The Michigan State Bar Foundation (MSBF) on Tuesday announced its 2026 slate of officers and the appointment of board members.  The  board of directors is the governing body of the Foundation and is critical to ensuring the mission of the Foundation is fulfilled ethically, effectively and sustainably.  

“Each individual brings a wealth of experience, dedication and leadership to promote the mission of the Foundation to increase access to justice and advance the administration of justice in our state,” said Foundation Executive Director Jennifer Bentley. 

—————

2026 Officer Appointments

The appointment of the following officers was announced:

• President – Craig H. Luben, Miller Johnson

• Vice-President - Hon. Victoria A. Roberts (ret.), JAMS

• Treasurer - Richard K. Rappleye, R&I Associates

• Secretary – Thomas R. Behm, Gruel Mills Nims & Pylman

—————

New members of the board of directors

Heidi A. Alcock is the vice president of Strategy & Grants Portfolio for the McGregor Fund, a private foundation working to alleviate poverty in Detroit and Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties, with a strategic focus on ending homelessness and chronic unemployment in Detroit. She oversees program strategy development and execution and oversees grant portfolio development.  She has over twenty-seven years of nonprofit and public sector management experience working with Detroiters focused on community and economic development including as CEO of Michigan 
Community Resources where she served in a leadership role on the civic engagement team for Detroit Future City planning process, and eventually at the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation as director of operations for the first Detroit Future City Implementation Office.  Alcock also worked as city planner at the City of Detroit City Planning Commission, formerly a staff division of the Detroit City Council. Alcock has a master’s degree in public administration with concentrations in public and urban policy from Wayne State University.  

Erika L. Bryant has been a Michigan lawyer for more than 25 years, with a thriving solo practice in which she represents local non-profits, small businesses, and individual clients throughout metropolitan Detroit and beyond. She has served as a commercial arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association for over 15 years. In addition to her private practice, Bryant believes in serving the community, and currently gives her time to the State Bar of Michigan’s Board of Commissioners, where she currently serves as vice-president. She is a past president of the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association, a past affiliate chapter representative, and past Region VI director. Bryant has received recognition for her accomplishments, including the State Bar of Michigan’s and Wolverine Bar Association’s Outstanding Young Lawyer Awards, as well as Presidential Awards from the National Bar Association.  In 2017, Bryant was recognized among Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Women in the Law. Bryant earned her Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Michigan Law School (1998), and her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), magna cum laude from Amherst College (1995), where she majored in Black Studies and Political Science. 

Jason P. Klingensmith is the assistant general counsel at General Motors, where he is responsible for advising company leadership on all legal issues related to the company’s North American operations, including litigation, regulatory, governance, risk mitigation, and policy. Prior to joining GM, Jason spent 18 years as a commercial trial lawyer and deputy CEO of Dickinson Wright PLLC in Detroit.  His practice specialties included Commercial Litigation and International Arbitration. Klingensmith holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from the University of Michigan and earned his juris doctor from Northwestern University School of Law.

Lee B. Reimann is a CPA and an attorney who spent much of her career in real estate planning.  Reimann also believes in serving the community that has given her so much. She is a past president of Ingham County Bar Association; Greater Lansing Estate Planning Council; and Rotary Club of East Lansing. She previously served on the boards of Legal Services of South Central Michigan; Helping Women Period; and the Capital Region Community Foundation. Outside of work Reimann enjoys home improvement projects and playing with grandchildren. She lives in East Lansing with her husband Chris and their dog Argos.

Jeffery V. Stuckey is a member at Dickinson Wright with prominent assignments as regulatory and appellate counsel on matters involving commercial interests and regulated industries in the areas of gaming, insurance, telecommunications, energy, elections, tax, and business. His over 40 year legal career includes key roles including law clerk to the Michigan Supreme Court and research attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals. Stuckey is a recognized leader in Michigan’s legal community and served on the Michigan Board of Law Examiners and the State Bar’s Judicial Qualifications Committee.  He received his Juris Doctor from Notre Dame Law School His work reflects a deep commitment to legal excellence and expanding access to justice. 

headlines Detroit

• Wayne Law hosts Fireside Chat with Bierschbach
• Counsel Connect
• Court rules absentee ballots with mismatched or missing stubs can’t be counted
• New virtual support group for attorneys to start in January
• Daily Briefs

headlines National

• The business of successfully running an in-house department
• ACLU and BigLaw firm use ‘Orange is the New Black’ in hashtag effort to promote NY jail reform
• Justice Gorsuch writes children’s book about ‘Heroes of 1776’
• Companies use ‘deceitful tactics’ to market harmful ultra-processed products with ‘addictive nature,’ city’s suit alleges
• Lawyer accused of trying to poison her husband
• ‘Lawyers Gone Wild’? Filmmaker criticizes bar as he seeks ethics probe of serial killer’s daughter for alleged lie