Alumni Board of Directors

Leadership 2023-2024

22-23 Alumni Association

As a graduate of Detroit Mercy Law, you are part of an alumni network, more than 9,000 strong. Led by the Board of Directors, the Detroit Mercy Law Alumni Association is an active, engaged group that supports a variety of events and programming intended to improve the law school experience for students while enhancing the connection of alumni to their alma mater.

Your time, participation and commitment as a member of the Alumni Association not only supports the school, it helps boost your career opportunities and expands your social and professional network. Get involved. Stay involved. Make a difference.

 

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    Alumni Association President's Message

    I AM EXCITED TO BEGIN MY THIRD, AND FINAL, YEAR AS THE UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT MERCY SCHOOL OF LAW ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT.

    It is my pleasure, along with the Board of Directors, to represent the more than 9,000 alumni around the globe and connect with our many friends and supporters.

    The Law School Alumni Board has had many successes over the past several years, including: creating and endowing the Detroit Mercy Law Alumni Board Endowed Scholarship; establishing a student mentoring program; ensuring that programs and services provided to our alumni meet their current needs by revising Alumni Board By-Laws, Committee Structure, and Membership; and hosting our annual networking event: Erin Go Law, which was so special this past year as it was our largest in-person gathering yet post-pandemic.

    The Alumni Board looks forward to continuing to build upon these successes, and we hope you will join us in this mission.

    Throughout the coming year, the Law School Alumni Board will lead several initiatives designed to raise funds as we continue to invest in the future of legal education at Detroit Mercy Law. A financial investment in current students will help mitigate their debt and provide tangible support as they navigate their future. We hope you will share your experiences by engaging with admitted students to encourage their choice of Detroit Mercy Law, serving on job-related panels, or mentoring current students.

    We sincerely hope you will join us at an event, program, or lecture this academic year. The presence of alumni and friends means so much to the school. The members of the Alumni Board are here to serve you, and I invite you to join us for the exciting year we have ahead.

    The Board and Council are looking forward to the upcoming year, and we are hoping to see many of you at events in and around the Law School.

    Kyle R. Dufrane '98
    President
    Detroit Mercy Law Alumni Board

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    Board of Directors

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    Board Members

    • Judith A. Baxter '82,
    • Kristoffer Butler '19, Asst. Corporate Counsel, Wayne County Corporation Counsel
    • Michael A. “Mickey” Chichester Jr. '07, Shareholder, Littler Mendelson P.C.
    • Janet L. Conigliaro '08, Member, Dykema
    • Elyse K. Culberson '17, Associate, Jackson Lewis
    • Deja Davis '21, Associate, Miller Canfield
    • Rebecca El Badaoui '20, Bodman
    • Yafeez S. Fatabhoy '18, Dickinson Wright, PLLC 
    • Bernard J. Fuhs '06, Franchise Litigation, Butzel Long
    • Macie Tuiasosopo Gaines '13, Member, Gaines & Gaines
    • Marco Gatti '10, Intellectual Property, Cummins, Inc.
    • Jewel Haji Boelstler  '19, Commercial Litigation, Honigman LLP 
    • Kenny Hemler '07, Corporate Transactions / M&A, General Motors 
    • Hon. Terrance A. Keith '84 (ABLA Liaison), Wayne County Probate Judge
    • Jason Long '99, Attorney,
    • Ahmad S. Mazloum, Dual '19, Associate, Miller Canfield
    • Jon Monteville '21, Senior Wealth Strategy Associate, UBS
    • Christina Nassar '10, General Counsel - North America, Rheinmetall Automotive  
    • Madison Orow '23, Recent Graduate
    • Luke Popiel '22, Intellectual Property Manager, General Motors
    • Mylika Radford '13, Associate, Lewis & Munday
    • Brian Smith '99, Member, Dykema
    • Rita S. Soka '22, Partner, Taylor Soka, PLLC
    • Kory Steen '18, Howard & Howard 
    • James E. Tamm '85, Kerr, Russell and Weber
    • Matthew L. Vicari '90, Miller Johnson 
    • Adam M. Wenner '11, Partner, Honigman
    • Mark A. Wisniewski '90, Kitch, Drutchas Wagner, Vlitutti & Sherbrook
    • Justin Zatkoff '14, General Counsel, Zatkoff Seals & Packings

