Orange County Clerk of Court Mark Kleinschmidt Wins State, National Honors

Orange County Clerk of Superior Court Mark Kleinschmidt has been recognized with two awards – one statewide and one national – in recognition of his service.

Kleinschmidt received the North Carolina Guardianship Association’s Trailblazer Award last week in Asheville, recognizing his two terms as Clerk of Superior Court and Probate Judge. In legal terms, guardianship refers to when a court concludes a person can no longer make or communicate safe or sound decisions, and is often described as an option of last resort.

“The reason Mark stands out and is worthy of recognition is his exceptional ability to do what is most difficult: to implement meaningful changes on the ground and encourage others to do so as well,” said Carol Kelly, who presented Kleinschmidt with his award.

“Adult guardianship has become a passion of mine,” Kleinschmidt said, “and I am humbled and honored to accept this award.”

In addition, Kleinschmidt is set to receive the Isabella Award at the National Probate Judges Conference in Williamsburg, VA next month. The Isabella Award is named after pioneering judge Isabella Horton Grant and is presented annually to individuals who have made “exceptional, lasting contributions” in the field of probate and guardianship law.

“Clerk Kleinschmidt has exercised leadership as a convener of stakeholders committed to improving guardianship systems and practices,” said Meredith Smith, an associate professor in the UNC School of Government. “Through his convening and legislative efforts, Clerk Kleinschmidt has contributed to improvements in guardianship practice that support sound capacity determinations, less restrictive interventions and effective court oversight — without compromising neutrality.”

Kleinschmidt has served as Orange County’s Clerk of Court since 2018. Previously, he served on the Chapel Hill Town Council from 2001 through 2009 and then served three terms as town mayor from 2009 through 2015. He lost re-election to Pam Hemminger by less than 900 votes in 2015.

Featured image via Mark Kleinschmidt

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

‹

All Clear Given Following Gas Leak in Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill emergency personnel cleared the area around Rams Plaza just before 10 a.m. Friday morning. All businesses in the area were checked and deemed safe following the gas leak. Dominion Energy crews will be working to make repairs do the damaged gas line and restore gas to customers in the area.**** Chapel Hill […]

Carrboro Child Honored with Life Saving Award for Saving Toddler from Pool

Carrboro Police are celebrating a 10-year-old boy who authorities said saved a 15-month-old girl from an apartment pool earlier this year. Joseph Ray “saw the baby sinking to the bottom of the pool,” according to the News & Observer. The toddler had been in a float in the pool, the paper reported. Ray then sprang […]

Consultants Hired to Conduct Review of Orange County Water Crisis

A third-party consultant has been hired by county executives to study the water crisis that brought life in Chapel Hill and Carrboro to an inconvenient crawl over four months ago. Crisis Focus LLC will work with an established committee of local officials to review the plans that were executed in the wake of the crisis […]

Local Aquatic Facility Undergoes Final Stage of Repairs

The Homestead Aquatic Facility in Chapel Hill has been closed since January due to a suspected leak in water lines, but the indefinite hiatus on indoor swimming may soon be coming to an end. A message from Jim Orr, the local director of parks and recreation, was forwarded to town officials last week to provide […]

Hyatt Announces Opening Date for New Hotel in Chapel Hill

Hyatt will open a new hotel at Southern Village in Chapel Hill this spring according to a press release issued last week by the multinational corporation. The release claims that the 110-room Hyatt Place hotel will offer 30 new jobs to residents of Orange County and generate nearly $260,000 in annual property tax revenue. The […]

Aquatic Facility in Chapel Hill to Close Indefinitely

The Homestead Aquatic Center in Chapel Hill will close indefinitely on January 17 due to a suspected leak in water lines that may have been present since last November. The leak was suspected by staff members at the facility when a spike in water consumption led to a request for the Orange Water and Sewer […]

UNC Testing Emergency Siren Thursday

UNC will test its emergency sirens Thursday between noon and one o’clock in the afternoon as a part of a verification process to ensure newly installed equipment and software are working properly. You will be able to hear the sirens outdoors near campus or downtown. The emergency sirens located at the Friday Center and near […]

UNC Emergency Siren Test Postponed

The emergency siren and text message test on UNC’s campus is being postponed due to the threat of inclement weather.

CH Emergency Waivers Extended

Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt has extended the Town’s emergency proclamation an extra 30 days.

Orange County Clerk of Court Mark Kleinschmidt Wins State, National Honors

Orange County Clerk of Superior Court Mark Kleinschmidt has been recognized with two awards – one statewide and one national – in recognition of his service. Kleinschmidt received the North Carolina Guardianship Association’s Trailblazer Award last week in Asheville, recognizing his two terms as Clerk of Superior Court and Probate Judge. In legal terms, guardianship […]

›