When a critical project to update King County’s court case management system faced a significant challenge, Shuyi Hu, Technology Division Director for the Department of Judicial Administration (DJA) – Technology Services Division, stayed focused and kept the project moving. His determination, tenacity, innovative approach, and leadership skills contributed to Shuyi winning the 2024 Best-Run Government – Leadership Excellence Award – People Leader.

The Best-Run Government Leadership Excellence Awards recognize individuals who have made significant and tangible leadership contributions to developing Executive branch values in others, improving workplace culture, and leading organizational change while inspiring others to lead change as well. The Leadership Excellence Award for People Leaders honors someone who supervises staff.

Shuyi’s work on the court case management system demonstrates these characteristics. One of the most significant components of the system is used to electronically file cases and documents. In 2024, nearly 1 million documents were filed electronically.

The obstacle Shuyi and his team faced was with an external vendor tasked with configuring their off-the-shelf case management system to meet the county’s legally mandated requirements for both internal and external customers. The vendor told the team the requirements for electronic filing were not possible.

The DJA project team and leadership asked Shuyi what, if anything, could be done to complete the project and still achieve the goals. In response, he took a hands-on role in developing the technical solutions the vendor said were impossible. He worked with his team to configure, test, and implement solutions in record time.

Shuyi went above and beyond what would normally be expected to create solutions that would meet the needs of both the court and thousands of customers. Because of his ability to do the work the vendor was unable to perform, the project was able to stay within budget.

“Shuyi’s tireless work ethic helps DJA reach essential goals that ensure increased access to justice and equity for the King County public,” said Beth Freeman, DJA Deputy Director. “His expertise in technology and systems thinking and his creativity and focus on accessibility and fairness have allowed us to decrease barriers and enhance public safety. They have also allowed us to increase efficiencies for our staff and customers that we did not know were possible.”

​​Shuyi is both a people leader and an expert. He consistently and successfully leads his team in maintaining and upgrading DJA’s systems, ensuring secure and smooth access to the court’s records. He is always the first to offer assistance, provide technical support, explain technical issues to business teams comprehensibly, and develop innovative solutions. He never says, “We can’t do that.” He deeply understands the perspectives of various customers, including frontline staff, Superior Court judges, litigants, and his colleagues in business divisions. He successfully innovates and implements solutions and is instrumental in guiding and developing his team to do the same.

“Shuyi is the cornerstone of our team’s success, and his impact extends far beyond simply directing our daily tasks,” said Jiali Huang, Database Administrator.

“He possesses a rare combination of intellectual agility, rapidly grasping complex concepts while simultaneously maintaining a comprehensive, detailed vision. Beyond internal cohesion, he champions innovation and efficiency, driving us to continuously improve our services. He fosters an environment where we feel valued, challenged, and empowered. He is not only a manager, he is the leader.”

Congratulations Shuyi for your outstanding leadership and contributions to making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive!

View all the Best Run Government Award recipients here.