JACKSON — Dr. David A. Chandler will retire as commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services on Sept. 15, and Gov. Phil Bryant announced on Tuesday that Mississippi Supreme Court Presiding Justice Jess H. Dickinson will succeed Chandler.
Dickinson’s appointment will be effective Sept. 18.
Chandler, a former state Supreme Court justice, has held his current post since December 2015. Under his leadership, CPS became a stand-alone agency dedicated to serving Mississippi’s foster children.
“Dr. Chandler has done a remarkable job leading Child Protection Services,” Bryant said. “He has dedicated himself to improving the lives of our most vulnerable children. Our foster care system has made significant progress under his direction, and I wish him the best upon his well-deserved retirement.”
Earlier this year, Chandler led negotiations with plaintiffs in the Olivia Y litigation that resulted in CPS being removed from oversight by a federal court monitor. In May, Chandler received the Warren and Mary Alice Babineaux Award, which honors individuals and organizations that have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure children experience the love and stability that come with a permanent foster family.
“Gov. Bryant gave me an opportunity to serve the citizens of our state in the most meaningful way possible — working to secure the safety and well-being of our most vulnerable children,” Chandler said. “I now ask Gov. Bryant to allow me to step aside from my official role as commissioner, but remain committed to helping Mississippi’s struggling families cope with their daily challenges.”
Dickinson, a native of Charleston who now lives in Gulfport, has served on the state Supreme Court since January 2004, representing District 2, Place 1. Prior to that, he was a Forrest County circuit court judge.
“I am confident Justice Dickinson will build on the progress made at CPS,” Bryant said. “He has proven himself a compassionate and capable jurist, and that experience will serve him well in his new position. I am delighted he has accepted this appointment. Providing our foster children the care and treatment they deserve will remain my administration’s top priority the rest of my term.”
During his first year on the Supreme Court, Dickinson was awarded the Chief Justice Award for his work to advance the administration of justice. He received the award again in 2010 for his efforts to improve access to justice for the poor in Mississippi. In 2009, the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project awarded Dickinson its Pro Bono Pioneer Award.
“I am committed to lead the department to comply with all the benchmarks and requirements associated with the Olivia Y litigation, but that is not my ultimate end,” Dickinson said. “Rather, I am determined to use every available resource to achieve our shared goal: making Mississippi a place where not one single abused or neglected child is overlooked, forgotten or unserved.”
Dickinson has served on the adjunct faculty of William Carey College and Mississippi College School of Law, whose students elected him Adjunct Professor of the Year in 2009. He served two terms on both the Ethics and Professionalism Committee of the Mississippi Bar Association.
Dickinson also serves as the Mississippi Supreme Court’s liaison to organizations providing legal services to the poor, and is a charter member of the Mississippi Access to Justice Commission.
Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Bill Waller Jr. issued the following statement regarding Dickinson after Bryant's announcement:
“Presiding Justice Jess H. Dickinson is an original thinker who painstakingly researched and applied the law of each case. He was tireless as a writer and exhibited great energy and enthusiasm in his work, always tempered with collegiality. He is responsible for the creation of the Access to Justice Commission, affecting the lives of countless poor people who otherwise would be locked out of the courthouse. He provided superb leadership as chairman of the civil rules committee that recently published fully revised rules of evidence in plain language. He will be missed.”
IN THE PHOTO: Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Jess H. Dickinson, a native of Charleston.
