Mounce named Municipal Court Clerk of the Year

Each year, the Oklahoma Municipal Court Clerk Association, OMCCA, presents one outstanding and dedicated Oklahoma municipal court clerk with the Anne Thompson Municipal Court Clerk of the Year Award. Last Friday, Bristow’s own Sabrina Mounce received that honor. Originally from Sapulpa, Sabrina married Patrick Mounce. Soon thereafter, they made Bristow their home. Together, they have two sons, Michael and Zachary. They have two grandsons, Beckett and Braxton. Sabrina says Bristow has been their home for the last 33-34 years. She loves the small-town feel and friendliness of the community, which she says leaves most everyone feeling like family. In fact, it is Sabrina’s love for and dedication to the community which helped her win the award.

To be named “Municipal Court Clerk of the Year” and receive the Anne Thompson award, one must be nominated by a colleague for exemplary ethics and morals, community involvement, and personal growth and development in the role of municipal court clerk or deputy court clerk. For Sabrina, City of Bristow Municipal Judge Charles “Mike” Gibson collected recommendations and accounts of those qualities in Sabrina from several of her colleagues and compiled them in a written letter of nomination to the OMCCA. During their annual meeting last Friday, the OMCCA presented the award to her, for which she had no idea she had been nominated.

Sabrina’s long-term dedication to the City of Bristow and community proves evident in her work history alone. In 1995, she began her career with the Municipal Court Clerk’s Office as Assistant City Clerk and Deputy Court Clerk under the direction of then Court Clerk Sharie Campbell. When Sharie retired about three years later, Sabrina assumed the lead role, beginning her certifications for OMCCA immediately.

Sabrina advised that to be a certified court clerk with the OMCCA, one must complete many individual certifications, taking an estimated ten years, and ultimately a Master’s Certification, requiring about an additional three years. In her 26-year career with the City of Bristow Municipal Court Clerk’s Office, she worked dutifully to best serve the community by completing her certifications years ago. Since that time, she completes her annual continued education requirements and performs her job to the best of her ability, serving the community she loves in a job she loves.

As for her job, the court clerk’s office performs the administrative duties associated with the court processes: checking and filing paperwork, maintaining records, and acting as the liaison in the complex system involving members of the public, law enforcement, judge and other officers of the court, and city officials. With tears in her eyes, Dena Hinshaw, Sabrina’s colleague, said of Sabrina and her receipt of the award, “She is the city. The city would not run without her. I don’t know of anybody that deserves it more. She deserves it.”

Asked what she loves most about her job, Sabrina smiled wide and said, “Everything… I love everything. I love my job and my coworkers. We’re all very close. We’re a family. I’m very satisfied.”

While joined by Dena in her office, Sabrina also teared up, removed her glasses, and began to cry, dabbing her eyes with a tissue, as she described how it felt to be honored with the award. With tears of joy freely flowing, she said, “I am very touched, very honored, that my judge nominated me. If it wasn’t for all of the other people who work with me, not just me, I couldn’t have received it. It takes all of us, as a team, to make this work.” Dena joined her with celebration tears of gratitude and joy.