News Item
Minnesota Supreme Court Appoints Twenty-two to Commission on Judicial Selection
Posted: Tuesday, March 8, 2011
The Minnesota Supreme Court has announced the appointment of 22 members to the Commission on Judicial Selection for terms ending January 5, 2015. The Commission solicits judicial candidates, evaluates applicants, and recommends three to five finalists to the governor for district court and Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals vacancies that occur during the term of a judge.
The Commission consists of 49 members, including attorneys and non-attorneys: 27 appointed by the governor and 22 appointed by the Supreme Court. According to state law, the Supreme Court appoints two at-large members and two members from each of the state’s 10 judicial districts. Members serve without compensation.
Jesse Bethke Gomez is appointed as an at-large non-attorney member. He is President of Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Tracy M. Smith is appointed as an at-large attorney. She is Associate General Counsel at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Judy Henderson is appointed as a non-attorney member for the First Judicial District. She is an Advisory Council Member of the History Department at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Charles Webber is appointed as an attorney member for the First Judicial District. He is an attorney at Faegre & Benson LLP in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Michael I. Dougherty is appointed as a non-attorney member for the Second Judicial District. He is Vice President, Communications, for The Valspar Corporation in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Patrick Kelly is appointed as an attorney member for the Second Judicial District. He is president of Kelly and Lemmons PA, St. Paul, Minnesota. He is a former president of both the Ramsey County Bar Association and the Minnesota State Bar Association.
Jane Belau is appointed as a non-attorney member for the Third Judicial District. She is formerly a vice president at Control Data and consultant to Ceridian Corporation. She is currently president of the University of Minnesota Regent Candidate Advisory Council and a member of the Rochester City Charter Commission in Rochester, Minnesota.
James Forsythe is appointed as an attorney member for the Third Judicial District. He is an attorney with the firm of Streater & Murphy in Winona, Minnesota.
David Adney is appointed as a non-attorney member for the Fourth Judicial District. He is the principal of Minnetonka Senior High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
Jean Holloway is appointed as an attorney member for the Fourth Judicial District. She is vice president and deputy general counsel for Medtronic, Inc. in Mounds View, Minnesota.
Donna Holstine is appointed as a non-attorney member for the Fifth Judicial District. She is retired and has served on the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority, the Minnesota Safety Council, and the Fairmont City Council. She also served as mayor of the City of Fairmont.
Steven Sunde is appointed as an attorney member for the Fifth Judicial District. He is a partner in the Sunde, Olson, Kircher and Zender firm in St. James, Minnesota.
Inez Wildwood is appointed as a non-attorney member for the Sixth Judicial District. She is a manager of talent acquisition and development for Allete in Duluth, Minnesota.
Jeffrey Peterson is appointed as an attorney member for the Sixth Judicial District. He is an attorney practicing in Virginia, Minnesota.
Sheila Korby is appointed as a non-attorney member for the Seventh Judicial District. She is the director of the Someplace Safe Program in Fergus Falls, Minnesota.
Robert Feigh is appointed as an attorney member for the Seventh Judicial District. He is an attorney at Gray, Plant, Mooty & Bennett, PA. in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Sandra K. Olson-Loy is appointed as a non-attorney member for the Eighth Judicial District. She is Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of Minnesota-Morris in Morris, Minnesota.
Gregory L. Holmstrom is appointed as an attorney member for the Eighth Judicial District. He is a partner in the firm of Holmstrom & Kvam in Granite Falls.
Susan Mills is appointed as a non-attorney member for the Ninth Judicial District. She is Agency Executive Director of Tri-County Community Corrections in Crookston, Minnesota.
Roger C. Malm is appointed as an attorney member for the Ninth Judicial District. He serves as Kittson County Attorney and practices law in Hallock, Minnesota.
Jermaine Ross is appointed as a non-attorney member for the Tenth Judicial District. He is a former teacher and assistant pastor and currently is a student at United Theological Seminary and a ministerial candidate for the Presbyterian Church USA.
Robin Wolpert is appointed as an attorney member for the Tenth Judicial District. She is a partner in Greene Espel P.L.L.P. in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“We want to thank those who have agreed to serve on the Commission,” said Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea. “They will be performing a valuable public service by helping ensure that those who are appointed to serve as judges are well-qualified.”