Alumni Notes

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• Antonia Sicilia, AS'14, LW'18, has co-authored a 650-page comprehensive treatise, "Iowa Estate Planning, Will Drafting, and Estate Administration with Forms." This treatise is poised to become an indispensable resource for both experienced and new legal practitioners, providing practical guidance and aiming to empower attorneys with the knowledge and tools needed to ensure their client’s objectives are achieved. Sicilia and co-author, Randal Caldwell, are attorneys with the firm of Caldwell & Brierly, PLLC in Newton.
• Ashley Sparks, LW'13, has been appointed district court judge in Iowa Judicial District 2B.
• Jennifer Pithan, LW'19, has joined BrownWinick as an associate attorney with a practice that primarily focuses on estate and trust administration.  
• Nathan Wegmann, LW'23, has joined Nyemaster Goode as an associate attorney.
• Christian Crocker, LW'23, has joined Harding Law Office as an associate attorney with the firm's litigation practice.
• Keyan McAreavy, LW'22, has joined BrownWinick as an associate attorney focusing on estate planning.
• Hunter Thorpe, LW'19, has been appointed as a district associate judge in Judicial Election District 2B.
• Jackson O'Brien, LW'19, has joined the Des Moines office of Fredrikson & Byron. Jackson also serves as an adjunct professor at Drake Law School.
• Emily Russell, LW'23, has accepted a position as deputy legal counsel for the Iowa Governor's Office.
• Kailey Blazek Naranjo, LW'16, has been selected to participate in the 2023-2024 Leadership Iowa cohort! Kailey is an immigration associate with Dentons Davis Brown in Des Moines.
• Nellie O'Mara, LW'11, has been named a magistrate judge with Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. Nellie is the attorney owner of O'Mara Law Office.
• Zachary Hufferd, LW'23, has joined Grefe & Sidney as an associate attorney in the firm’s business division. His practice areas include estate planning, real estate, trusts and estates, business formation and business law.
• Emma Bradbury, LW'23, is an associate attorney with Grefe & Sidney. Emma practices in the firm’s litigation division.
• Nathan Britton, LW'23, has joined Whitfield & Eddy Law as an associate attorney. Nathan practices in the business, real estate, and estates, wills and trusts practice areas. 
• Sydnee Waggoner, LW'23, has joined Whitfield & Eddy Law as an associate attorney. In her practice, Sydnee supports clients in cases involving alimony, child custody, child support, and modifications. She also works with clients in private adoption and guardianship matters.
• Diana Vazquez Ayala, LW'23, has joined Lamson Dugan & Murray LLP as an associate litigation attorney.
• Thomas Fox, LW'23, has joined Hanigan Law Group, PLC as an associate attorney.
• Rachel Fritz, AS'20, LW'23, has joined Ahlers & Cooney, P.C. as an Associate Attorney. She will be practicing Education Law and Private Law practice areas for the firm.
• Marcos Danielson, LW'23, has joined BrownWinick as an associate attorney. Marcos will work primarily in the Business and Corporate Law Practice Group.
• Dakota Keninger, LW'23, accepted a position as an Assistant Marshall County Attorney.
• Jennifer Chavez-Rivera, LW'20, has started the firm Legal Compass PLLC. Legal Compass is located in Windsor Heights, Iowa.
• Josh Strief, AS'10, LW'14, was awarded the 2023 Edward F. Seitzinger Award by Iowa Defense Counsel Association at this year's annual meeting. The award, which is considered the organization's most prestigious honor, is presented annually to the member with the most significant contributions to the organization during the year.
• David L. Brown, LW'75, was awarded the 2023 American Inns of Court Professionalism Award for the Eighth Circuit. The annual award is in recognition of an outstanding individual in the legal profession, and found within participating federal circuits, who exemplifies the core values of American Inns of Court: professionalism, ethics, civility, and excellence.
• Colin Lane, LW'23, has started a position as an Associate Attorney at McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips.
• Dariann Garrison-Nickerson, LW'23, has started a position as an Associate Attorney at Grefe & Sidney, P.L.C.
