Leadership & Administration

NAWJ's leadership is a reflection of its diverse membership, composed of women judges from all levels of the judiciary from across the nation. 

Hon. Karen Sage
President

Hon. Karen Sage

299th District Court

Travis County, Texas

Bio

Hon. Michelle Rick
President-Elect

Hon. Michelle Rick

Michigan Court of Appeals

Lansing, Michigan

Bio

Hon. Vivian Medinilla
Vice President of Districts

Hon. Vivian Medinilla

Superior Court of the State of Delaware

Wilmington, DE

Bio

Hon. Heather Welch
Vice President of Publications

Hon. Heather Welch

Marion Superior Court

Indianapolis, IN

Bio

Hon. Victoria Willis
Secretary

Hon. Victoria Willis

15th Judicial Circuit

Stafford, VA

Bio

Hon. Carmen Velasquez
Treasurer

Hon. Carmen Velasquez

Queens County Supreme Court, Civil Term

Jamaica, New York

Bio

Hon. Toni Clarke
Immediate Past President

Hon. Toni Clarke

Circuit Court for Prince George's County

Upper Marlboro, Maryland

Bio

Hon. Leslie Stroth
Finance Committee Chair

Hon. Leslie Stroth

Supreme Court, Civil Term

New York, New York

Bio

Hon. Kathy King
Projects Committee Chair

Hon. Kathy King

New York State Supreme Court

Kings County, New York

Bio

Hon. Lisa Walsh
International Director

Hon. Lisa Walsh

11th Judicial Circuit, Civil Division

Florida

Bio

Hon. Ann Breen-Greco
ABA Delegate

Hon. Ann Breen-Greco

Independent Administrative Judiciary Professional

San Pedro, California

Bio

Hon. Amy Blake
District Director, 1 (ME, MA, NH, PR, RI)

Hon. Amy Blake

Massachusetts Appeals Court

Boston, Massachusetts

Bio

Hon. Bianka Perez
District Director, 2 (CT, NY, VT)

Hon. Bianka Perez

Supreme Court, Bronx County Civil Term

Bronx, NY

Bio

Hon. Lisa James-Beavers
District Director 3, (DE, NJ, PA, VI)

Hon. Lisa James-Beavers

New Jersey Superior Court

Mt. Holly, New Jersey

Bio

Hon. Bobbie McCartney
District Director, 4 (DC, MD, VA)

Hon. Bobbie McCartney

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Washington, D.C

Bio

Hon. Phinia Aten
District Director, 5 (FL, GA, NC, SC)

Hon. Phinia Aten

Magistrate Court of Rockdale County

Conyers, Georgia

Bio

Hon. Barbara Holmes
District Director, 6 (AL, LA, MS, TN)

Hon. Barbara Holmes

U.S District Court, Middle District of Tennessee

Nashville, TN

Bio

Hon. Miriam Perry
District Director, 7 (MI, OH, WV)

Hon. Miriam Perry

15th District Court

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Bio

Hon. Patrice Ball-Reed
District Co-Director, 8 (IL, IN, KY)

Hon. Patrice Ball-Reed

Circuit Court of Cook County

Chicago, Illinois

Bio

Hon. Julie Verheye
District Co-Director, 8 (IL, IN, KY)

Hon. Julie Verheye

St. Joseph Superior Court

South Bend, Indiana

Bio

Hon. Rachel Pickering
District Director, 10 (KS, MN, NE, ND, SD)

Hon. Rachel Pickering

Kansas Court of Appeals

Topeka, Kansas

Bio

Hon. Gina Benavides
District Director, 11 (AR, OK, TX)

Hon. Gina Benavides

13th Court of Appeals

Edinburg, Texas

Bio

Hon. Jennifer Mabey
District Director, 12 (AZ, CO, NM, UT, WY)

Hon. Jennifer Mabey

Utah Fourth Judicial District Court

Heber City, UT

Hon. Bride Seifert
District Director, 13 (AK, HI, ID, MT, OR, WA)

Hon. Bride Seifert

Homer Superior Court

Homer, Alaska

Bio

Hon. Victoria Kolakowski
District Director, 14 (CA, NV)

Hon. Victoria Kolakowski

Alameda County Superior Court

Hayward, CA

Bio

Nicole Erb, Esq.
Co-Chair

Nicole Erb, Esq.

White & Case LLP

Washington, District of Columbia

Sarah London, Esq.
Co-Chair

Sarah London, Esq.

Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP

San Francisco, California

The Honorable Mary Becnel
Member

The Honorable Mary Becnel

Retired Judge

LaPlace, Louisiana

Elizabeth Cabraser, Esq.
Member

Elizabeth Cabraser, Esq.

Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein

San Francisco, California

Teresa Harmon
Member

Teresa Harmon

LexisNexis

Miamisburg, Ohio

David Horrigan, Esq.
Member

David Horrigan, Esq.

Relativity

Boston, MA

Thomas Leighton
Member

Thomas Leighton

West, a Thomson Reuters Business

Eagan, Minnesota

Richard Levenstein
Member

Richard Levenstein

Nason Yeager

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Diane McGimsey, Esq.
Member

Diane McGimsey, Esq.

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

Los Angeles, California

Elaine Metlin, Esq.
Member

Elaine Metlin, Esq.

Retired

Washington, District of Columbia

Christopher Poole
Member

Christopher Poole

JAMS

Irvine, California

Cathy Winter-Palmer
Member

Cathy Winter-Palmer

Retired

Corvina, California

Laurie Denham, CAE
Executive Director

Laurie Denham, CAE

Laurie Hein Denham, CAE is a strategic executive with 25 years of experience directing diverse organizations, notably within the nonprofit sector. With a proven record of cultivating growth-oriented workplace cultures and fostering collaboration across industries and organizational levels, Laurie excels in partnering with businesses of all sizes, from small startups to global industry leaders, academia, and government agencies. Her expertise spans strategic planning, relationship building, international expansion, certification programs, client and employee retention, and process improvements. Passionate about organizational transformation, Laurie leverages her background in entrepreneurship and education to mentor and coach leaders towards achieving strategic objectives. As a seasoned professional, she has served in various leadership roles including her current position as the Executive Director of the National Association of Women Judges.

Francie Teer
Director of Development

Francie Teer

Francie Teer believes in the power of philanthropy to improve society. As a development professional she has experience working in the private education and youth serving sectors in addition to the social justice space. Over the last 9 years, she served as Development Officer for the National Center for State Courts where she spearheaded Lawyers Committee giving, Individual giving and Giving Tuesday campaigns along with co-leading annual Judicial Excellence Events including the William H. Rehnquist Award Reception & Dinner in Washington DC. She’s excited to work with NAWJ and embraces the mission to promote the judicial role in protecting the rights of individuals under the rule of law.

Francie is married to husband Ed, and is mom to Jacob and Sadie. They live in Williamsburg, Virginia, with an unruly cat named Oscar.

Janelle Mihoc
Membership Coordinator

Janelle Mihoc

Janelle Mihoc, a Client Associate with the Collie Gorg Group has experience in a variety of professions with the consistent theme of providing high-level customer service in a detail-oriented, proactive manner. Prior to joining the Collie Gorg Group, she spent time working at a veterinary hospital, non-profit organizations and nearly eight years as a U.S. Department of State contractor with the Bureau of Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs.  Ms. Mihoc’s desire to continue learning and growing on the job has afforded her many opportunities to advance in each of the positions she has held.  She aims to provide each of her clients with the same level of exceptional results-driven service. Ms. Mihoc has a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from Indiana University.

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