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.

2023-24 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
Reitred
Napa, California

Elizabeth Coonan, LW'02
Shareholder Attorney, Dentons Davis Brown Law Firm
Des Moines, Iowa

Barbara Quijano Decker, LA'72, GR'73, LW'00
Executive Director, Catholic Charities
West Des Moines, Iowa

Katlyn Downs 
Past President, Student Bar Association 2022-2023 
Associate Attorney
Laird Law Firm 
Mason City, Iowa

Denny Drake, LA'73, LW'77
Grimes, 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 
Chief Administrative Officer and Assistant General Counsel 
Farm Bureau Financial Services 
West Des Moines, Iowa 

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

Patrick Grant, LW'76
Chair Emeritus and former President and CEO
Western Stock Show Association
Denver, Colorado

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

Kristin Hays, LW'96
SVP, Global Communications, Sabre Corporation
Irving, Texas

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

William Hoye, LW'86
Executive Vice President, Chief
Operating Officer & General Counsel
IES Abroad
Chicago, Illinois

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

 
Janice J. Kerkove, LW’99 
Shareholder, Bradley & Riley PC 
Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, Iowa

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

Dionna Lewis, LW'11
Managing Attorney, District Legal Group, PLLC
Washington, DC

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
Of Counsel
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, Graduate 2024
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

Jerry Patterson, LW'92
President, Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company
Fidelity Investments
Boston, Massachusetts

The Honorable David Porter, LW'04
District Court Judge, Iowa District 5C
Des Moines, Iowa

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

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

William Scales, LW'11
Associate, Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin, PLLC
Nashville, Tennessee

Miranda Lundeen Soto, LW'02
Shareholder, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, PC
Miami, Florida

Michael Staab, LW'81
Co-CEO, Innovative Rx Strategies, LLC
Deerfield, Illinois

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

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

Margaret White, AS'06, LW'13
Associate General Counsel, EMC Insurance Companies
Des Moines, Iowa

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

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