By Joe Johnson
Beverly Logan has announced she is retiring after having presided for three decades as chief clerk at the courthouse in downtown Athens.
“After thirty years of service as the Clerk of Superior/State Court of Clarke County, I am asking that you accept my resignation effective May 31, 2023,” Logan said in a recent letter to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. “I will be retiring from service as Clerk of Courts, but will continue to serve my community, county and state when called. I don’t remember who said it, but I do remember the saying “The winds of change aren’t always bad… they may just take you where you need to be."
A native of Athens and graduate of Clarke Central High School, Logan earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Georgia and worked in the local banking industry for about a decade.
She became clerk of courts in 1993 upon winning a special election to replace the retiring clerk.
Since that time, Logan stewarded her office into the information age as electronic files steadily replaced truckloads of paper files on which were recorded everything from house deeds and contracts to jury summonses, criminal indictments and trial transcripts.
Over the years she has been recognized by her peers for her dedication as clerk and the innovative spirit she brought to the job.
In 2007, the state’s 159 Superior Court clerks voted to award Logan with the Stetson F. Bennett Award, which is bestowed annually by the Superior Court Clerks Association of Georgia in recognition of outstanding leadership and dedication.
Three years later, Logan was named the state’s Constitutional Officer for 2011.
Another highlight came in 2014, when SSCAG presented Logan with its ÉCLAT Award for her role in making the state's felony and misdemeanor criminal disposition reporting system more reliable and functional for the more than 1,200 court clerks in Georgia, and also for working with agencies to create and launch a statewide child support electronic filing system. The award also recognized that Logan’s office served as a pilot site for the state’s new child support e-filing system.
"Beverly is the epitome of an excellent superior court clerk and is most deserving of this prestigious achievement award," SCCAG's President Linda Hays said at the time. "Over the past two decades, she has come up with great ideas in anticipation of and response to many challenges that we face in the day-to-day administration of our offices and within the judicial system."
Oconee County Clerk of Courts Angela Elder-Johnson called Logan “a great asset” for her peers, as “she has always worked very hard to better the clerks in promoting new technologies and new services.”
Elder-Johnson said that when she was elected clerk in 2001, Logan became a mentor to her.
“She helped me to learn parts of the job that I was not familiar with. Beverly has also been a phone call away when I have had questions. I will miss her when she leaves but am very happy that she will have the time to enjoy picking her Blueberries and doing whatever she wants to do.”
Accolades won’t be at the top of the list when asking Logan to recount what were the best moments of her career, which can be plainly sensed from the open letter she penned for the people to whom she dedicated her life:
“It has been a privilege to have served as your clerk and a constitutional officer in the State of Georgia. As a past president of the Clerks Association and Constitutional Officers of Georgia, I can honestly say this great state has the finest public servants who love their county and the people they serve. I am humbled by the experience of having served with them. It truly is the life in your years that matter and not the years of your life...
“Thank you for allowing me to be the custodian of our history and in turn become a part of that history. As of 1801, the year Clarke County was chartered, to present, there have been fifteen hardworking, dedicated individuals serving as Clerks of Superior Court. I have the honor of being number 15. In the past 120 years, there have been only four Clerks of Superior Court. It has been a privilege to be the third longest serving Clerk in Clarke County history behind Mr. Elmer J. Crawford, 1903-1958, and Mr. Calvin C. Johnson, 1837-1872...
“I love Clarke County. I promise to continue serving you and this great State in other endeavors. Retirement is just another mission field to serve you and our God. Thank you, Clarke County, for allowing me to be your public servant. May God bless you.”