Randy Camp, who has served three years as state personnel commissioner, will become administrative director of the Tennessee court system effective Jan. 1, Chief Justice William M. Barker announced Thursday.
“The Supreme Court is pleased that Commissioner Camp has agreed to accept the position,” Barker said. “We carefully considered each of the outstanding applicants and concluded that he had the background and experience we were seeking to continue moving the judicial system in a positive direction.”
As court administrator, Camp will oversee a staff of 84 in the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) and manage a $94 million budget for trial and appellate courts statewide, including more than $17 million appropriated by the General Assembly for indigent defense. The AOC provides support services for 183 trial and appellate court judges and their staffs and also provides educational programs and other services for general sessions and municipal court judges and their clerks.
Camp will succeed Interim Director Elizabeth Sykes, who served as deputy director under Cornelia A. Clark, now a member of the Tennessee Supreme Court. Gov. Phil Bredesen appointed Clark to the Supreme Court in September to fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Frank F. Drowota, III.
As commissioner of personnel, Camp oversees 10 divisions with 115 employees. The Department of Personnel serves approximately 38,000 state employees across Tennessee.
Prior to his appointment to Bredesen’s cabinet, Camp served as a state claims commissioner and was Crockett County General Sessions and Juvenile Court judge for eight years. From 1987 to 1990, he served as assistant district attorney general for the 28th Judicial District, including Crockett, Haywood and Gibson Counties. Before that, he worked three years as chief of staff to Lt. Gov. John Wilder.
Camp, 53, is a Crockett County native. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Tennessee at Martin and a law degree from Memphis State University.