TEXAS MUNICIPAL COURTS EDUCATION CENTER FACULTY ROSTER

Transcription

1 TEXAS MUNICIPAL COURTS EDUCATION CENTER FACULTY ROSTER Regional Clerks Seminar Janet Blacklock Matthews Judge Wilson P.O. Box 22 Wilson, TX Robby Chapman Director of Clerk Education & Program Attorney Elizabeth De La Garza TxDOT Grant Administrator Artin DerOhanian Senior Associate Attorney Law Office of Ryan Henry Law Office of Ryan Henry 1380 Pantheon Way, #110 San Antonio, TX Fred Garcia Clerk of the Court San Antonio 401 S Frio St San Antonio, TX fred.garcia@sanantonio.gov Mark Goodner Deputy Counsel and Director of Judicial Education goodner@tmcec.com Lisa Howard Court Administrator Hurst 825-B Thousand Oaks Dr. Hurst, TX lhoward@hursttx.gov Ned Minevitz TxDOT Grant Administrator & Program Attorney ned@tmcec.com Melissa Pace Client Liaison/Business Development Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins and Mott LLP 6716 Lyndale Drive Watauga, Tx mpace437@yahoo.com Kimberly Piechowiak Domestic Violence Resource Attorney Office of Court Administration P.O. Box Austin, TX kim.piechowiak@txcourts.gov Pat Riffel Court Administrator Friendswood 1600 Whitaker Dr Friendswood, TX priffel@ci.friendswood.tx.us Sheila Roach Deputy Clerk City of Canyon th St Canyon, TX sseymore@canyontx.com Danny Rodgers Chief Judge City of Fort Worth 1000 Throckmorton St. Fort Worth, Texas danny.rodgers@fortworthtexas.gov Jude Schexnyder TxDOT Traffic Safety Specialist TxDOT Jude.Schexnyder@txdot.gov Charles Spain Associate Judge Houston 504 Branard St. Houston, TX cspain@ricealumni.net Rebecca Stark Court Administrator Austin rstark@usa.com Gary Teeler Instructor Focus on Reducing Impaired Driving Among Youth gary_teeler67@yahoo.com Bonnie Townsend Presiding Judge Luling 509 E Crockett St Luling, TX BTownsend@cityofluling.net

2 , Austin, Texas fax JANET BLACKLOCK MATTHEWS FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES Jan Blacklock Matthews is municipal judge for the City of Wilson (appointed 2011). She an attorney and trained mediator in civil, criminal and USDA matters. She served as a Municipal Judge for the City of Lubbock (elected 1994 and 1998, appointed ). Judge Matthews has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Sul Ross State University and her Juris Doctorate from Texas Tech University School of Law. Prior to becoming judge, she held the position of Assistant District Attorney and Misdemeanor Chief for the Lubbock County District Attorney s Office. Matthews is the Region I director for the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center and the Texas Municipal Courts Association. ROBBY CHAPMAN Robby Chapman serves as Presiding Judge for the cities of Manor, West Lake Hills, and Rollingwood, and is Director of Clerk Education for. Mr. Chapman earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence from St. Mary s University School of Law and Bachelor of Arts from The University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Chapman has served as Assistant District Attorney for Nueces County, Municipal Prosecutor for the City of Cedar Park, and as a defense attorney. In his role as Director of Clerk Education, Mr. Chapman directs the continuing education programs for court clerks, develops clerk education curriculum, and regularly speaks on legal issues throughout Texas. For his work in court clerk education, Mr. Chapman received the Outstanding Achievement in Education Award from the Texas Court Clerks Association in ELIZABETH DE LA GARZA Elizabeth De La Garza joined the team as a TxDOT Grant Administrator for Driving on the Right Side of the Road in June Ms. De La Garza has spent the last 32 years as a public school teacher in the Round Rock Independent School District, spending most of these years at Chisholm Trail Middle School teaching music and social studies. She has her BME from Baylor University in Waco, and completed her MME at The University of Texas at Austin. Ms. De La Garza is a native of San Antonio. ARTIN DEROHANIAN Artin DerOhanian is the senior associate attorney with the Law Offices of Ryan Henry in San Antonio. His practice areas include counseling municipalities and governmental entities, including litigation and prosecution. His also has a background in business litigation, legal malpractice, civil appeals, family law, and criminal matters. Artin practiced law in California for six years before he moved to Texas with his wife in FREDERICK P. GARCIA JR. Frederick P. Garcia Jr. is currently the municipal court clerk for San Antonio. Mr. Garcia graduated from St. Mary s University with a degree in business administration and later Texas Tech University with his juris doctorate. Mr. Garcia has previously worked as a municipal court prosecutor, and bank auditor, as he has also served as an attorney in a private practice that concentrated on criminal defense and family law.

