Administrative Director of the Supreme Court of Ohio
The administrative director of the Supreme Court of Ohio is the senior non-elected officer of the Court. The position is established by Article IV, Section 5 of the Ohio Constitution. It was added to the constitution as part of the Modern Courts Amendment, which Ohio voters approved in May 1968.
The administrative director is appointed by the justices and assists the chief justice and justices in carrying out non-judicial duties. The person appointed to the position serves at the pleasure of the Court.
Before becoming a constitutional position, a 1955 statute created the position of administrative assistant* to the Court.
Supreme Court Administrative Directors
| Administrative Director | Years of Service | Law School | Chief Justice Served |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert W. Horner III | July 2023 - present | Ohio State University | Sharon L. Kennedy |
| Stephanie E. Hess (Interim) | May 2021 - July 2023 | Capital University | Sharon L. Kennedy Maureen O'Connor |
| Jeffrey C. Hagler | July 2019 – May 2021 | University of Texas | Maureen O’Connor |
| Stephanie E. Hess (Interim) | September 2018 – July 2019 | Capital University | Maureen O’Connor |
| Michael L. Buenger | January 2015 – September 2018 | St. Louis University | Maureen O’Connor |
| Mindi L. Wells (Interim) | April 2014 – January 2015 | Ohio Northern University | Maureen O’Connor |
| Steven C. Hollon | March 1999 – April 2014 | Ohio Northern University | Maureen O’Connor Eric Brown Thomas J. Moyer |
| Stephan W. Stover | January 1987 – March 1999 | Washington University, St. Louis | Thomas J. Moyer |
| Louis C. Damiani | April 1983 – December 1986 | Cleveland-Marshall | Frank D. Celebrezze |
| Coit H. Gilbert | September 1976 – April 1983 | Franklin University | Frank D. Celebrezze Robert E. Leach C. William O’Neill |
| William D. Radcliff | November 1963 – September 1976 | Ohio Northern University | C. William O’Neill Kingsley Taft |
| John W. McMillan* | February 1956 – November 1963 | Cleveland-Marshall | Kingsley Taft Carl V. Weygandt |
Robert W. Horner, III became the Administrative Director of the Supreme Court of Ohio on July 10, 2023.
In August 2020, Bob retired as Senior Vice President – Corporate Legal Affairs for Nationwide Insurance, a Fortune 100 insurance and financial services company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. During his time at Nationwide, he also served as the Corporate Secretary. He was the chief officer responsible for all financial and corporate legal support. He was also responsible for all governance activities for over 300 legal entities in the Nationwide enterprise and for the coordination of all board of director activities. Bob joined Nationwide in 2006 initially working on mergers and acquisitions.
Since his retirement from Nationwide, Bob served as Executive Director of Honor Flight Columbus, Inc. and as President of Chartwell Governance, LLC.
Bob has over 30 years of experience in corporate governance, general corporate matters, and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to coming to Nationwide, Bob was in private practice as a partner in the law firm of Kegler, Brown, Hill & Ritter in Columbus, Ohio. Bob has also served as the General Counsel and Secretary of three public health care companies, Advance Paradigm, Inc.; Vitalink Pharmacy Services, Inc.; and, In Home Health, Inc.
Bob graduated with honors from Xavier University in 1983. He received his J.D. with honors from the Ohio State University in 1991 and his MBA, also from Ohio State in 2003.
Bob is a long-time leader of a number of educational and military/veteran support organizations. He has served as Board Chairman for St. Charles Preparatory School in Columbus and for Honor Flight Columbus, Inc. He currently serves as a member of the Xavier University Board of Trustees and of the St. Charles Preparatory Endowment Board.
Bob and his wife of 35 years, Mimi, have five children and reside in Dublin, Ohio.
Contact Information
Supreme Court of Ohio
65 South Front Street, 7th Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215-3431
Administrative Director:
Robert W. Horner III, Esq.