BUCYRUS – On October 20th, 2020 Judge Shane M. Leuthold promoted Meggan M Murphy to serve as the new Education/Vocation Director for Crawford County Municipal Court. Over the course of his terms, Judge Leuthold has developed and fine-tuned this vision to better rehabilitate criminal defendants of Crawford County within the arenas of education and employment. Judge Leuthold in collaboration with Judge Patrick T. Murphy, Juvenile Court, both endorse this Educational/Vocational initiative in efforts to aid our community in earning a higher level of education whether it be a high school diploma, GED, trade skills, higher education certificate, or degree through traditional schooling, local GED programs, college pathways, apprenticeships and trade programs, etc. This initiative will also focus on basic life skills and sustainable long-term employment.
Currently, Judge Shane M. Leuthold and Ms. Murphy are working with county commissioners, local schools such as NC State College and Poineer CTC in efforts to develop a tradesman certificate/apprenticeship program. Within this career pathway, the defendants will enroll in and earn a trade skill along with a GED, certification, and/or degree with potential opportunity to earn a future journeyman’s card and ultimately end up with a career in a specific skilled trade.
Judge Leuthold and Judge Murphy are dedicated to working as a team to help as many of the youth, through Judge Murphy’s Juvenile court, before transitioning to adulthood and the young adults in Judge Leuthold’s Municipal court to break the “generational disfunctionalism,” as Judge Leuthold coined, in our county.
In her new role as Education/Vocation Director, Meggan will assist referrals through academic advising, life skills guidance, employability assessment and investigation. She will network with local schools and employability services to place each individual appropriately. Additionally, she will develop an individualized education/employment plan per the needs, wants and goals of the individuals she is working one-on-one with.
Ms. Murphy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration and is currently serving Municipal Court as the Diversion Officer since March 2015. She has also worked as an Academic Advisor for Bowling Green State University from 2006-2015, an Academic/Career Advisor & First-Year Experience Instructor for North Central State College from 2005-2006 and an Education Consultant for Pioneer CTC Adult Education from 2002-2005. These experiences, along with serving the court have provided her with the appropriate skillset and knowledge needed to achieve the goals aspired for within this program and for the people in our community.