3 MARK GOODNER Mark Goodner is the Deputy Counsel and Director of Judicial Education for the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center (). Annually, Mark plans, develops, and oversees ten Regional Judges Seminars per year each offering 16 hours of judicial education along with two 32-hour New Judges Seminars. In addition to his work at, Mark serves as an Associate Judge for the cities of Bee Cave and Leander. Mark is a Certified Court Manager, having completed the Court Management Program of the Institute for Court Management in August Mr. Goodner graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1997 with a B.A. in Theatre and from the University of Texas School of Law with a juris doctorate and certification in the Graduate Portfolio Program in Dispute Resolution in May of LISA HOWARD Lisa Howard has been in the municipal court for over 16 years; she has attained Level 3 certification and has completed the ICM program through the National Center for State Courts and. Ms. Howard currently serves on the Deferred Compensation Committee, Employee Recognition Team Chair and leadership council for the City of Hurst. She has served as the Texas Court Clerks Association (TCCA) President, and as a member of the education committee. As a former teacher I value education and absolutely love teaching others when I have something I can share. Continuing education and the certification program are always on the forefront of my mind when working with other clerks. I love people, swimming and learning new things. NED MINEVITZ Ned Minevitz, a Massachusetts native, has served as TxDOT Grant Administrator and Program Attorney at the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center since November, Mr. Minevitz also serves as General Counsel for Everthin, LLC, a startup company based in Massachusetts. He received his B.A. from Connecticut College in New London, CT where he majored in East Asian Studies. Spending extensive time in China after college, Mr. Minevitz is proficient in Mandarin Chinese. In 2013, Mr. Minevitz earned his J.D. from the Sandra Day O Connor College of Law in Tempe, AZ. In his free time, he enjoys tennis, golf, and squash. MELISSA PACE Melissa Pace was raised in the Texas Panhandle and graduated with Valedictorian honors from Floydada High School. She moved to the metroplex soon thereafter to attend college and learn how to drive in a lot of traffic. She graduated from the University of Texas in Arlington with a Bachelor in Business Administration. The Haltom City Municipal Court was her home for 17 years in which she was employed as the Court Administrator. In addition, she served as the chair for the North Texas Chapter Education committee for several years and on the TCCA board as a director at large and secretary. She is excited to be continuing to learn and teach as well as maintain her Level II certification. She currently works for the Law Firm of Perdue. KIMBERLY PIECHOWIAK Kimberly Piechowiak is the Domestic Violence Training Attorney for the Texas Office of Court Administration. She received her B.A. in Criminal Justice in 1989 from UTSA and her J.D. from St. Mary s University School of Law in Before coming to the OCA, Kimberly prosecuted domestic violence cases for 20 years, first with the Bexar County District Attorney and then the San Antonio City Attorney s Office. While with the City, Kimberly implemented and supervised the family violence prosecution program at San Antonio Municipal Court. She is a TCLEOSE Certified Police Instructor who

