The State Bar of Michigan Board of Commissioners will welcome two new members and two returning members elected in contested races in Districts H and I. Two previously serving commissioners running in uncontested races also will start new terms on September 18, 2026.
New to the Board this year is Robbie J. Gaines Jr., co-founder of Gaines & Gaines Law in Grosse Pointe, who won a contested race to serve District H, which represents Wayne, Monroe, and Lenawee Counties. Judge Ponce D. Clay also was re-elected to serve District H.
Samantha J. Orvis, a partner at Secrest Wardle in Troy, was elected as commissioner in District I, which represents Oakland County. Incumbent Joshua A. Lerner also was re-elected to represent District I.
In addition, Danielle Walton returns to the Board of Commissioners in a new district, having won an uncontested race to represent District B, serving Genesee, Saginaw, Bay, Sanilac, Lapeer, Midland, Tuscola, and Huron Counties. Incumbent Commissioner Robert A. Easterly also was re-elected in an uncontested race to serve District E, which serves Barry, Ionia, Montcalm, Clinton, Gratiot, Ingham, Shiawassee, Livingston and Eaton Counties.
In the contested race for the Judicial Tenure Commission, Dawn N. Ison won re-election to a three-year term.
The election also included uncontested races for the Young Lawyers Section Executive Council and the Representative Assembly. Those elected include:
Young Lawyers Section Executive Council
—District 1, representing Macomb and Wayne Counties
• Myles J. Baker
• Kristoffer Butler
• Candace M. Griffey
• Joseph S. Pernicano
• Alexander P. Sheldon-Smith
—District 2, representing Oakland County
• Elizabeth Erickson
• Matthew High
—District 3, representing all Michigan counties except Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne Counties
• Ashley E. Chalut
• Adam N. Ostrander
New to the Board this year is Robbie J. Gaines Jr., co-founder of Gaines & Gaines Law in Grosse Pointe, who won a contested race to serve District H, which represents Wayne, Monroe, and Lenawee Counties. Judge Ponce D. Clay also was re-elected to serve District H.
Samantha J. Orvis, a partner at Secrest Wardle in Troy, was elected as commissioner in District I, which represents Oakland County. Incumbent Joshua A. Lerner also was re-elected to represent District I.
In addition, Danielle Walton returns to the Board of Commissioners in a new district, having won an uncontested race to represent District B, serving Genesee, Saginaw, Bay, Sanilac, Lapeer, Midland, Tuscola, and Huron Counties. Incumbent Commissioner Robert A. Easterly also was re-elected in an uncontested race to serve District E, which serves Barry, Ionia, Montcalm, Clinton, Gratiot, Ingham, Shiawassee, Livingston and Eaton Counties.
In the contested race for the Judicial Tenure Commission, Dawn N. Ison won re-election to a three-year term.
The election also included uncontested races for the Young Lawyers Section Executive Council and the Representative Assembly. Those elected include:
Young Lawyers Section Executive Council
—District 1, representing Macomb and Wayne Counties
• Myles J. Baker
• Kristoffer Butler
• Candace M. Griffey
• Joseph S. Pernicano
• Alexander P. Sheldon-Smith
—District 2, representing Oakland County
• Elizabeth Erickson
• Matthew High
—District 3, representing all Michigan counties except Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne Counties
• Ashley E. Chalut
• Adam N. Ostrander
Representative Assembly
—3rd Circuit, Wayne County
• Delicia A. Taylor Coleman, Detroit
• Jacquelyn A. McClinton, Detroit
• Richard M. Soranno, Detroit
• Roshundra Graham-Simmons, Detroit
• Dawn S. Lee-Cotton, Detroit
• Macie T. Gaines, Detroit
• Kimberley A. Ward, Detroit
• Asia L. Lewis, Detroit
—6th Circuit, Oakland County
• Michael J. Blau, Farmington
• John Mucha III, Bloomfield Hills
• Marcileen C. Pruitt, Southfield
• Trevor J. Weston, Sylvan Lake
• Toya Y. Jefferson, Southfield
• Mary A. Bowen, Troy
• Paul Shkreli, Orion
• Ashley F. Eckerly, Bloomfield Hills
• Spencer M. Bondy, Milford
• Rabih Hamawi, Southfield
• Leen Nachawati, Farmington Hills
—7th Circuit, Genesee County
• Julie A. Winkfield, Flint
• Marc D. Morse, Grand Blanc
—8th Circuit, Montcalm and Ionia Counties
• Katie M. Johnson, Portland
—10th Circuit, Saginaw County
• Krystal K. Pussehl, Saginaw
• McKenzie Stone, Saginaw
—13th Circuit, Antrim, Grand Traverse, and Leelanau Counties
• Lawrence R. LaSusa, Traverse City
—14th Circuit, Muskegon County
• Shawn L. Perry, Muskegon
• Jennifer J. Roach, Muskegon
—16th Circuit, Macomb County
• Sean A. Blume, Sterling Heights
• Thomas A. Barnard, Washington Twp.