• Bridgette Uhlemann, AS'08, LW'11, has been promoted to Senior Vice President and General Counsel at LCS, the nation's third-largest senior living operator. Bridgette also serves on, and is the past chair of, the Alzheimer's Association, Iowa Chapter Board of Directors. Her work with the Alzheimer's Association elevated fundraising efforts. Her work and dedication also contributed to the newly announced Broadlawns Brain and Memory Center.
• Brandy Bonecher, LW'23, is joining Iowa Legal Aid as a staff attorney.
• Alysun Bulver, LW'19, has been promoted to corporate counsel at LCS Family of Companies.
• Natalie Sherman, LW'23, has accepted a position as legal counsel for the Iowa Legislative Services Agency.
• Hon. Paula Dierenfeld, LW'84, was recently inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame. Paula is Mayor of Johnston, Iowa, a position she has held since 2008, making her the longest serving female mayor in the state. She is also of counsel with Nyemaster Goode P.C. Prior to that, Paula spent 15 years working in federal and state government - serving nearly 10 of those years as legal counsel to Governor Terry Branstad.
• Kimberly Stamatelos, LA'78, LW'81, recently published her book, "Compassionate Divorce". The book sets out steps to consider when embarking on a divorce based on legal fairness but also grounded in compassion for both spouses.
• Hon. Romonda Belcher, LW'95, was recently inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame. Judge Belcher serves as a District Associate Judge for the Fifth Judicial District. At the time of her appointment in 2010, she was the first, and remains the only, African American female judge in the state of Iowa. Judge Belcher also serves as an adjunct professor at the Law School.
• Rachael Neff, LW'18, has accepted a new position as attorney at Ball Kirk & Holm P.C. in Waterloo, Iowa. Rachel's practice includes personal injury, workers' compensation, family law, and employment law.
• Matt Knipe, LW'16, GR'16, has joined Liberty Law Group in Omaha as a partner. Matt's practice will focus on criminal defense and personal injury law.
• Darnell L. Henderson, AS'00, LW'03, has been appointed Chief Legal Counsel for Prince George's County Public Schools, which is the second largest school district in the state of Maryland and the 18th largest school district in the United States.
• Kelly Nuckolls, LW'16, is receiving Fort Hayes State University's (FHSU) Young Alumni Award. The award announcement notes: "Less than a decade after graduating from FHSU, Nuckolls has built tremendous food and agricultural law expertise and has impacted federal policy. She uses the knowledge gained at FHSU and beyond to empower others to advocate for positive change in our food system policies nationwide."
• Samantha Capaldo, LW'23, joined the National Agricultural Law Center as a staff attorney.
• Mariah Kauder, AS'16, LW'21, is starting a new position as law clerk for the U.S. District Court-Eastern District of Wisconsin.
• Kathryn Hansen's, LW'23, article, "Understanding the Provision of Self-Employment for People with Disabilities in the State Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program: A Policy Review," was recently published in the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation.
• Kelsey Sjoblom, LW'16, has been accepted into the Heart of America Fellows Institute of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). ACTEC is a nationwide invitation-only professional organization and the Heart of America Fellows created by ACTEC to develop the profession's future leaders in trust and estate law through a series of in-depth educational presentations led by outstanding subject matter experts in each field.
• Pedro Salazar, GR'07, LW'13, recently completed the Accelerated Management Program with Yale School of Management - Executive Education.
• Rob Logsdon, LW'18, started a new position as assistant prosecutor with the Clark County Ohio Prosecutor's Office.
• Ashley Beisch, AS'13, LW'16, has been appointed in Judicial Election District 2B. She currently serves as assistant county attorney at the Webster County Attorney's Office.
• James Langeness, LW'80, was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 30ᵗʰ edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his expertise in Trusts and Estates. In addition, he was selected for inclusion on the 2023 Great Plains Super Lawyers list.
• Joe Casey, LW'18, was a guest on the American Bar Association’s TIPS Podcast in July. Joe spoke about working on a contingent fee basis in business litigation matters as a way of opening up opportunities to pursue justice for small- and medium-sized businesses while enhancing the attorney's practice.
• Torey Cuellar, LW'14, received the Remarkable Fundraiser Service Award from Girls on the Run of Central Iowa.
• Jefferson Fink, LW'16, has opened Law Office of Jefferson Fink. His practice will focus on professional licensing defense, and administrative law for many of the professional licenses that are required by Iowa Code.
