.
“My first day [Tuesday] was really the most hectic but I got through it,” she said. “This is a large organization and everything is new to me, everyone has a new face.”
“Thankfully, the people here have been very nice and accommodating. It will take some time before I get completely adjusted, but I’m sure it will go well. It gets a little easier everyday. I think my personality makes it a perfect match because I like helping and interacting with people. I’m looking forward to being a public servant.”