There's not much that surprises Roberta Brewster when it comes to the court system.

The longtime Carbon County Court of Common Pleas employee has seen annual caseloads jump from 2,875 to 5,046; personnel increase from 36 to 69; and an annual operating budget spike from just under $1 million to over $4.7 million."There have been a lot of changes over the years," Brewster said.She has lived through the passing of a judge serving on the bench, watched the courts expand twice with the addition of two judges and has seen courtroom furniture fly because of a verdict or two.She has worked under a total of six county judges; seen a number of magisterial judges come and go; has helped complete the redistricting of the magisterial districts not once, but three times, most recently after the 2010 census; and has watched the courthouse security beef up to what it is today.But through all the changes, one thing in the Carbon County Courthouse has remained the same over the past two decade - Brewster, who serves as the district court administrator.That all changes Oct. 1, when the 27-year employee closes another chapter of her life and retires."I have had a wonderful career," Brewster said, surrounded by files and memories from years gone by. "It has been a very rewarding career. The judges are very supportive and put a great deal of confidence in me, which I am truly thankful for. I have a wonderful staff who I think doesn't give themselves enough credit, and I have good department heads."It will be strange not having to go to work each morning, but I will be watching from a distance, always interested."Opening a chapterBrewster's career in the courts began on Jan. 3, 1989, when she was hired as the Honorable Judge John P. Lavelle's judicial secretary.Five years later, the Lehighton Area High School graduate was appointed to serve as the computer director for the newly created technology department for the court."When I started, I was unfamiliar with computers and word processing," she said. "I remember trying to learn how to create and save documents and thought the judge was going to fire me because it did not come easy. Then one day things clicked. Judge Lavelle was very technologically advanced."In November 1995, Brewster was again appointed, this time to serve as the acting district court administrator, a position she held until Jan. 1, 1996, when she was appointed to district court administrator.Since then, she has overseen the day-to-day nonjudicial operations of the court, manages the overall operations of court procedures and acts as the liaison for the courts, as well as a special court administrator for the magisterial district courts.A changing courtDuring her career, Brewster saw the bench change a number of times both at the county court and magisterial court levels.She witnessed the retirements of Judges Lavelle and Richard Webb and District Judges Bruce Appleton, Edward Lewis, Paul Hadzick and Irene Hudasky; the death of Judge David Addy; and the appointments of current Judges Roger Nanovic, Joseph Matika and Steven Serfass.She also watched the county Criminal Justice Advisory Board form, the implementation of the Justice Network and the law library begin its transformation into digital format.As the years ticked by, Brewster found herself playing an integral role in the development of the court's Continuity and Operations Plan and the implementation of the Common Pleas Case Management System, as well as wearing a number of hats, including the court's Right to Know officer, ADA coordinator, Rule 509 administrator, record retention officer and nondiscrimination complaint administrator.She also helped secure approval from the state for the addition of a third judge, a position Judge Serfass holds today; and has served in a number of positions for the Pennsylvania Association of Court Management, including president for the 2008-2009 term.Closing the chapterThe call of retirement has been growing over the past few years as Brewster's granddaughters continue to grow."My granddaughters, now 13 and 11, are participating in more activities, and I want to be able to get to their events," she said of her decision to step away from a job she loves. "The judges have been very flexible with my schedule, but it's time."Brewster said she also would like to travel while she still can.The state is currently accepting applications for her position, Brewster said, noting that the applicants will then be forwarded to Nanovic for a final decision.In the meantime, Brewster will continue to do what she does best - lead and learn."I've tried over the years to teach as we do things," she said, adding that her office has been writing down procedures so her successor can continue the seamless operation. "One thing about this job is that the experience teaches you more than any book can."I'm very proud. Very proud to work here and very proud of the accomplishments we made in the last 20 years as court administrator."