    Detroit Mercy Law Representatives

    Jelani Jefferson Exum, Dean and Philip J. McElroy Professor of Law
    313-596-0210, jefferje1@udmercy.edu

Past Board of Directors and Members

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    Past Directors

    Past Alumni Directors and Positions Held
    Past Directors Positions Held
    Anthony A. Agosta '97 1st VP 08-09, President 09-10
    Kathleen L. Bogas '75 Treasurer 87-88, Secretary 88-89, 2nd VP 89-90
    Edmund M. Brady, Jr. '66 President 80-81
    John F. Clark '06 Secretary 14-16, VP 16-17
    Jane Sullivan Colombo '79 1st VP 07-08, President 08-09
    James P. Connolly President 
    Michael G. Costello '85 President 06-08
    Dahlia N. Dallo '03 Secretary 08-09
    Joseph H. Dillon '59 2nd VP 86-87, 1st VP 87-88, President 88-89
    Michael L. Donahue '65 Treasurer 83-84, Secretary 84-85, 2nd VP 85-86, 1st VP 86-87, President 87-88
    Hon. Maggie W. Drake '81 President
    Kyle R. Dufrane '98 VP 17-19
    John F. Fellrath, Jr. '52 Treasurer 80-81, Secretary 81-82, 2nd VP 82-83, 1st VP 83-84, President 84-85
    John W. Fitzer '50 Secretary 83-84, 2nd VP 84-85, 1st VP 85-86, President 86-87
    Hon. John H. Gillis '51 1st VP
    Patricia Rossi Galvin '70 2nd VP 80-81, 1st VP 81-82, President 82-83
    Eugene A. Gargaro, Jr. '67 President
    Gregory J. Gamalski '83 Secretary 94-96, President
    William D. Gilbride, Sr. '50 Treasurer 81-82, Secretary 82-83, 2nd VP 83-84, 1st VP 84-85, President 85-86
    Kelly Houk '13 Secretary 17-19, 2nd VP 12-14
    Edward G. Lennon '88 President 16-19, VP 14-15, 2nd VP 12-14
    Hon. Michael J. Riordan '90 President, 3rd VP 12-14, VP 14-19
    Sarah Simmons '18 Vice President 20-21
    Gregory G. Thiess '79 Executive Committee 16-19
    Gregory L. Ulrich '77 President 15-16, VP 14-15, Secretary 12-14
    Kelly A. Walters '04 1st VP 12-14
    Mark A. Wisniewski '90 President 12-14, Secretary
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    Past Members

