CHARLESTON – The West Virginia court system soon will have a new administrative director.
Joe Armstrong is retiring from the position. He is expected to leave the post by early 2025. Court officials said Armstrong announced his retirement “well in advance to allow for an orderly and seamless transition.”
“He is committed to making sure that court operations statewide are not disrupted,” Supreme Court public information officer Jennifer Bundy said. “The date of Mr. Armstrong's departure from the position will be coordinated in relation to the transition process and is expected by early 2025. …
Armstrong
| File photo
“The Supreme Court is working out the details of when the transition will take place and will coordinate with Joe and the successful applicant to ensure a smooth transition.”
A posting on the state Supreme Court website dated July 8 announced the job opening. The deadline for applications is July 16. A timeline for interviews will be determined after the application deadline, Bundy said. She said the five current justices will handle the selection process.
“My fellow Justices and I appreciate the outstanding work Joe Armstrong has done as the administrative director of our state’s court system,” Chief Justice Tim Armstead said in a statement to The West Virginia Record. “Joe began his role as administrative director at a challenging time for our court and has worked with the court to restore confidence in our judicial system.
“He helped to shepherd the court system through the COVID crisis and assisted in implementing the Intermediate Court of Appeals. Our judges and staff throughout the state will miss working with him on a daily basis.
“We wish him the very best as he begins his much-deserved retirement.”
Armstrong was named administrative director in April 2019. He began working for the court a year earlier as director of the Division of Human Resources, and he was named interim administrative director in January 2019.
Prior to taking the administrative director job, Armstrong had nearly 30 years of experience in administration and human resources management in the natural resources and health care industries in the state.
Then-Chief Justice Beth Walker praised Armstrong, a native of St. Albans, when his hiring was announced.
“Joe‘s positive, energetic leadership in the Administrative Office has moved us forward from the challenges of 2018," Walker said then. "He and his team have worked hard to provide prompt and efficient support and problem solving for the court’s personnel in all 55 counties throughout the state. He will continue to work closely with the Justices to rebuild the trust of the taxpayers and the Legislature.”
Before Armstrong took the position, Barbara Allen served as interim director. She was a longtime managing deputy state attorney general who briefly served as court administrative director in 2001-2002. Before that, former circuit judge Gary Johns was the administrative director for a little more than a year. Johnson took the position after then-Chief Justice Allen Loughry fired longtime administrator Steve Canterbury early in 2017.
In 2018, Loughry was arrested by the FBI after being indicted. Later that year, he was convicted on 11 federal charges of wire fraud, making false statements to federal investigators, witness tampering and mail fraud. Facing impeachment, he resigned the next month. He finished serving his two-year sentence in late 2020.
The three-page job posting details the duties of the administrative director, which includes supporting the Supreme Court of Appeals in discharging its responsibility to provide for the administration of justice and to implement rules, orders and policies as they apply to court administration as well as enforces all Chief Justice directives and state statutes related to the courts.
The posting says candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in judicial administration, business administration, public administration, law or a related field. Doctorate or advanced degrees are highly preferred, it says. It also says 10 years of experience of legal administration or similar experience is highly preferred, as is up to 10 years of supervisory experience.