The Iowa Association for Justice installed new executive officers and board members of its Board of Governors during its recent convention in Des Moines. The organization also recognized 2015 award winners and raised funds and gathered personal care items for children staying at Youth Emergency Services & Shelter in Des Moines.

IAJ Officers

The following IAJ members were installed as Executive Officers.

·       Brian Galligan (of Galligan & Reid, PC in Des Moines) was installed as IAJ’s 43^rd president.

·       Tim Bottaro (of Vriezelaar, Tigges, Edgington, Bottaro, Boden & Ross, LLP in Sioux City) was installed as president-elect.

·       Nate Boulton (of Hedberg & Boulton, P.C. in Des Moines) was installed as first vice president.

·       Conrad Meis (of Buchanan, Bibler, Gabor & Meis in Algona) was installed as second vice president.

·       R. Saffin Parrish-Sams (of Soldat, Parrish-Sams & Gustafson, PLC in West Des Moines) was installed as parliamentarian.

 IAJ Board of Governors

The following IAJ members were elected to positions on the Board of Governors from the various judicial subdistricts of the state. Election balloting took place during the run-up to the convention.

·       Chad D. Cox (of Dubuque) was elected from Judicial Subdistrict 1A.

·       Chad A. Swanson (of Waterloo) was elected from Judicial Subdistrict 1B.

·       John L. Timmons (of Ames) was elected from Judicial Subdistrict 2B.

·       Jill Davis (of Pocahontas) was elected from Judicial Subdistrict 3A.

·       Patrick J. Phipps (of Moville) was elected from Judicial Subdistrict 3B.

·       Ryann Glenn (of Council Bluffs) was elected from Judicial Subdistrict 4.

·       Mark Spellman (of Perry) was elected from Judicial Subdistrict 5A.

·       Amanda M. DeMichelis (of Chariton) was elected from Judicial Subdistrict 5B.

·       Brooke Timmer (of Urbandale) was elected from Judicial Subdistrict 5C.

·       Darin Luneckas (of Cedar Rapids) was elected from Judicial Subdistrict 6.

·       Anthony Bribriesco (of Bettendorf) was elected from Judicial Subdistrict 7.

·       Steven Gardner (of Ottumwa) was elected from Judicial Subdistrict 8A.

·       Steve Crowley (of Burlington) was elected from Judicial Subdistrict 8B.

The following IAJ members were elected to at large positions on the Board of Governors.

·       Kimberley Baer (of Des Moines)

·       James Biscoglia (of Des Moines)

·       Ann Brown-Graff (of Cedar Rapids)

·       Jamie Cook (of Waterloo)

·       Thomas Farnsworth (of Iowa City)

·       Joel E. Fenton (of Des Moines)

·       Stuart Higgins (of West Des Moines)

·       Steven V. Lawyer (of West Des Moines)

·       Matthew Lindholm (of Des Moines)

·       Eashaan Vajpeyi (of Waterloo)

·       Corey J. L. Walker (of Ankeny)

The following IAJ members are additional, or standing members of the Board of Governors.

·       Jake Feuerhelm (of Des Moines) will continue to serve by virtue of his standing as chair of IAJ’s criminal law section.

·       Jason Neifert (of Des Moines) will continue to serve by virtue of his standing as chair of IAJ’s workers’ compensation section.

·       Gary Mattson (of Des Moines) will serve by virtue of his standing as chair of IAJ’s Justice For All PAC. 

·       Jim Daane (of Sioux City) will continue to serve by virtue of his standing as immediate past president of IAJ.

·       Elaine Gray (of Ft. Madison) will continue to serve by virtue of her standing as past president of IAJ (once removed).  

·       Marc Harding (of Des Moines) will continue to serve by virtue of his standing as an American Association for Justice (AAJ) Governor.

·       Roxanne Conlin (of Des Moines) will continue to serve by virtue of her standing as an Association of Trial Lawyers of America/AAJ past president

IAJ Awards Honorees

The following groups and individuals were accorded honors by IAJ during the convention.

·       Martin Diaz (of Iowa City) received IAJ’s 2015 Verne Lawyer Outstanding Member Award.

·       The Honorable Brian Michaelson (of Le Mars) received IAJ’s 2015 Judicial Achievement Award .

·       Dean Jennings (of Council Bluffs) received IAJ’s 2015 Tom Staack Public Education Award.

·       Brian Galligan (of Des Moines), Russ Hixson (of West Des Moines) and John Riccolo (of Cedar Rapids) received IAJ’s 2015 Meritorious Achievement Award.

·       State Representative Mary Wolfe (of Clinton) received IAJ’s 2015 Key Person Award.

·       Grant Rodgers of the Des Moines Register received IAJ’s 2015 Excellence in Journalism Award in recognition of exceptional reporting on Iowa drug courts.

·       Rox Laird, formerly of the Des Moines Register, received IAJ’s 2015 Career Excellence in Journalism Award in recognition of more than 30 years of exceptional editorial writing about state and federal courts.

·       Joanne Doroshow and the Center for Justice & Democracy at New York Law School received IAJ’s 2015 Public Service Award.