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.
President-Elect
Hon. Bernadette D'Souza
Immediate Past President
Hon. Tanya Kennedy
Finance Committee Chair
Hon. Heidi Pasichow
Projects Committee Chair
Hon. Pennie McLaughlin
Superior Court of California, San Diego County
San Diego, California
District Director, 1 (ME,MA,NH,PR,RI)
Hon. Mary White
Brookline District Court
Brookline, Massachusetts
District Director, 2 (CT, NY, VT)
Hon. Cenceria Edwards
New York State Civil Court
Brooklyn, NY
District Director, 3 (DE, NJ, PA, Virgin Islands)
Hon. Barbara McDermott
First Judicial District, Court of Common Pleas
Philadelphia, PA
District Director, 4 (DC, MD, VA)
Hon. Judith Kline
District Director, 5 (FL, GA, NC, SC)
Hon. Anne Barnes
District Director, 6 (AL, LA, MS, TN)
Hon. Sheva Sims
District Director, 7 (MI, OH, WV)
Hon. Maureen Sweeney
Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas
Youngstown, Ohio
District Director, 8 (IL, IN, KY)
Hon. Casandra Lewis
District Director, 10 (KS, MN, NE, ND, SD)
Hon. Renee Worke
District Director, 12 (AZ, CO, NM, UT, WY)
Hon. Emily Anderson
Adams County District Court
Brighton, Colorado
District Director, 13 (AK, HI, ID, MT, OR, WA)
Hon. Pamela Washington
Anchorage District Court
Anchorage, Alaska
District Director, 14 (CA, NV)
Hon. Elizabeth White
International Director
Hon. Lisette Shirdan-Harris
District Director, 9 (IA, MO, WI)
Hon. Emily Chafa
UI Appeals Manager, UI Appeals Bureau
Iowa Workforce Development
Johnston, Iowa
Co-Chair
Cathy Winter, Esq.
CourtCall, LLC
Los Angeles, CA
Elizabeth Cabraser, Esq.
Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein
San Francisco, California
Robert Kaufman, Esq.
New York, New York
Teresa Cavenagh, Esq.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Andrea King, Esq.
LexisNexis
Washington, DC
Charles Cheever
New Canaan, CT
Linda Leali, Esq.
Linda Leali, P.A.
Miami, Florida
Kelly Dermody, Esq.
Lieff, Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein
San Francisco, California
Thomas Leighton
West, a Thomson Reuters Business
Eagan, Minnesota
Nicole Erb, Esq.
Washington, District of Columbia
Heather McDevitt, Esq.
New York, New York
Andrea Bear Field, Esq.
Washington, District of Columbia
Diane McGimsey, Esq.
Los Angeles, California
Elizabeth Hernandez, Esq.
Miami, Florida
Elaine Metlin, Esq.
Washington, District of Columbia
Patricia Hollenbeck, Esq.
San Diego, California
Christopher Poole
JAMS
Irvine, CA
Jamie Isani, Esq.
Miami, Florida
William Robinson
GEICO
Washington, DC
Executive Director
Connie Pillich, JD, MBA
Connie Pillich became the Executive Director of the NAWJ in September 2018. Connie is an attorney, MBA, and military veteran who worked as a public defender before opening her own law firm. While in private practice, Connie continued public service with three terms as a state representative to the Ohio legislature and as a member of the board of directors at several non-profits. Connie brings extensive leadership, management, fundraising, and communications outreach skills to the NAWJ.
Chief Financial Officer
Patty Lovett, CPA, MBA
NAWJ has been fortunate to have the financial expertise of Patty Lovett, Senior Manager at Calibre CPA Group on our team for the last four years. Patty’s first-rate business sense and fiscal advice has safely guided the NAWJ through many successful programs, conferences, and changes. She is a strong pillar of our organization.
Chief Information Technology Officer
Aaron Gill
Aaron Gill has been the technical force at the NAWJ for the better part of a decade. As CEO of 3-IT, Aaron’s 25 years of IT expertise offer an uncanny ability to understand, create, and implement solutions in almost any realm of IT. Our systems work, and we love him.
Senior Program And Publications Manager
Lavinia Cousin
Lavinia Cousin has near 20 years of experience working in nonprofit organizations in functions spanning development, program management, research, accounting, marketing, and membership. She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and the Haas School of Business.
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