• Keith Doniphan Elston, LW'05, was named the 2023 Leading Family Law Practitioner by the National LGBTQ+ Bar. This award recognizes lawyers whose work supports LGBTQ+ families. Keith is founder of the Kentucky Youth Law Project, Inc., a nonprofit legal services corporation whose mission is to protect the legal rights and entitlements of LGBTQ+ children and youth through pro-bono legal representation, education, and public policy advocacy.
• Angela Palmer-Fisher, LW'02, has been appointed by Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers to serve as district attorney of Vernon County, Wisconsin.
• Ben Lynch, LW'16, has been reappointed to a 3-year term on the Grievance Commission. The Grievance Commission holds fact-finding hearings on ethical complaints against attorneys in Iowa.
• Kyle Mendenhall, LW'14, recently accepted a position as patent attorney and patent prosecution director at Twelve, The Carbon Transformation Company.
• Jackson O'Brien, LW'19, recently won a special education case before the Iowa Department of Education on behalf of student with disabilities. Jack is an associate attorney with BrownWinick Law Firm in Des Moines. He also teaches legal writing as an adjunct professor at Drake Law School.
• Megan DeDonker, LW'19, has been promoted to senior associate attorney at CTM Legal Group in Chicago.
• Kathleen Law, LW'04, has been elected vice president of The Iowa State Bar Association for the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2023, and ending on June 30, 2024. Law is currently a shareholder at the Nyemaster Goode PC firm, practicing in business, finance, and real estate law.
• Alan Olson, AS'89, LW'92, was selected as the recipient of The Iowa State Bar Association's most prestigious honor, the annual Award of Merit. Created in 1947, the Award of Merit recognizes an individual's selfless dedication to the legal profession, the bar association, and their communities. Olson is the owner of Olson Law Offices in Des Moines.
• Deanna Clingan-Fischer, LA'86, LW'89, received The Iowa State Bar Assocation's (ISBA) Oustanding ISBA Section Chair Award for 2023. Clingan-Fischer chairs the associations Elder Law Section.
• Manuel Cornell, LW'18, has been elected as secretary of The Iowa State Bar Association Young Lawyer's Division. Cornell is an associate attorney at Dorsey & Whitney LLP in Des Moines.
• Amy Davis, LW'11, LW'13, and Elizabeth Kellner-Nelson, LW'05, have been elected to serve on the Board of Governors of the Iowa State Bar Association. They will represent Judicial District 5C on the governing body.
• Miaja Cassidy, LW'93, joins Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota as senior vice president and chief legal officer. In her new role, Cassidy will oversee the management of all of Blue Cross' legal services, as well as its audit, compliance and public affairs functions.
• Valerie Foote, LW'12, has joined Engles, Ketcham, Olson & Keith P.C. in Des Moines.
• Joshua Krank, LW'21, article about protecting intellectual property appeared in the June issue of Fargo, Inc!
• Pooja Rahman, LW'05, has been named InsuranceERM's Chief Risk Officer of the year. Rahman is CRO at Protective Life Corporation in New Jersey.
• Gayla Harrison, FA'83, LW'86, has been named dean of the Ottumwa Leadership Academy. This volunteer position collaborates with the Academy's advisory board and executive director to review, evaluate, and prepare the curriculum for the year in addition to helping facilitate monthly sessions.
• Erik Helland, AS'04, LW'09, was recently appointed chair of the Iowa Utilities Board by Gov. Kim Reynolds. Helland previously worked at the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board and served four years in the Iowa Legislature.
• Kelly Grossman, LW'19, has joined The Law Shop by Skogerson McGinn LLC as a Shop Attorney.
• Sanjuanita Martinez, LW'19, accepted a position as Assistant Federal Public Defender at the Office of the Federal Public Defender, Western District of Oklahoma. Sanjuanita previously served with the Public Defender's Office in Mason City, Iowa.
• Megan Happe, LW'22, has joined Whitfield & Eddy Law as an Associate Attorney in the firm's litigation practice group. She works on matters involving commercial litigation, construction litigation, and labor and employment litigation.
