State Bar of Michigan Announces 2020 Election Results

SBM Board of Commissioners

Five attorneys—David C. Anderson, James W. Heath, Hon. David A. Perkins, Daniel D. Quick, and Mark A. Wisniewski—won contested seats in this year’s Board of Commissioners election. All will serve three-year terms expiring at the close of the September 2023 board meeting.

David C. Anderson and Daniel D. Quick were elected to serve District I, representing Oakland County. Anderson is a shareholder at Collins Einhorn Farrell in Southfield, dedicating his practice primarily to defending Michigan lawyers and law firms against personal liability claims. Quick is a trial lawyer with Dickinson Wright in Troy and national leader of the firm's commercial litigation practice.

James W. Heath, Hon. David A. Perkins, and Mark A. Wisniewski were elected to serve District H, representing Lenawee, Monroe, and Wayne Counties. Heath serves as the City of Detroit’s first inspector general, and in that role is responsible for rooting out waste, abuse, fraud, and corruption in city government. Judge Perkins serves on the Wayne County Probate Court. Wisniewski is the chairman and CEO of Kitch Drutchas Wagner Valitutti & Sherbrook.

Two attorneys won unopposed races in the Board of Commissioners election. Bernhardt (Chris) D. Christenson, III, of Flint, was elected to serve District B, representing Bay, Genesee, Huron, Lapeer, Midland, Saginaw, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties. He started his own firm, Christenson & Fiederlein in Flint in 2006. Robert A. Easterly, of Lansing, was elected to serve District E, representing Barry, Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot, Ingham, Ionia, Livingston, Montcalm, and Shiawassee Counties. He is a litigation attorney with Foster Swift Collins & Smith, P.C., with a focus on representing individuals in criminal matters and startup and small businesses in litigation and transactional matters.

The SBM Board of Commissioners provides oversight to the State Bar on finance, public policy, professional standards, and member services and communications.

Judicial Tenure Commission

James W. Burdick of Bloomfield Hills won a contested election for a three-year term on the Judicial Tenure Commission that will commence Jan. 1, 2021 and will expire on Dec. 31, 2023.

The JTC is a constitutionally created body that promotes the integrity of the judicial process and preserves public confidence in the courts.

SBM Representative Assembly

Matthew M. Aneese, Joshua I. Arnkoff, Colleen H. Burke, Patrick D. Crandell, Jennifer A. Cupples, Peter M. Grace, Melissa E. Graves, Olga Khessina, Michael A. Knoblock, Sheldon G. Larky, Tracey L. Lee, Brian D. O’Keefe, and Matthew J. Turchyn won a contested race for terms on the Representative Assembly in Circuit 6, representing Oakland County.

Sandra K. Carlson, Alena M. Clark, and Sean M. Siebigteroth won a contested race for terms on the Representative Assembly in Circuit 7, representing Genesee County.

Tanya A. Grillo and Angela Medley won a contested race for terms on the Representative Assembly in Circuit 16, representing Macomb County.

Mark W. Jane, Elizabeth A. Kitchen-Troop, Marla A. Linderman, and John W. Reiser III won a contested race for terms on the Representative Assembly in Circuit 22, representing Washtenaw County.

Bernard A. Jocuns won a contested race for terms on the Representative Assembly in Circuit 40, representing Lapeer County.

Twenty-five attorneys won unopposed races in the State Bar Representative Assembly. These members are:

2nd Circuit—Berrien County
Amber D. Peters

3rd Circuit—Wayne County
Tarek M. Baydoun
Christina B. Hines
Mark M. Koroi
Sean M. Myers
Stephen M. Taratuta

9th Circuit—Kalamazoo County
Donald L. Roberts

10th Circuit—Saginaw County
Jennifer A. Jones
Randy L. Price

11th Circuit—Alger, Luce, Mackinac, and Schoolcraft Counties
Chad W. Peltier

13th Circuit—Antrim, Grand Traverse, and Leelanau Counties
Agnieszka Jury

15th Circuit—Branch County
William D. Renner II

17th Circuit—Kent County
Jason W. Johnson
Jonathan J. Paasch
Philip L. Strom

18th Circuit—Bay County
Amber L. Davis-Johnson

20th Circuit—Ottawa County
Paul F. Kraus

30th Circuit—Ingham County
Nicole A. Evans

37th Circuit—Calhoun County
Patrice O. Lewis

42nd Circuit—Midland County
Christopher G. Komara

44th Circuit—Livingston County
David T. Bittner

45th Circuit—St. Joseph County
John L. Barnes

51st Circuit—Lake and Mason Counties
Tracie L. McCarn-Dinehart

54th Circuit—Tuscola County
Gregory H. Bringard

55th Circuit—Clare and Gladwin Counties
Thomas R. Evans

56th Circuit—Eaton County
Adam H. Strong

The 150-member Representative Assembly was created in 1972 to increase the proportion of members who actively participate in State Bar policy; it serves as the SBM final policy-making body.

SBM Young Lawyers Section Executive Council

One attorney—Choi T. Portis of Detroit—won an uncontested election in District 1, representing Wayne and Macomb counties, for a two-year term expiring in 2022.

Three attorneys—Jerome Crawford of Novi, Kristina A. Bilowus of Southfield, and Angela L. Baldwin of Rochester—won uncontested elections in District 2, representing Oakland County, for two-year terms expiring in 2022.

Two attorneys—Christopher B. Wickman of East Lansing and Dustin C. Kamerman of Okemos—won uncontested elections in District 3, representing all Michigan counties except for Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb, for two-year terms expiring in 2022.

The Young Lawyers Executive Council governs the members of the Young Lawyers Section, one of the State Bar's largest sections. The section provides education, information, and analysis about issues of concern through meetings, seminars, public service programs, and newsletters. The section has won numerous awards for its public service and educational programs.