Award winner 'does work of two people'

COUNCIL 2 MEMBER Toni Elmendorf does the work of at least two people — and does it without complaint and with a smile on her face.

Those are among the reasons the Washington State Bar Association has awarded Elmendorf, who is Snohomish County Juvenile Court Coordinator, the Local Hero Award.

The award is given to those whom the bar association believes have rendered noteworthy contributions to their communities.
Elmendorf has worked for Snohomish County since 1998 and is the court coordinator for three courtrooms: defender, dependency and commissioners’ calendar for at-risk youth and truancy.

She is also the facilitator for the offender show-cause calendar.
The Bar Association says that Elmendorf’s job is to ensure that all calendars run smoothly and that every individual or family who comes to court knows when and where to be.

“She works with 50 to 60 families at a time in different courtrooms, coordinates the calendars and answers questions from the public and attorneys, all the while maintaining a calm, pleasant demeanor that helps to defuse the high stress levels that families appearing in juvenile court often experience,” the bar association said in a press release.

In his nomination, Rico Tessandore, president of the Snohomish County Bar Association said, “Many people say, and I agree, that they would need two people to replace her — and those two people would cover only half of her job.

“She does the work of two full-time individuals and does it without complaint and with a smile on her face. She’s the bedrock of juvenile court.”