Making History
Potter County’s First Female Judge No Stranger to County Government
By Julie Anderson
Editor
When 18-year-old Nancy Tanner walked across the stage at Amarillo’s Caprock High, she knew exactly where she was headed.
Tanner, Class of 1969, was the second of four children, and her parents could afford to send only the eldest to college.
“I was expected to get a job immediately,” recalled the Potter County Judge, and that she did. At the time, Tanner had no idea where her journey into the workforce would lead, that she would one day make history.
Laying the Groundwork
When it comes to the old adage, “Experience makes a great teacher,” Tanner’s timeline is perfect proof. Even her childhood played a part; standing at 5 feet, 11 inches since age 12, Tanner’s peers looked up to her both literally and figuratively.
“I always had that ‘take-charge’ attitude, even as a child,” she joked. Couple that energy with a tendency to nurture and “mother” her fellow students, and Tanner grew into a leadership role that stuck.
One year after starting work at the city of Amarillo’s tax office, Tanner married her high school sweetheart. A year later the couple began a family, and Tanner stayed home for six years with her son and daughter. She re-entered the workforce, and while Tanner did not foresee a political future, she took on a series of jobs that would prepare her to one day run for office.
Tanner worked for almost five years for the county attorney, and she “absolutely loved it.” Her role as office manager gave her an intricate look at the office and its myriad of responsibilities. She also witnessed a dramatic murder trial; the district attorney declined to prosecute a murder-for-hire case, and the widow of the deceased asked the county attorney for help. Tanner’s boss prosecuted the crime and called on Tanner to help prepare posters of the crime scene, among other key tasks. During the trial, a husband-wife pair who confessed to stabbing the victim agreed to turn on the defendant, who orchestrated the crime.
“I’ll never forget the look on the defendant’s face when the couple he hired walked in the courtroom,” Tanner said. Fast forward two decades, and Tanner would be presiding over her own court; while the cases are not murder, of course, they do involve life-altering decisions including guardianships and mental health issues.
When the county attorney moved, Tanner went to work for an orthopedic surgeon who asked her to scrub up and observe surgeries every Friday afternoon. While at the doctor’s office she fine-tuned her attention to detail and interacted regularly with the public, sharpening her communications skills. Tanner moved on to work with several law firms before returning to local government. Then-County Judge Arthur Ware came to Tanner’s house for her interview and hired her on the spot. Tanner began as Ware’s administrative assistant on July 1, 1993, and she worked in that capacity for 20 years.
Judge Ware and Tanner became not only co-workers, but fast friends.
“He could finish my sentences, and I could finish his,” Tanner shared. “He taught me everything I know. Without him, I would not be sitting here today.”
It’s impossible to fully cover Tanner’s path to the Judge’s seat without touching on an unfortunate valley along the way. After working for Ware for two decades, Tanner was terminated by Ware for what he termed a “procedural/policy violation,” a reason Tanner said she has yet to comprehend. The local media wrote several articles on Ware and Tanner during this puzzling time period, including a story on the eventual restoration of their relationship.
Ware, who had struggled with verbal communication since a stroke in 2010, announced through his wife in August 2013 that while he would complete his term, he would not seek re-election. Tanner decided to run for the spot and she continued to attend Commissioners Court meetings, led by Ware, to stay apprised of county business. Before one such meeting, Tanner purchased a greeting card and penned a note acknowledging the birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps. She did not sign the card, but simply wrote the message, added a “smiley face,” and placed it near the Judge’s chair. Ware, a veteran of the Marine Corps, knew the card was from Tanner. He looked up, mouthed “thank you,” and the pair reconnected. Following the meeting they met in the hallway and wished each other the very best. In fact, Tanner was invited to and attended Ware’s retirement party.
Making History
When Tanner was first approached about running for Judge, she lived in Randall County; the city of Amarillo is split between Randall and Potter. With encouragement from her family and friends, Tanner prayed for wisdom. She placed her house on the market, sold it within 30 days, and relocated to Potter County to launch her election campaign. Fast-forward to Election Day, and Nancy Tanner beat four opponents including a former mayor with no runoff. In fact, she won each and every precinct to become the first female County Judge to serve Potter County.
Having worked for two decades in the County Judge’s office, Tanner’s transition period was somewhat brief; rather, she had the background to “hit the ground running” and quickly developed her top priorities:
- Launch a mental health court.
- Provide the sheriff’s department with a new administrative building, designed to accommodate future growth, and replace the district courts building.
- Improve communication with county employees; Tanner launched a county newsletter in January to help with this effort.
While Tanner had a firm grasp of the role of the County Judge, she has been pleasantly surprised by the multitude of invitations she has received to participate in community events. One such occasion Tanner counts among the most humbling of her life. Federal Judge Mary Robinson phoned Tanner and asked her to serve as the keynote speaker at a Naturalization Ceremony on March 9. Titling her speech “Becoming American,” Tanner spoke to 51 new U.S. citizens from 16 countries.
“It’s hard to describe the feeling I had,” she shared. “People had tears streaming down their faces. I told them, ‘From today, my Pledge of Allegiance is your Pledge. My National Anthem is your Anthem.”
In April, Tanner and fellow officials played host to 86 students who joined Commissioners Court and other county offices for County Government Day.
“If just one of them was inspired to do something with his or her life, either politically or in other areas, then it was worth it,” Tanner indicated.
The Judge continues to field invitations, drawing her deeper into the community to give speeches and attend both service and social events.
“That’s how you get to know your constituents, accepting their invites, talking about the county and sharing in their activities,” Tanner declared. “I look forward to every day.”