Ace of Trades: Making people's court experience more pleasant
COSHOCTON – Her childhood dreams didn’t exactly come true. But after 30 years on the job, she’s about to retire more than satisfied.
“I grew up with kind, loving parents, an older sister, and a much older brother,” recalled Nancy Foughty. “I always dreamed of being a beautician. Or a singer, like Diana Ross from the Supremes.”
Today, Foughty is assignment commissioner with the Coshocton County Common Pleas Court.
“An assignment commissioner,” she explained, “is responsible for assigning/scheduling cases that need to be heard by the judge/magistrate, along with other numerous office work.”
“Plus,” she added, “there’s a certain amount of helping people that goes along with this job. I’ve had to calm a few irate people from time to time. People come to the court, usually out of unhappy circumstances, and I take pride in helping to make their experience a little more pleasant.”
Foughty was born in Nelsonville and grew up in Carbon Hill, Ohio. She graduated from Nelsonville-York High School in 1971.
“I figured I would do what I’m doing,” she said, “because I took mostly office-type classes in high school. I worked at a local bank out of high school and then the purchasing department at Ohio University. Married in 1973, I moved to Coshocton and worked at the bank on Fourth Street, which is now Chase Bank.
“In 1992,” she continued, “I started working for the Coshocton County prosecutor’s office. In 1996, the prosecutor at the time was defeated in the election. I then applied for the job at the Common Pleas Court to replace a lady who was retiring. I just knew that was where I was meant to be.”
Retired Magistrate Susan Metz Guthrie agreed.
“I simply can’t give Nancy enough praise for the quality of her contribution at the Common Pleas Court General Division,” assessed Metz Guthrie. “We were side-by-side work partners and best friends for 27 years before my retirement in 2021. She was knowledgeable, dependable, respectful and a joy to work with.”
“I’m so blessed to have had a job I thoroughly enjoy, around an amazing group of people,” Foughty responded.
“I plan on retiring June 30 after 30 years of faithful service to Coshocton County,” she concluded. “I couldn’t be more pleased with my life.”
Coshocton County Common Pleas Court is located at 318 Main St. For more information, call 740-622-1595.
Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at ctnews@coshoctontribune.com.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Making people's court experience more pleasant
