Montana Governor Appoints Eleanor Cooperider to SEARCH Membership

Eleanor Cooperider

Montana Governor Steve Bullock has appointed Ms. Eleanor Cooperider to be the state's representative on the SEARCH Membership Group, effective April 5, 2013. Ms. Cooperider works within the Montana Department of Justice as the Business Operations Supervisor of the Criminal Records and Identification Services Section.

Ms. Cooperider has been serving as Montana's Interim Representative on the Membership Group since 2009, when the position was vacated by Mr. William Griffenberg.

The Criminal Records and Identification Services Section resides under the large umbrella of the Investigative Support Bureau. It collects and stores criminal history information, provides fingerprint identification, and disseminates the information to law enforcement agencies and other authorized users. The section also manages the state Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).

The SEARCH Membership Group, which governs SEARCH, is comprised of one gubernatorial appointee from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories, as well as eight at-large appointees selected by SEARCH's Chair. This national body of state-level professionals is widely representative of the various disciplines within the justice system, and many are responsible for operational decisions and policymaking concerning the management of criminal justice information, particularly criminal history information. The Membership Group fosters cooperation and communication among justice system professionals in identifying and implementing solutions to common problems.