—17th Circuit, Kent County
• Thomas V. Hubbard, Grand Rapids
—18th Circuit, Bay County
• J. Edmund Frost, Essexville
—20th Circuit, Ottawa County
• Christine M. Tober, Grand Haven
• Brandon Barthelemy, Holland
—21st Circuit, Isabella County
• Becky J. Bolles, Mt. Pleasant
—22nd Circuit, Washtenaw County
• Robyn L. McCoy, Ann Arbor
• Amy Krieg, Ann Arbor
• Tina M. Saxon, Ypsilanti
—23rd Circuit, Arenac, Iosco, Alcona & Oscoda Counties
• Duane L. Hadley, Standish
—25th Circuit, Marquette County
• Karl A. Weber, Marquette
• Brandon J. Evans, Marquette
—28th Circuit, Missaukee and Wexford Counties
• Isaac Thomas, Cadillac
—30th Circuit, Ingham County
• Daniel S. Korobkin, Lansing
• Elizabeth Abdnour, Lansing
—37th Circuit, Calhoun County
• Kellie E. Podolsky, Battle Creek
—38th Circuit, Monroe County
• Sean M. Myers, Monroe
—39th Circuit, Lenawee County
• Katarina L. DuMont, Adrian
—42nd Circuit, Midland County
• Andrew C. Thompson, Midland
—44th Circuit, Livingston County
• Andrea M. Banfield, Brighton
—45th Circuit, St. Joseph County
• Keely A. Beemer, Sturgis
—49th Circuit, Mecosta and Osceola Counties
• Steven M. Balkema, Big Rapids
—54th Circuit, Tuscola County
• Ashley K. Swick, Caro
—56th Circuit, Eaton County
• Matthew R. Newburg, Charlotte
—3rd Circuit, Wayne County
• Delicia A. Taylor Coleman, Detroit
• Jacquelyn A. McClinton, Detroit
• Richard M. Soranno, Detroit
• Roshundra Graham-Simmons, Detroit
• Dawn S. Lee-Cotton, Detroit
• Macie T. Gaines, Detroit
• Kimberley A. Ward, Detroit
• Asia L. Lewis, Detroit
—6th Circuit, Oakland County
• Michael J. Blau, Farmington
• John Mucha III, Bloomfield Hills
• Marcileen C. Pruitt, Southfield
• Trevor J. Weston, Sylvan Lake
• Toya Y. Jefferson, Southfield
• Mary A. Bowen, Troy
• Paul Shkreli, Orion
• Ashley F. Eckerly, Bloomfield Hills
• Spencer M. Bondy, Milford
• Rabih Hamawi, Southfield
• Leen Nachawati, Farmington Hills
—7th Circuit, Genesee County
• Julie A. Winkfield, Flint
• Marc D. Morse, Grand Blanc
—8th Circuit, Montcalm and Ionia Counties
• Katie M. Johnson, Portland
—10th Circuit, Saginaw County
• Krystal K. Pussehl, Saginaw
• McKenzie Stone, Saginaw
—13th Circuit, Antrim, Grand Traverse, and Leelanau Counties
• Lawrence R. LaSusa, Traverse City
—14th Circuit, Muskegon County
• Shawn L. Perry, Muskegon
• Jennifer J. Roach, Muskegon
—16th Circuit, Macomb County
• Sean A. Blume, Sterling Heights
• Thomas A. Barnard, Washington Twp.
—17th Circuit, Kent County
• Thomas V. Hubbard, Grand Rapids
—18th Circuit, Bay County
• J. Edmund Frost, Essexville
—20th Circuit, Ottawa County
• Christine M. Tober, Grand Haven
• Brandon Barthelemy, Holland
—21st Circuit, Isabella County
• Becky J. Bolles, Mt. Pleasant
—22nd Circuit, Washtenaw County
• Robyn L. McCoy, Ann Arbor
• Amy Krieg, Ann Arbor
• Tina M. Saxon, Ypsilanti
—23rd Circuit, Arenac, Iosco, Alcona & Oscoda Counties
• Duane L. Hadley, Standish
—25th Circuit, Marquette County
• Karl A. Weber, Marquette
• Brandon J. Evans, Marquette
—28th Circuit, Missaukee and Wexford Counties
• Isaac Thomas, Cadillac
—30th Circuit, Ingham County
• Daniel S. Korobkin, Lansing
• Elizabeth Abdnour, Lansing
—37th Circuit, Calhoun County
• Kellie E. Podolsky, Battle Creek
—38th Circuit, Monroe County
• Sean M. Myers, Monroe
—39th Circuit, Lenawee County
• Katarina L. DuMont, Adrian
—42nd Circuit, Midland County
• Andrew C. Thompson, Midland
—44th Circuit, Livingston County
• Andrea M. Banfield, Brighton
—45th Circuit, St. Joseph County
• Keely A. Beemer, Sturgis
—49th Circuit, Mecosta and Osceola Counties
• Steven M. Balkema, Big Rapids
—54th Circuit, Tuscola County
• Ashley K. Swick, Caro
—56th Circuit, Eaton County
• Matthew R. Newburg, Charlotte
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