Jean Bousquet
Chief Information Officer (CIO) Jean Bousquet has announced plans to retire, after nearly 30 years with the court system. Bousquet joined the courts as a court analyst in 1993. She became CCAP (Consolidated Court Automation Programs) director in 1998 and has served as CIO since 2001.
During that time, Bousquet led development and implementation of several major projects that now serve as the technology backbone of the court system, including a statewide electronic case management system, judicial dashboards, more than two dozen electronic data exchanges with business partners, and eFiling in the circuit and appellate courts. More recently, she and her team at CCAP have developed solutions to help the court system navigate its response to the pandemic and protect against cyber-attacks.
“Jean has been a steady force, helping ensure our courts have the best technology and support services available to get the job done,” said Chief Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler. “CCAP’s quick response to the pandemic kept our courts operational, despite numerous challenges. She has consistently done a great job over the years, and we are very thankful,” Ziegler said. CCAP increased capacity for remote network connections, distributed laptops, and provided remote meeting software and support to courts statewide at the start of the pandemic. Director of State Courts Randy R. Koschnick said Bousquet’s leadership at CCAP has made Wisconsin a national leader among state court systems in utilizing technology to improve court operations and efficiency.
“It’s difficult to overstate the positive impact Jean’s work has had over the years. While many states were contracting out technology projects, CCAP developed custom solutions to meet the unique needs of our court system. This strategy has ensured full compatibility with Wisconsin legal proceedings in our circuit courts, Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. The overall result is that we have a much better and more responsive court system,” Koschnick said.
Over the years, Bousquet has worked collaboratively with the Supreme Court, chief justice, directors, other judicial officials, staff and numerous committees. Her work has guided ongoing technology improvements during both “normal” times and through critical incidents. “Much of this work is carried out behind the scenes, but it is absolutely crucial to our everyday operations,” Koschnick said.
The hiring process for a new CIO is underway, and Bousquet has agreed to stay on for some time to assist with the transition, Koschnick said.
Q&A: Bousquet shared some of her perspective and experiences
Q: Describe some of the changes in court technology and CCAP’s role since you started
The major difference is that in the 90s, technology was leveraged as an “add-on.” It did not replace records; it was a supplement to official records. In the 1990’s we replaced the IBM Selectric typewriter and created forms through case management, but copies were printed and stored safely in the paper file. We trusted the paper. In the past two decades, we have become fully reliant on technology to keep the courts running. There is no longer a demand for paper files and in fact, many people embrace digital files for the accessibility and efficiencies they provide. Since the 1990s, the courts and citizens of Wisconsin have many new tools including:
- eFiling
- Remote court capability
- Digital audio court reporting
- Remote steno reporting
- Online public access to court records through WCCA,WSCCA and OLR discipline history
- Online services for jurors, interpreters, bar applicants, attorneys, and self-represented litigants
- Redundant high speed internet connectivity
- Data replication and redundancy
- Cyber security – this was not a thing in the 1990s, now it is what keeps CIOs up at night
Q: What was done recently in terms of restructuring CCAP management organization, and how do you think that will help going forward?
I am leaving with just under 30 years of CCAP experience. I have been Director/CIO since 1998, almost 25 years. That is by far the longest tenured leader at CCAP. Rick Godfrey, former CCAP director, told me when I accepted the position that it was a “burnout job”, and that I would be lucky to last two to three years.
Ken McKelvey, who was my longtime deputy CIO, retired last August. Having the two of us leave with that amount of experience can easily create a big gap in continuity and institutional knowledge. I recently promoted three managers, Jeff Standiford, Tim Duggan and Warren Sveum to work alongside Customer Services Manager Andrea Olson. Together these four managers represent over 90 years of CCAP experience in software development, customer services, and enterprise technology support and design. They will do a nice job of supporting and helping a new CIO come up to speed. They can help someone understand why we prioritize using our staff to create and maintain technology solutions rather than relying on costly vendor contracts, and why we prefer our software solutions to be customized applications for the state of Wisconsin courts instead of settling for solutions that are not tailored to our laws, rules, processes and procedures.
The four managers and additional supervisors were also needed to support the growth in staff that occurred in 2020. There are now between 90 and 100 staff/contractors working at CCAP and a more robust management/supervision structure was needed to provide the team with the proper support and direction.
Q: What do you recall about the day you started with CCAP in 1993 or the day you took over as CCAP director?
When I started my career with CCAP as a court analyst in 1993, CCAP was in a growing phase, and I sat in the kitchen and faced a wall. There was no good onboarding or training of staff, nor were staff available to mentor and help a new analyst get acclimated to the custom software or job responsibilities. I had to try to figure things out on my own, which was quite challenging. Even back then, the CCAP staff were friendly and welcoming. I remember one of my primary jobs was to be the “kitchen greeter.” Everyone that came in to warm up food in the microwave or get something out of the refrigerator would stop and say, “Hi.” Being relegated to a spot in the kitchen actually turned out to be a bonus, as I quickly got to know the team and know who I could turn to when I had questions. Second, when I asked to be CCAP director, I was encouraged by a colleague to take the job. Although I trusted his judgment, I was a bit apprehensive, as CCAP had all sorts of issues with our budget, too few staff and too many obligations. The dedication, skill and talent of the CCAP team is what ultimately pushed me to do it. I felt like we had the right team members that we needed to thrive; we just needed some redirection and organization to succeed.
Q: Did the time pass quickly?
Yes, it did pass very quickly. I have been fortunate to work with good colleagues, and CCAP has the most talented/driven/dedicated IT staff in the state, hands-down! The court system elected officials, staff and attorneys as customers are great and extremely fun to work with as we strive to “build better mousetraps” with them. Both the CCAP team and our customer base are the big reasons I’ve stayed here so long and not pursued more lucrative opportunities. It has been an honor and privilege to work with the courts and to lead the CCAP team. No regrets!
Q: What do you plan to do in the coming months and years professionally and/or personally? Work? Travel?
I plan on lots of active travel vacations with my husband, Frank, and sometimes our kids. I have “The Bucket List” book that contains 1,000 adventures big & small sorted by latitude. I plan to knock off those adventures that look fun to me. In the near future, I plan to spend some significant time in Banff with my camera, hiking gear and Frank. I also have a lot of hobbies that have gone to the backburner due to time constraints that I also will be picking back up.
Third Branch eNews is an online monthly newsletter of the Director of State Courts Office. If you are interested in contributing an article about your department’s programs or accomplishments, contact your department head. Information about judicial retirements and judicial obituaries may be submitted to: Sara.Foster@wicourts.gov