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.

2024-25 Drake Law School Board of Counselors

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



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

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

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

Craig Claussen, LW'73
Retired
Napa, California

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

Maggie Ferrentino, AS'06, LW'13
Associate General Counsel, EMC Insurance Companies
Des Moines, Iowa

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

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

Steven K. Gaer, LW'86 
President and General Counsel, Recoop Disaster Insurance Company 
West Des Moines, Iowa 

Amy Gandhi, AS'06, LW'12
Corporate Counsel, Wright Service Corp.
West Des Moines, Iowa

Lori Geadelmann, LW’93 
Retired, Farm Bureau Financial Services 
West Des Moines, Iowa 

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

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

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

Thomas Henderson, LA'77, LW'80
Member Attorney, Whitfield & Eddy PLC
Des Moines, Iowa

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

William Hoye, LW'86
Retired
Chicago, Illinois

Kayla Hruska,
President, 2024-25 Student Bar Association

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

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

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

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

 
Cory McAnelly, LW’11 
Assistant Vice President - Strategy and Innovation 
Principal Financial Group 
Des Moines, Iowa 

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

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

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

Chantry Noel, LW'24
President, Student Bar Association, 2023-2024
Drake Law School
West Branch, Iowa

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

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

Jerry Patterson, LW'92
Head of Advanced Wealth Solutions, Cetera
Boston, Massachusetts

Timothy Pratt, LW'75
Former Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer
and General Counsel, Boston Scientific Corp
Kansas City, Missouri

Jennifer Richter, LW'91, JO'91
Partner, Chair of Telecommunications, Media & Technology Practice
Akin
Washington, DC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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