    • Lori Adamcheski '06
    • Michael Alanson '76
    • Stanley Bartnicki '65
    • Hon. Miachel J. Beale '90
    • Michelle A. Borchanian '94
    • Eugene H. Boyle, Jr. '88
    • Charles Browning
    • Jeffrey Buehner '95
    • Hon. James Canham '52
    • John F. Clark '06
    • Mary Susan Connolly '79
    • Michael Conway '68
    • Maura D. Corrigan '73
    • Dennis L. Dabney '00
    • Hon. Peter E. Deegan '66
    • Michael R. Dezsi '02
    • John K. Dickerson
    • Keither Driscoll '18
    • Eric L. Doyle '95
    • James F. Finn
    • Hon. Anthony A. Fiorella, Jr. '66
    • Rita Foley '99
    • Kenneth Frankland '65
    • Michael E. Geraghty '97
    • John F. Gilhool '67
    • Elliot B. Glicksman '69
    • Scott Gorsline '90
    • Barbara K. Hackett '50
    • Patrick Hackett '50
    • John P. Hale '94
    • Michael J. Hand
    • Henry L. Heading
    • Kenneth Helmer '07
    • Daniel J. Henry, Jr.
    • Maria Herfi '21
    • Denise Hickey '95
    • Thomas P. Hustoles '73
    • Kenneth Hylton '80
    • Sheila Jackson '86
    • Ed Johnson '92
    • Michelle D. Johnson '98
    • Stephen M. Kelley '81
    • William G. Kelly '75
    • Amy M. Kline '01
    • Gene R. Kohut '91
    • Gerald J. LaFave
    • Frederick W. Lauck '69
    • Edward G. Lennon '88
    • Ellie Levine '09
    • John Lizza '53
    • Michael Lynn '00
    • Teresa Dillard Malone '87
    • Robert H. Martin '66
    • Thomas Mayer '55
    • Hon. Renee R. McDuffee '79
    • Patrick McTigue '67
    • Neil A. McQuarrie
    • Marc D. Melamed '04
    • Domenic Migliaccio '78
    • Robert P. Milia '69
    • Lori Mireles-Smith '18
    • Jerome Moore '56
    • Josh Moore
    • Michael C. Moran '69
    • Michael V. Morgan '72
    • Roger P. Mourad '57
    • Timothy Mulligan '96
    • Mark E. Nettleton '95
    • Thomas J. Niemiec '81
    • Nicholas J. Nowakowski '05
    • Thomas C. O'Brien '69
    • Robert S. O'Connell
    • William Ogden '99
    • Christine D. Oldani '75
    • John P. O'Leary '64
    • Roland L. Olzark '59
    • Marisa C. Petrella '83
    • Daniel G. Pikarski '97
    • George Pitchford '03
    • Myron F. Poe '70
    • Claudia Rast '86
    • Maureen P. Reilly '58
    • David A. Riggle '78
    • Michael J. Riordan '90
    • James A. Rocchio '82
    • Sanford N. Rosethal '59
    • William Rush '68
    • Charles R. Rutherford '57
    • Danielle Schoeny '03
    • James P. Sheehy '69
    • Louis F. Simmons '56
    • Gerald C. Simon '52
    • I. John Snider '60
    • Ronald A. Sollish '88
    • Paul Spaniolo '08
    • Lilliam G. Stenfeldt '80
    • Denise Stock '97
    • Michelle Streicher '94
    • Joseph B. Sullivan '57
    • Victoria Toensig
    • Michael R. Turco '93
    • Deborah Tyler
    • Dean P. Valente '84
    • Andrew F. Valenti '53
    • Jessica Walker '89
    • Kelly A. Walters '04
    • James J. Williams '76
    • Mark A. Wisniewski '90
    • Elaine Wright '91
    • Norman L. Zemke

Alumni Council

As of 2023, the Alumni Council has folded into the Student and Mentoring Relations Committee.

At the urging of a few young alumni, the Alumni Council was established in fall 2019. It is an initiative designed to better engage and serve Detroit Mercy Law’s most recent graduates. The Council receives its directives from the Detroit Mercy Law Alumni Association and director of alumni relations. The Council seeks to better serve and support recent graduates with programs and communications that are uniquely tailored to their own needs and perspective. It seeks to foster and sustain the active involvement of young alumni in the support of Detroit Mercy Law and the Alumni Board. 

The Council will also act to shepherd the development of volunteers and future leaders in ways that deepen their commitment to the school and prepare them for active roles in alumni and philanthropic affairs.

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    Criteria

    The Council also acts as a voice for young alumni concerns to the Alumni Association and the University. Council members:
    • serve at the pleasure of the Executive Committee for the Detroit Mercy Law Alumni Board
    • serve for a term of two years (must be active during term)
    • may be eligible for re-election to another term at the expiration of their first term.
    • Will be eligible to run for election to the Detroit Mercy Law Alumni Board.
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    Past Members

    Past Members of the Alumni Council
    Council Member Council Year
    Michael Chichester Jr. '07 2019-2022
    Keith P. Driscoll '17 2019-2020
    Deja Davis '21 2021-2022
    Yafeez S. Fatabhoy '18 2019-2020
    Kristin E. Fernandez '19 2020-2021
    Rebecca El Badaoui '20 2020-2021
    Jewel Haji '19 2019-2020
    Ahndia Mansoori '18 2019-2020
    Ahmad S. Mazloum '19 2021-2022
    Jonathan Monteville '21 2020-2021
    Michael Pereira '18 2019-2022
    Ashley M. Popiel '20 2021-2022
    Michelle Shembler '19 2019-2022
    Michael D. Solt '16 2019-2020
    Kory Steen '18 2019-2020