Board of Counselors

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The Board of Counselors seeks to advance the cause of legal education and promote the interests of Drake Law School.

The Drake Law School Board of Counselors is an association of distinguished alumni and attorneys who meet three times during the academic year to discuss issues related to the Law School and serve as advisers to the dean.

2025-26 Drake Law School Board of Counselors

 

Emily Anderson, AS'04, JD'07
Partner, RSH Legal
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Tom Bernau, BN'85, JD'88
President, Bernau Capital
West Des Moines, Iowa

 

Maria Brownell, JD'09
Shareholder Attorney, Ahlers & Cooney, P.C.
Des Moines, Iowa

 

Richard M. Calkins, Ex-Officio
Mediator/Arbitrator, Calkins Mediation Services
Urbandale, Iowa

 

Holly Schaffter Chari, JD’02
General Attorney
Office of General Counsel
U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
Houston, Texas

 

Craig Claussen, JD'73
Retired
Napa, California

 

Rob Dixon, JD'01
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary 
Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines 
Des Moines, Iowa

 

Craig Drummond, AS’01, JD’04
Attorney
Drummond Law Firm
Las Vegas, Nevada

 

Ashley Engelbrecht, JD’12
Senior Vice President, Legal Regulatory
Sono Bello
Scottsdale, Arizona

 

The Honorable Michael R. Fitzpatrick, LA'80, JD'84 
Judge, Wisconsin Court of Appeals 
Janesville, Wisconsin

 

Danielle Foster-Smith, AS'97, JD'00
Vice President, Legal Services, and General Counsel
Ruan Transportation Management Systems
Des Moines, Iowa

 

Katie Graham, JD'11
Partner, Nyemaster Goode PC
Des Moines, Iowa

 

Tara Hall, JD'05
Senior Shareholder, Dentons Davis Brown 
Des Moines, Iowa

 

The Honorable Henry Hamilton, JO'88, JD'92
Federal Administrative Law Judge
Des Moines, Iowa

 

The Honorable Craig Higgins, MA'91, JD’91
Circuit Judge
22^nd Judicial Circuit of Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri

 

John D. “Jack” Hilmes, JD'79 
Shareholder, Finley Law Firm P.C. 
Des Moines, Iowa

 

William Hoye, JD'86
Retired
Chicago, Illinois

Kayla Hruska, AS'22, ED'22, JD'25
President, 2024-25 Student Bar Association
Cresco, Iowa

Matt Jarvey, JD’13 
Partner, Snell & Wilmer L.L.P. 
Phoenix, Arizona

Sarah Karlgaard, JD'06
General Counsel and Secretary
FUJIFILM Holdings America Corporation
Chanhassen, Minnesota

Will Keck
President, 2025-26 Student Bar Association
Des Moines, Iowa

 

Peter Kitundu, JD’00
Vice President, Chief Compliance & Privacy Officer
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Des Moines, Iowa

The Honorable David May, JD'98
Justice, Iowa Supreme Court
Polk City, Iowa

 
Cory McAnelly, JD’11 
Assistant General Counsel - Patent Attorney 
Principal Financial Group 
Des Moines, Iowa 

Sean McGuinness, LA’86, JD’89, MA’89
Partner
Butler Snow LLP
Denver, Colorado

 

Joan McKown, JD'83
Retired, Jones Day
Washington, DC

 

Bill Miller, JD'02
Partner, Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Des Moines, Iowa

Charles J. Monterio, Jr., JD’04 
Partner, Venable LLP 
Washington, DC 

 

Michael Norton, JD'95
General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa

Noreen Otto, JD’06 
Executive Director, Iowa Brewers Guild 
West Des Moines, Iowa

Jerry Patterson, JD'92
Head of Advanced Wealth Solutions, Cetera
West Des Moines, Iowa

The Honorable Kristal Rivers, JD’96
Circuit Judge
Cook County
Chicago, Illinois

 

Ruth Robinson, LA’71, JD’75
Arbitrator/Mediator
Ruth Robinson Arbitration and Mediation
Des Moines, Iowa; Denver, Colorado; and Portland, Oregon

 

Hannah Rogers, JO’97, JD’04 
Chief of Staff to the General Counsel and Associate General Counsel 
Principal Financial Group 
Des Moines, Iowa

The Honorable Joseph Rubenstein, JD’75 
Retired 
Plymouth, Minnesota 

Rosalind Sargent-Burns, JD’03
California State Parole Commissioner
Board of Parole Hearings
Sacramento, California

 

Anjie Shutts, JD’96
Member Attorney
Whitfield & Eddy, PLC
Des Moines, Iowa

 

Michael Staab, JD'81
President of PBM and Pharmacy Law Group
Oro Valley, Arizona

Curt Stamp, JD’03 
Vice President, Government & Regulatory Affairs 
Cox Enterprises 
Atlanta, Georgia

Brooke Timmer, JD’06 
Partner, Timmer, Judkins & Borland, PLLC 
West Des Moines, Iowa 

Rose Vasquez, JD’85 
Retired, Principal Financial Group 
Fort Myers Beach, Florida

 

Andrew Wilcox, JD’08 
Shareholder, Polsinelli PC 
Kansas City, Missouri 

Gillian R. Wilcox, JD’07 
Director for Litigation, ACLU of Missouri 
Kansas City, Missouri

 

The Honorable Mark Wernick, JD'75
Retired Senior District Court Judge
Minnesota Fourth Judicial District
Minneapolis, Minnesota