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; and 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; and 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; and 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
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; and 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; and 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; and 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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