Appointed/Elected:
Appointed September 6, 2016, by Governor Mark Dayton. Elected in 2018. Current term expires January 2025.
Judicial Activities:
- 7th District Lead Judge, Children’s Justice Initiative
- Otter Tail County Children’s Justice Initiative
- Otter Tail County DWI Court
- Judicial Engagement Network Leadership Summit on Domestic Violence, Reno, Nevada (Sponsored by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges) 2017
Education:
- JD, University of Minnesota Law School
- BA, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
Previous Employment:
- Attorney member, Benson Law Office, LLC
- Assistant Public Defender, Seventh Judicial District
- Managing Attorney, Central Minnesota Legal Services
- Staff Attorney, Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance at East Central Legal Services and St. Cloud Area Legal Services
Professional and Community Activity Experience
- Supreme Court Juvenile Delinquency Rules Committee, 2002-2005
- Supreme Court Juvenile Protection Rules Committee, 2008 - 2016
- Stearns County Veterans Protocol planning, steering, and operating committees
- Stearns County Veterans Services and Mental Health Concerns Committee
- Stearns County Children’s Justice Initiative Board
- Stearns County Family Dependency Treatment Court planning, steering, and operating committees
- Certified in Mental Health First Aid, 2016
- Fee Arbitration chair, 18th District Bar Association
- MSBA House of Delegates
- Alternate member, MSBA Board of Governors
- Board of Directors, Minnesota State Bar Foundation
- Certification as Criminal Law Expert, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2012
- Board of Directors, Great River Education Arts Theater
- Board of Directors, Central Minnesota Housing Partnership
- Community Relations Task Force member, ISD 742
- Parent legislative action team member, ISD 742
- Knowledge Bowl and Academic Triathlon Parent Coach, ISD 742
- Parent Explore Books Volunteer, ISD 742
- Advisory Council member of Tri-County Action Programs Family Planning Center
- Central Minnesota Task Force on Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention member
- HRA of Chisago County advisory committee member
- Chisago County Family Resource Center Information and Referral HELPLINE advisory committee member
Bar Admissions
- State Courts: Minnesota 1990, Wisconsin 1988 (inactive)
- US District Court, State of Minnesota 1992 (inactive)