• Steve Tyler, LW'06, assumed the role of General Counsel for The Weitz Company after specializing in construction law at Witfield & Eddy Law Firm in Des Moines for nearly two decades.
• Barbara Quijano Decker, LA'72, GR'73, LW'00, was named one of the Des Moines Business Record's 2023 Women of Influence. Barbara is executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Des Moines and immediate past-president of the Law School'd Board of Counselors.
• Steffi Lee Dwyer, LW'23, joined Dentons Davis Brown as a litigation and immigration associate attorney.
• Josh Strief, AS'10, LW'14, was recently named chairman of the LifeServe Blood Center Board of Directors. Josh is a partner with Elverson Vasey in Des Moines.
• Josh Duden, AS'16, LW'19, is now an assistant attorney general with the Office of the Attorney General of Iowa.
• Manuel Cornell, LW'18, has been appointed to the Simpson College Board of Trustees. Manuel is a commercial litigation attorney at Dorsey & Whitney, LLP.
• Kole Pederson, LW'23, will join the Nebraska Farm Bureau as Director of Environmental & Regulatory Affairs.
• Chelsey Moreland, LW'20, has started a new position as counsel at Everside Health.
• Michael Schuchat, LW'10, has started a new position as an attorney with Lutz, Bobo & Telfair, P.A., in Sarasota, FL.
• Kimberly Graham, LW'99, was elected Polk County Attorney in November 2022 and sworn in on January 3, 2023.
• Shannon Woods, LW'03, was recently promoted to Chief Strategy Officer and now serves as the Chief Legal and Strategy Officer for Consumer Safety Technology, a national company owned by the private equity fund LCatterton.
• Charlie Bottenberg, AS'04, LW'12, has joined Brick Gentry, PC, as a shareholder.
• Torey Cuellar, LW'14, has started a new position as first Assistant County Attorney for Boone County, Iowa.
• Kristina Stanger, LW'05, was elected to the Board of Directors of the American Bankruptcy Institute for a three-year term. She is an experienced commercial litigator with Nyemaster Goode P.C. In addition to her legal practice, she is a retired combat-tested Lieutenant Colonel form the Iowa Army National Guard.
• Emily Duffy, LW'19, joined Ahlers & Cooney, P.C. as an Associate Attorney in the Government Law Practice Area.
• Ryan Cox, LW'98, has joined Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC as counsel as part of the firm's merger with Foland, Wickens, Roper, Hofer & Crawford, P.C.
• Jenna Cruise, LW'10, has been certified as a life member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. The Million Dollar Advocates Forum is recognized as one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the United States. Jenna is a shareholder with Hupy & Abraham in Milwaukee.
• Michael McLeran, LW'17, was promoted to Partner at Childers Hanlon & Hudson, PLC, in Phoenix.
• Josh Strief, AS'10, LW'14, recently obtained a defense verdict for Elverson Vasey law firm in a Polk County jury trial seeking over $500,000.00.
• Joseph S. Kelly, Jr., LW'74, was recently inducted into The American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).
• Richelle Mahaffey, LW'16, will be one of two district associate court judges serving the children and families in juvenile proceedings in Iowa's Judicial Election District 8A..
• Elizabeth Van Arkel, LW'12, received the Business Record Forty under 40 award for her business and community work.
• Judge Jerry Harmison, LW'87, is serving as Presiding Judge of Greene County, Missouri's 31st Judicial Circuit Court for the remainder of the current term, and then a two-year term beginning January 1, 2024.
• Rachel Payton, LW'22, started a new position as a founding member and On-Demand Fellow of African Descendant Social Entrepreneurship at the U.S. Department of State.
• Bruce Odle, LW'94, hosted a Q&A with Drake Law School to discuss his role as President of Imagn, the nation's largest sports image wire service as well as his journey after law school.
• Tirzah Roussell, LW'19, started a new position as Associate Attorney at Dentons Davis Brown. She is specializing in bankruptcy and representing a broad range of clients such as businesses, creditors, trustees, and individuals.
• Loree Nelson, LW'94, judged oral arguments conducted by first year Drake law students, giving them practical experience of appellate advocacy with real time feedback for them.
• Jordan Nickerson, LW' 18, is excited to serve as Vice Chair for the Unity Point Health Des Moines Young Advisory Council.
