2010-2011 MLAA Board of Director Candidates
January 26, 2010

2010/2011 MLAA Board of Director Candidates

Thank you to Nominating Committee members Cheryl Nelson, Laurie Pearcy, Terry Pressley, Steph Scheu, and Shari Tivy for their work in selecting the following terrific slate of officers. Please join us at the MLAA Educational Conference & Expo on February 23, 2010 to vote on these candidates. Thank you!

Shari Tivy
PRESIDENT

Shari Tivy is the Director of Human Resources at Bowman and Brooke LLP.  She began her career in the legal industry in 1985 when she joined Leonard, Street, and Deinard P.A. as their Administrator.  Over the next 17 years she also held that position at the firms of Maslon Edelman Borman and Brand, LLP and Messerli and Kramer P.A..  In 2002 she took a short tour to the vendor side of the business but hurried back to what she considers home when the opportunity at Bowman and Brooke presented itself in 2005.  Since the beginning of her legal career she has served in numerous roles both for MLAA and ALA.  She has previously served on the Board of Directors for MLAA in the 90s, including as President for the 1997-1998 year, and over the past 25 years has served on nearly every Chapter committee.  She also has actively served ALA at the Regional level and on several national committees and task forces.    Her current MLAA activity includes President-Elect of the current Board of Directors, a serving member of CHAOS (Chapter Award Oversight Specialists) and  a member of the Past Presidents Advisory Council.  She has always described herself as an ALA and MLAA junkie and humbly thanks both organizations for the value they bring to her work.
 
She spends most of her weekends with her retired husband at their lake home in Wisconsin (he is lucky enough to live there full time) and they are known for their annual, exotic adventure trips (think solar power, howler monkeys and bare feet).  She is  thrilled to have welcomed her first two grandchildren to the family this past year.  She hopes to adopt some of the childlike curiosity she is witnessing in her grandchildren and apply it to her work at Bowman and Brooke and on the MLAA Board of Directors.

Chong Lee
PRESIDENT-ELECT

Chong Lee is the Director of Facilities and Records at Merchant & Gould P.C. where she started her legal adventures in 2002. As a member of MLAA, Chong currently serves as the Education Director.  Chong has previously served as the Vice President of General Administration, chair of the Membership Committee, co-chaired the Vendor Relations and Conference Committee and is a member of the Facilities Special Interest Group.  Chong is an avid reader and television junkie.  She currently follows the television shows NCIS, Criminal Minds and the Good Wife.

Kim Ess
PAST PRESIDENT

Kim Ess is the Chief Operating Officer at Halleland Lewis Nilan & Johnson and has been at Halleland for over 10 years. As a member of ALA and MLAA, Kim has served on the MLAA Board as President, Vice President of Education, Vice President of Member Services and Vice President of General Administration. She has served on and chaired the Education Committee, the Membership Committee and the Business Partner and Conference Committee. Kim has also served on both the local and regional nominating committees. MLAA and ALA have been an invaluable resource to Kim over the years. Both organizations have provided quality educational programming and access to effective resources on legal topics. Networking with MLAA and ALA members and business partners over the years has enhanced Kim’s knowledge and effectiveness as an administrator. Kim lives in Burnsville with her family. In her free time you will find Kim watching her kids playing soccer and hockey (yes, even hockey in July).

Deb Cramer, CLM
ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR

Deb Cramer has been with Johnson & Condon, P.A. as the Office Administrator since 1998. She joined MLAA at the firm’s suggestion, and has been an active member ever since. She is currently co-chairing the Small/Medium Firm Committee (for the second time), and is actively participating on the Community Service Committee and Education Committee. She is looking forward to serving on the Board of Directors, and the opportunity to give back to an organization she has learned a lot from.

Deb resides in Oakdale with her husband, her fourteen year old son, Matt, and a Shih Tzu named Molly.

Michele Sauder
BUSINESS PARTNER and CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
(BPCC) DIRECTOR

Michele Sauder is the Administrator at McGrann Shea Carnival Straughn & Lamb, Chartered.  She joined the firm in 1996 and became Administrator in 1999.  A member of ALA and MLAA since 2000, Michele currently serves as the Membership Director on the MLAA Board of Directors, and on the Membership Committee and the Business Partner & Conference Committee, which she co-chaired in 2008-2009.  She participates in the Small & Medium Firm Committee, and previously served on the Education Committee and as the Mentor Program Coordinator for two years.  Michele is a volleyball enthusiast, who plays several nights a week, year-round (court and sand).

David Oxley
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

David Oxley is the IT Manager at Leonard, Street and Deinard, P.A., where he started as a case clerk in  1996. He became IT Manager in 2000.  David has been a member of the Systems and Tech SIG since 2002 and served as its co-chair in 2006 and 2007, and is also a member of the Business Partner and Conference Committee (formerly known as the Vendor Relations and Conference Committee), which he co-chaired for two years.  David has also served on the Nominating Committee.   He currently serves on the MLAA Board as Communications Director and is actively involved on the E-Communications Committee.

David and Anne Oxley live in Maplewood and are the proud parents of three adult children—two sons and one daughter—and are even prouder grandparents of 9 year-old Oliver and 2 year-old Jacob.

Jodi Schmidt
EDUCATION DIRECTOR

Jodi Schmidt is the Director of Human Resources at Gray Plant Mooty and has been at Gray Plant Mooty for nearly 15 years.  As a member of ALA and MLAA, Jodi has co-chaired the Human Resources Committee, served on the Education Program Committee, and currently serves as co-chair of the Compensation/Benefits Survey Committee.  Her experience with MLAA has been an invaluable resource to her during her career in the legal profession, both in terms of educational opportunities as well as networking.

Jodi spends her free time with her husband and three children.  When they are not chasing from one sporting event to the next, the whole family loves to spend time at the cabin up north.

Wayne Schertler
FINANCE DIRECTOR/TREASURER

Wayne A. Schertler, CPA (inactive), is Chief Financial Officer for Leonard, Street and Deinard. He has more than 20 years of experience in financial management within the legal and public accounting industries having worked as auditor for Deloitte and Touche. With more than 10 years of executive-level experience in the legal industry, Wayne has served as Director of Finance at Faegre and Benson LLP, Controller at Dorsey & Whitney LLP and CFO at Doherty, Rumble & Butler in Minneapolis prior to joining Leonard, Street and Deinard. He obtained his CPA license from Minnesota in 1990.

Doug Sievers
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR

Doug Sievers is the Administrator of Lind, Jensen, Sullivan & Peterson, P.A since 2004. After graduation from Hamline University School of Law in 2000, Doug decided to shift his professional focus to law firm administration in 2001. Doug served as the co-chair of the Small/Medium Firms Committee in 2007-2009, and is currently serving  on the MLAA Board of Directors as the Administrative Director. Doug lives in Forest Lake, MN with his wife, Greta, of 11 years and his two boys Austin (8) and Ethan (8). The Sievers family enjoys yearly adventures to Central and South America.