CALLAWAY GARDENS, GA (October 15, 2025) — The Georgia Council of State Court Judges
has presented the 2025 Bob Bray Award to Cynthia H. Clanton, Director of the Judicial Council of Georgia
/ Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC). The award was presented by Chief Judge Jeff Hanson of the
State Court of Bibb County during the Council’s Fall Meeting at Callaway Gardens.
“‘Give everything and expect nothing in return,’ is one of Clanton’s guiding principles, and a reflection of
her humility and deep dedication to public service,” Judge Hanson noted. “Cynthia embodies the very
qualities this award represents,” he said. “She gives tirelessly to judges, staff, and the entire judicial branch,
expecting nothing but the opportunity to serve. She and Bob Bray are kindred spirits, both devoted to
helping others succeed.”
In remarks shared during the presentation, Chief Justice Nels S.D. Peterson of the Supreme Court of
Georgia described Clanton as “a model of servant leadership,” emphasizing that “her focus on customer
service to Georgia’s judges and courts is second to none, and she has shaped the AOC culture around that
focus.” Former Chief Justice Harold Melton added that Clanton’s leadership “transformed the
Administrative Office of the Courts through responsiveness, collaboration, and trust — she won the room
slowly and steadily by serving others first.”
Bob Bray, for whom the award is named, described Clanton as “the very definition of a public servant”
whose vision “is to genuinely help judges and staff reach their full potential.” He noted that although her
work spans all levels of Georgia’s judiciary, “there has always been a special place in her heart for the State
Courts of Georgia.”
Clanton’s distinguished career spans more than 25 years of service to Georgia’s judicial branch. A graduate
of The University of the South (Sewanee) and Mercer University School of Law, she began her career as a
law clerk to Judge Eugene Gadsden in Savannah’s Eastern Judicial Circuit before joining the State Bar of
Georgia, where she became the inaugural director of the Consumer Assistance Program, later recognized
by the American Bar Association as a national model. She later served as General Counsel for the AOC
before being appointed its Director, overseeing statewide policy discussions and services to all classes of
court across Georgia.
The Bob Bray Award honors a judge, court administrator, or public official who has assisted the work of
the State Courts and the Council of State Court Judges by improving the quality of justice that they deliver
to the citizens in the communities they serve. Clanton’s leadership, compassion, and devotion to others
continue to strengthen the judicial system in every corner of the state.
For more information about the Council of State Court Judges, visit https://georgiacourts.gov/statecourt/.
Chief Judge Jeff Hanson and Cynthia
Clanton.
Bob Bray, Cynthia Clanton, and Council President Chief Judge Gregory
V. Sapp.