Robert G. Montgomery, Judge
Biography
Professional Experience
Judge Robert G. Montgomery was elected Probate Judge by the people of Franklin County on November 2, 2010 and took office on January 1, 2011. Immediately prior to his service on the bench, he served as Franklin County Recorder from 2000 to 2010, having been elected in 2000 and re-elected in 2004 and 2008.
During his successful tenure as Recorder, Judge Montgomery increased transparency in the Recorder's Office and provided a high level of key government services to the people of Franklin County by:
- Providing important public outreach to taxpayers on living wills and durable healthcare powers of attorney, having disseminated more than 50,000 educational packets, including the official forms, over ten years and at no cost to citizens in Central Ohio;
- Being the first Franklin County Recorder to provide free Internet access to deeds and mortgage records in 2001, saving the taxpayers in excess of an estimated $3 million in copying fees over his 10 years in office by allowing customers to access and print these records from their own homes and offices;
- Creating the first Human Resources Department in the history of the Recorder's Office, including an employee training and development program which trained managers and other deputy recorders in customer service, public records, employment laws, safety, business continuity, management techniques, emergency response, and other areas;
- Reducing staff by 10% from when he first took office without layoffs and taking advantage of increased technology and cross training, continuing to deliver a high level of customer service:
- Archiving all Franklin County deed records back to the founding of the United States in an electronic format, to ensure the accessibility of these historic records for all posterity;
- Tirelessly educating veterans about their right to have their discharge records permanently on record and safeguarded at no cost by the County Recorder.
Prior to entering public service at age 31, Judge Montgomery was a successful business owner in the wireless telecommunication industry, operating several companies while attending law school in the evening division. At their pinnacle, his companies had 12 offices in five states and the U.S. Virgin Islands, employing over 200 people. Under his leadership, his companies earned numerous awards for productivity.
Immediately prior to his election as Recorder, Judge Montgomery engaged in the private practice of law for several years, as a partner in a law firm and focused his practice on advanced estate planning, real estate and business law. Judge Montgomery was a licensed title agent and founded and then sold a land title agency. In addition, he served as an assistant prosecutor for the Village of Hartford and a special assistant prosecutor for the City of Newark.
Education
Judge Montgomery earned his doctor of law (J.D.) degree from Capital University Law School in 1996, graduating with distinction, and earning membership in the Order of the Curia. He received the coveted American Jurisprudence Award for the highest grade in business associations II (corporation law). Judge Montgomery holds a bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University, which he earned in 1989. Judge Montgomery is admitted to the Ohio bar and has completed judicial education from the Ohio Judicial College.
Professional Activities and Awards
Judge Montgomery has received numerous awards and recognitions for his professional, political, veteran's and community service activities. He has been recognized multiple times by the U.S. Department of Defense Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Program. He has received a certificate of appreciation from the Gold Star Family Committee for his support for recognizing servicemen and women killed in the line of duty with an official Ohio license plate, a program enacted by Senate Bill 25. While serving as County Recorder, Judge Montgomery received an award from the AARP Foundation's Senior Community Service Employment Program for his commitment to retraining and employing senior citizens. Judge Montgomery was inducted into the Hancock County Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.
Professional Affiliations
Judge Montgomery is a current member of the Columbus Bar Association; the Ohio State Bar Association; National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks; the Ohio Probate Judge's Association; and the National College of Probate Judges. He is a former member of the Ohio Recorder's Association, the Property Records Industry Association, the International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials and Treasurers, and the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association.