NAWJ's leadership is a reflection of its diverse membership, composed of women judges from all levels of the judiciary from across the nation.
President
Hon. Karen Donohue
King County Superior Court
Seattle, Washington
Bio
President-Elect
Hon. Elizabeth White
Los Angeles Superior Court (Retired)
Los Angeles, California
Bio
Vice President of Districts
Hon. Pamela Washington
Anchorage District Court
Anchorage, Alaska
Vice President of Publications
Hon. Mimi Tsankov
Eastern Region Vice President,
National Association of Immigration Judges
New York, NY
Bio
Secretary
Hon. Karen Sage
299th District Court
Travis County, Texas
Bio
Treasurer
Hon. Toni Clarke
Circuit Court for Prince George's County
Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Bio
Immediate Past President
Hon. Bernadette D'Souza
Parish of Orleans Civil District Court
New Orleans, Louisiana
Bio
Projects Committee Chair
Hon. Brandy Mueller
County Court at Law #6
Austin, Texas
Bio
Finance Committee Chair
Hon. Marcella Holland
Baltimore City Circuit Court (Retired)
Baltimore, Maryland
Bio
Committees Liaison
Hon. Heidi Pasichow
Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Washington, District of Columbia
Bio
Membership and Marketing Liaison
Hon. Pennie McLaughlin
Superior Court of California, San Diego County
San Diego, California
Bio
District Director, 1 (ME,MA,NH,PR,RI)
Hon. Mary White
Brookline District Court
Brookline, Massachusetts
District Director, 2 (CT,NY,VT)
Hon. Kathy King
New York State Supreme Court
Kings County, New York
Bio
District Co-Director, 3 (DE, NJ, PA, VI)
Hon. Avis Bishop-Thompson
Superior Court, New Jersey
Hackensack, NJ
District Co-Director, 3 (DE, NJ, PA, VI)
Hon. Sandra Ann Robinson
State of New Jersey
Hackensack, NJ
Bio
District Director, 4 (DC, MD, VA)
Hon. Anita Josey-Herring
Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Washington, D.C.
Bio
District Director, 5 (FL, GA, NC, SC)
Hon. Tanya Brinkley
11th Judicial Circuit of Florida
Miami, FL
Bio
District Director, 6 (AL,LA,MS,TN)
Hon. Lynda Jones
Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County General Sessions Court
Nashville, Tennessee
Bio
District Director, 7 (MI, OH, WV)
Hon. Michelle Rick
29th Circuit Court
St. Johns, Michigan
District Director, 8 (IL, IN, KY)
Hon. Ann Breen-Greco
Chicago Administrative Hearing Department
Chicago, Illinois
Bio
District Director, 9 (IA, MO, WI)
Hon. Celene Gogerty
Judicial District 5 Court, Iowa
Des Moines, IA
Bio
District Director, 10 (KS, MN, NE, ND, SD)
Hon. Cheryl Rios
Shawnee County District Court, Third Judicial District
Topeka, Kansas
Bio
District Director, 11 (AR, OK, TX)
Hon. Maria Salas-Mendoza
120th Judicial District Court, Texas
El Paso, TX
Bio
District Director, 12 (AZ, CO, NM, UT, WY)
Hon. Colleen Clark
Arapahoe County Court
Centennial, Colorado
District Director, 13 (AK, HI, ID, MT, OR, WA)
Hon. Lisa Paglisotti
King County District Court
Seattle, WA
Bio
District Director, 14 (CA, NV)
Hon. Wendy McGuire Coats
Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa
Pittsburg, California
ABA Delegate
Hon. Vivian Medinilla
Superior Court of the State of Delaware
Wilmington, DE
International Director
Hon. Lisette Shirdan-Harris
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas
Pennsylvania
Bio
Co-Chair
Nicole Erb, Esq.
Co-Chair
Sarah London, Esq.
Member
The Honorable Mary Becnel
Retired Judge
La Place, Louisiana
Member
Elizabeth Cabraser, Esq.
Member
Ron DaLessio
CourtCall LLC
Los Angeles, California
Member
Kelly Dermody, Esq.
Member
Andrea Field, Esq.
Member
Patricia Hollenbeck, Esq.
Member
Dawn Jayma
United Automobile Insurance Company
Cutler Bay, Florida
Member
Robert Kaufman, Esq.
Member
Linda Leali, Esq.
Linda Leali, P.A.
Miami, Florida
Member
Thomas Leighton
West, a Thomson Reuters Business
Eagan, Minnesota
Member
Afsoon McClellan
Afsoon Khatibloo McClellan
Director of Global Association
LexisNexis
Member
Heather McDevitt, Esq.
Member
Diane McGimsey, Esq.
Member
Donna Melby, Esq.
Paul Hastings
Los Angeles, California
Member
Elaine Metlin, Esq.
Retired
Washington, District of Columbia
Member
Cathy Winter-Palmer
Retired
Corvina, California
Interim Executive Director
Laurie Denham, CAE
Laurie Denham, Principal at Denham Advisors, is an independent consultant and has been in the association sector over seventeen years. She was president of the American Society of Transportation and Logistics (AST&L) for 13 years, expanding the organization from a domestic to an international association, and elevated its certification program to a three-tier career pathway working with high schools, community colleges, and universities. Ms. Denham managed the AST&L merger with APICS and remained as the Senior Director of Academic Relations. She became Vice President of Education at the Transportation Intermediaries Association prior to opening Denham Advisors. During her tenure with AST&L, she was also the General Manager for the US office of Association Global Services, an international association management company. She has experience in small and midsize associations focusing on strategic planning, member engagement and programming. Ms. Denham is a Certified Association Executive and holds a Masters of Science in Social Work Degree from the University of Tennessee.
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.