Public Service Spotlight: Teresa Collins

This month, Teresa Collins will be celebrating 26 years with The Superior Court of California, San Luis Obispo County. In 1998, Teresa was hired as a Court Clerk and climbed the ladder to Courtroom Operations Supervisor in 2008. Since 2021, Teresa has been supervising the Appeals Unit. The Appeals Unit is the initial process for submitting an appeal to a higher court, the Appeals Court in Ventura County. Anyone who believes that a mistake was made during their trial can file an appeal. This encompasses all case types: criminal, civil, and juvenile.

Before working for the Superior Court, Teresa worked at a private attorney’s firm here on the Central Coast. While she has worked in the legal realm for well over 26 years, she has never had the desire to become an attorney. When reflecting on her work with the public at the courthouse, Teresa commented, “Court is a very difficult environment, no one comes to court because they want to be there. It's like going to the dentist, you go because you have to. Court often brings out the worst in people – they may be scared, or nervous; it could be their first time in a courtroom.” But working there has also taught her how to be more cautious and aware of her surroundings.

While Teresa is naturally an introvert, working in many different roles during her time at the Superior Court has helped her to build her skills and grow beyond her comfort zone. “Working at the Court has put me dead center into a lot of things that were happening with people, agencies, or swearing in jury, even reading a verdict. It took quite a while to be able to relax and to do the task.” Public speaking is one of her worst fears, but she has overcome that.

Teresa’s advice for a newer employee, whether at the Court or anywhere else, is “The world has changed post-COVID. Try it and if it doesn’t fit, use the experience to move up or away. Be happy.” Teresa prefers her current role as Supervisor of the Appeals Unit because of the people she works with and the opportunity to experience something new each day. No two days are the same, and the Unit brings a lot of diversity to her work life.

In addition to her job at the Court, Teresa became a Steward and a Director on the Board of SLOCEA to challenge herself and expand her horizons. Joining both the steward committee and the Board simultaneously she thought, “well if you’re going to do it, just dive right in”, once again, stepping out of her comfort zone and further challenging herself.

Teresa enjoys disconnecting at home with her cat companion, Max, AKA Max-a-Million, who is 15 years old and loves couch snuggles. Teresa is also fond of playing classic video games like Solitaire, Yahtzee, and word puzzles. Teresa admits she has a very competitive side and doesn’t appreciate losing, so she likes to keep her gaming to one-player games. Additionally, she takes pleasure in crocheting. Her mother used to crochet blankets for newborns in their family, and she happily continues the tradition.

Teresa is a proud mother of twin sons who are now adults. One son is newly engaged and currently planning a wedding, and her other son works for the County in the ITD’s Communications Division.

Teresa is also excited to announce that she is the very first employee at the Superior Court to take advantage of the Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) in anticipation of her retirement in late 2025. The DROP program was something SLOCEA was able to negotiate for in the Superior Courts Supervisors Unit, and Teresa is thrilled to benefit from it. SLOCEA looks forward to enjoying Teresa’s expertise on the Board of Directors, and as a Steward for as long as we can before she retires!

By Briana Dickey, Administrative Assistant