City Announces New Administrator for Municipal Court

City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde announced today that she is promoting Deputy Court Administrator De’Von Kissick Kelly to the ongoing role of Court Administrator, effective today.

Kissick Kelly has served as deputy court administrator with the city since 2016. In this role, she provided oversight of several important components of Boulder Municipal Court, including the creation of the innovative community court model that balances compassionate support with accountability for vulnerable community members. Prior to entering local government, Kissick Kelly served the public through nonprofit advocacy and support for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

“De’Von brings a clear understanding of how to support all individuals impacted by court proceedings, including victims and those who are accused of municipal violations. As an internal candidate, she is deeply familiar with the inner workings of the municipal court team and is well-positioned to support continuous learning and excellence in this area,” Rivera-Vandermyde said.

Kissick Kelly shared that she is looking forward to being able to make a greater impact on the systems level, especially in finding ways to address disparities and achieve transformational outcomes.

“It is an honor to work alongside the amazing Municipal Court staff in service of the Boulder community,” said Kissick Kelly. “I am excited to be able to expand my contributions in this new role with a focus on the system and everyone who participates within it.”

The court administrator is essentially the department director for Boulder Municipal Court, which addresses violations of city codes. It is a separate system from the state judicial districts, although the courts are currently housed in the same building. The administrator reports to the city manager.

Kissick Kelly has a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice and a Master of Arts degree in adult and community education, both from Ball State University. Her work experience includes three years as executive director of the Women’s Resource Center and nine years as outreach services manager for The Julian Center, both in Indianapolis.