Catherine Sumner Findley

  1. Name on Ballot: Catherine Sumner Findley
  2. For which office are you seeking: Solicitor-General
  3. Employment/Profession: Solicitor-General
  4. Military Service: None
  5. Can you allocate the time to attend and actively participate in all required meetings and additional functions? Yes
  6. Political Experience: I have been honored to serve in the position of Solicitor-General since January 2021.  Prior to that time, I served as an Assistant District Attorney for the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit for over 6 years.  While in college and in law school, I volunteered for numerous political campaigns, locally and state-wide, and also served as a constituency services intern for United States Senator, Johnny Isakson in 2009.
  7. Civic Involvement: I have been an active member of the Statesboro Service League since 2020.  In previous years I have served as a member of the Statesboro Exchange Club, as a Sunday School Teacher at First Baptist Church, and as a volunteer with Open Hearts Community Mission.  I am a graduate of the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development through the Lynda Brannen Williamson Foundation, as well as Leadership Bulloch. I served as a group leader for First Baptist Church’s Girl’s in Action program, and was the Chairperson of the Welch Family Benefit from 2016 to 2017. Within my field I have served as President of the Bulloch County Bar Association, a Board Member of the Effingham County Victim-Witness Assistance Program, and a staff member of the Bulloch County Mental Health and Drug Courts.
  8. If you have yet to gain prior political experience or involvement, give your reasons for seeking this position and your qualifications for office:
  9. How would you best explain the duties of the office you seek? The Solicitor-General is the elected county officer who serves as Chief Prosecuting Attorney for misdemeanor criminal and traffic cases handled exclusively in State Court.  The Solicitor supports the State Court by prosecuting civil cases not reserved by the Constitution or the Superior Court, misdemeanor criminal offenses, traffic offenses in the unincorporated Bulloch County including Brooklet, Register and Portal and the Magistrate Court when demanded, and appeals for Magistrate Court decisions.
  10. How can you best contribute to our county and the citizens you serve? The Solicitor’s Office provides services to a wide array of members in our community.  Within the function of prosecuting misdemeanor criminal and traffic offenses, we provide victims and witnesses with services, while assisting individuals in navigating the criminal justice process.  We also work with a number of citizens who choose to represent themselves in court, including those cited for traffic offenses.  I believe I can best contribute to our county and our citizens by keeping open lines of communication between the public and my office, as well as continuing to provide resources and information to individuals impacted by cases we handle.
  11. Are you willing to speak and communicate with the citizens that you serve? Keeping open and honest communication with the citizens I have the honor of serving is critical to the successful operation of my office.  I am more than willing and happy to continue keeping those lines open.
  12. What are your biggest concerns for the County and the citizens you are running to represent? From a personal standpoint, I want to ensure I am operating as efficiently as possible for the sake of those involved in cases, the overall operation of State Court, and the taxpayers of this county.  Population growth can naturally lead to an increase in caseload and case counts.  My goal is to continue running an efficient operation without ever sacrificing the quality of services provided, or justice and fairness for all involved.
  13. What changes or improvements would you like to see made in Bulloch County? The Judicial System is particularly impacted by spatial constraints within current facilities.  I would like to see a continued, collaborative effort between agencies and the County to develop a practical, economical, and long-term solution to those issues.
  14. What would you like to see continue in Bulloch County? I believe we have done an excellent job with employee retention, particularly retention of talented and passionate employees who understand and enjoy their work.  I hope to see that continue in the future.
  15. How would you balance the interests of the taxpayers with the needs of the citizens? The taxpayers of Bulloch County are best served when we are efficiently and judiciously utilizing all resources allocated to our department.  I intend on continuing to streamline processes within my office to increase the speed with which cases are handled, as well as retaining talented employees dedicated to public service.
  16. I would like to add…