• Jefferson Fink, LW'16, has started a new position as Lobbyist at Iowa Capitol Group.
• The following Drake Law alumni were selected to the Des Moines Business Record's 2023 Forty Under 40 list; Brandon Geib, LW'15, Blake Hanson, LW'15, Katheryn Thorson, LW'13, Elizabeth Van Arkel, LW'12, and Srikant Mikkilineni, LW'13.
• Brett Battani, LW'22, started a position as Corporate/Transactional Associate Attorney at Brown Winick. 
• Jenna Sabroske, LW'17, congratulate her for being elected Shareholder at Ahlers & Cooney, P.C.
• Brittany Lumley, LW'13, was named Executive Director of the Iowa Insurance Institute.
• Brody Swanson, LW'17, congratulate him for starting a new position as Shareholder at Peters Law Firm.
• Emiliano Lerda, LW'08, is thrilled to announce that he joined Shannon and the Elevator team full-time as Co-Founder and CEO.
• Tyler S. Smith, LW'16, congratulate Tyler S. for being promoted to Partner at Peddicord Wharton, LLP.
• Victoria Millet, LW'18, started a new position as a Senior Investigator at the University of Southern California.
• Chas Cahill, LW'18, started a new position as Assistant City Attorney at the City of Des Moines with their Infrastructure and Intergovernmental Divisions.
• Blake Norman, LW'12, has been appointed as a District Court Judge in Judicial District 2A.
• Jancy Nielson, LW'22, has started a new position as the Junior Legislative Liaison at Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.
• Alex Golay, LW'17, GR'17, has been promoted to Senior Legal Counsel at Athene.
• Willa Gibson, LW'91, has been named Associate Dean of Academic Excellence at University of Akron Law School of Law. Dean Gibson also serves as C. Blake McDowell, Jr. Professor of Law, teaching Constitutional Law and Secured Transactions. Her research and scholarship interests are in the fields of Secured Transactions and Securities Regulations. 
• Jonathan Kaman, LW'11, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the McHenry County Economic Development Corp. Kaman is an attorney with Zanck, Coen, Wright & Saladin P.C. in Crystal Lake, IL. 
• Justin LaVan, LW'98, has been named to the Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers. LaVan is a shareholder at Bradshaw Law in Des Moines where he practices in the areas of Agricultural Law and Business and Commercial Litigation.
• Jennifer Benson Bahr, LW'05 was appointed as a District Associate Judge in District 4. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Bahr worked as an Assistant County Attorney in Pottawattamie County Attorney's Office.
• Kley De Jong, LW'14, was appointed as a Polk County Magistrate Judge in District 3B.
• Leah Patton, LW'05, has been selected to be a Polk County Magistrate Judge and has also started a new position as a Managing Attorney at Patton Legal Services, LLC.
• Ann Zebrowski, LW'13, has started a position as Associate Attorney at Jackson Lewis P.C.
• Katie Ranes, LW'07, was appointed as a District Associate Probate Judge in District 5C. She is currently serves as a magistrate in Judicial Election District 5C.
• Elizabeth Batey, LW'15, was appointed as a District Associate Judge in Judicial Election District 2A.  She currently serves as a magistrate for Butler County and practices law with the Vickers Law Office in Greene, IA. 
• Bianca Prosper, LW'18, has started a position as Staff Attorney, Assistant Deputy Public Defender at New Jersey Office of the Public Defender.
• Hon. Dexter Wimbish, LW'94, GR'94, completed his doctoral studies and was issued an EdD in Higher Education from Grand Canyon University in May 2022. His doctoral thesis was entitled "A Comparative Examination of Mentoring Types on African American Faculty Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment as published in ProQuest." Judge Wimbish also serves as a member of the adjunct faculty at Mercer University.
• Hon. Robert T. Hanson, LW'80, recently retired from his position as Circuit Judge for the State of Illinois. At the time of his retirement he was Chief Judge of the 15th Judicial Circuit.
• Charles Sinnard, LW'00, has been appointed to serve as a district judge in Iowa Judicial Election District 5A.  Charles currently serves as the Dallas County Attorney following his election in 2018, with previous experience as an assistant county attorney in the same office.

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