Appointed/Elected:
Appointed June 9, 2005, to the Minnesota Court of Appeals; elected 2006, re-elected 2012 and 2018. Current term expires Jan. 2025.
Appointed Nov. 8, 1996, to the Third Judicial District, Waseca; elected 1998; re-elected 2004.
Appellate Court Service:
- Specialty Court Development – Veterans Treatment Court
- Legislative Advisory Workgroup
- Strategic Planning Workgroup
- Security Committee
- Children's Justice Initiative, Appellate Lead Judge
District Court Service:
- Conference of Chief Judges, elected vice chair
- Third Judicial District Chief Judge, two terms
- Third Judicial District Assistant Chief Judge
- Transformation Workgroup (responsible for recommending a leadership, management structure for the unified Judicial Branch)
- Special Legislative Redistricting Panel, 2001-2002
- Children’s Justice Initiative, Lead Judge
- Child Protection Rules Committee
Honors:
- Minnesota State University, Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award
- Ann Bancroft Foundation, Women Leader Award
- Woman of Achievement, Owatonna Business & Professional Women’s Organization
- Recipient of the Rosalie E. Wahl Judicial Award of Excellence, Minnesota State Bar Association
Employment Background:
- Partner; Rietz, Rietz, Rietz & Worke; Owatonna, MN
- Assistant Public Defender, Third Judicial District
- Administrative Law Judge, Child Support Division, Office of Administrative Hearings
- Law Clerk for District Court Judge Urban J. Steimann, Faribault, MN
Education:
- Humphrey Institute Policy Fellow, University of Minnesota
- Institute for Faculty Excellence in Judicial Education, University of Memphis
- William Mitchell College of Law
- Minnesota State University Mankato, Magna Cum Laude
Professional and Community Activities:
- William Mitchell College of Law, Adjunct Professor
- Hamline University School of Law, Adjunct Professor
- St. Thomas University School of Law, Mentor
- National Association of Women Judges, District 10 Director
- Minnesota District Judges Association
- Minnesota State Bar Association
- Minnesota Women Lawyers
- Donald D. Eustice Law Enforcement Scholarship Board
- University of Minnesota Extension Steering Committee
- Steele County Agricultural Society
- Mock Trial Judge