Heidi Ford

IRON MOUNTAIN — A resolution honoring Heidi Ford for 22 years of service as Dickinson County Friend of the Court was adopted this week by the Dickinson County Board.

Ford, who is retiring, directs an office that has long led the Upper Peninsula in child support cost-effectiveness and was the most cost-effective statewide in 2023.

She has mediated and successfully resolved countless cases and disputes over the years and has helped numerous families and children in her capacity as Friend of the Court, the resolution states.

Circuit Court Judge Mary Barglind, who presented the resolution Tuesday, said it expresses “heartfelt words and thoughts” from Dickinson County’s judges. Ford has served as a mentor and role model for numerous other Friends of the Courts in the U.P., she added.

Ford “has led her office with efficiency and determination, and has produced tremendous results for the residents in both Dickinson and Iron counties during her many years of service, and she has received repeated recognition at the state level for her outstanding performance measures,” the resolution states. She “has simply excelled as a Friend of the Court, and the county owes her a debt of gratitude and appreciation for her many years of service to the county and its residents,” it concludes.

Commissioner Joe Stevens said the Friend of the Court office under Ford’s leadership has been among the best in the state “for a long time.”

Commissioner Kevin Sullivan said Ford has consistently “stood out for families” with dedicated service.

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Jim Anderson can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85226, or janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.