4 has been training law enforcement officers, attorneys, and judges since 1997 on the issue of domestic violence for many local, state, and national agencies, including the San Antonio Police Training Academy, the National District Attorneys Association, the Texas Center for the Judiciary, Texas Municipal Courts Education Center, the Texas Council on Family Violence, and the Texas Victim Services Association. PAT RIFFEL Pat Riffel, CMCC, is the Court Administrator for the City of Friendswood. She has a Bachelor s Degree in Political Science and is a Licensed Social Worker. She joined the court clerk profession in December She is a Level III, Certified Municipal Court Clerk. She has also achieved status as a Certified Court Manager through the National Institute of Court Management. She currently serves as faculty for both the Texas Municipal Court Education Center and National Center for State Courts. Pat is a member of the Texas Court Clerk s Association and serves as Co-Chair of the Education Committee, and Chair of the Ethics Committee. SHEILA SEYMORE ROACH Sheila Seymore Roach is the Court Administrator for City of Canyon. Prior to coming to Canyon in 2012, she started with the City of Amarillo. Sheila completed her Leve I clerk certification September 2013, her Level II clerk certification in In 2016, she graduated from Amarillo College with her Paralegal Studies Associate degree in Applied Science. Sheila is currently working on her bachelor s degree at West Texas A&M. Sheila currently is a member of the Texas Municipal Court Association, where she serves as the Region I Director. Sheila also works as a United Way Loaned Executive for Amarillo/Canyon region. REBECCA STARK Rebecca Stark retired two years ago as the Court Administrator of the City of Austin Municipal Court after 15 years of service. Prior to Austin, she was the Assistant Director/Court Clerk of the Fort Worth Municipal Court for 6 years, and, before that, City Manager, City Administrator, Assistant City Manager and City Secretary for two other cities in the Metroplex. She served for several years on the Board of TCCA and as a facilitator for. She hosted the 2004 TCCA Annual Conference with the Central Texas Chapter. During her tenure, she was selected as Clerk of the Year by both TCCA and TMCA. She is thoroughly enjoying retirement but always particularly enjoyed working with. DANNY RODGERS Danny Rodgers was born and reared in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas. He is a Graduate of Eastern Hills High School, Baylor University, and Baylor School of Law. Mr. Rodgers currently serves as Deputy Chief Judge of the Fort Worth Municipal Court. He is the husband of Jill Rodgers and the proud father of son, Matthew, 30, a 2007 and 2012 graduate of Baylor University who is married to Sarah, (Baylor 2007) and daughter, Caitlin, 27, a 2010 graduate of Baylor University and a 2012 graduate of the American University of Paris, France. Mr. Rodgers is also the proud grandfather of Grayson Matthew Rodgers and Rhett William Rodgers and a member of the Breakfast Optimist Club of East Fort Worth, where he has maintained perfect attendance for 28 years. Mr. Rodgers served as the President of Optimist International, and his hobbies including reading, backpacking in the wilderness, and yoga. Danny and Jill are active members of Christ Chapel Bible Church, Fort Worth, Texas.

5 JUDE SCHEXNYDER Mr. Schexnyder is the Motorcycle Safety Program Manager for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and is based in Austin. Prior to joining TxDOT in 2015, Mr. Schexnyder was a Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol Officer for 30 years. An avid motorcyclist, Mr. Schexnyder rides 20,000-25,000 miles per year, has served as Chairman of the Texas Motorcycle Safety Coalition for five years, and has served as an expert witness in many motorcycle crash cases. CHARLES SPAIN Charles A. Spain has been an associate judge for the City of Houston since He served as a staff attorney for the Texas appellate courts for 23 years before retiring in He is a graduate of Baylor Law School and Rice University, a founder and past chair of the State Bar of Texas LGBT Law Section, a Baden-Powell Fellow of the World Scout Foundation, an Eagle Scout, and the father of a Life Scout (which means an involuntary return to camping, backpacking, and riding horses). His hobby is flags, and he is both an Admiral of the Texas Navy and a recipient of the Texas Historical Commission s Award for Historic Preservation for his work on the history of the flags and seals of Texas. Since 1997 he has served as the elected Secretary-General of the International Federation of Vexillological Associations ( vexillology being the fancy word for studying flags). He is board certified in civil appellate law. GARY TEELER Gary Teeler started his career with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in He has served in various capacities, including as an Academy Instructor and a Program Manager at the TPWD State Headquarters. Mr. Teeler currently serves as an adjunct instructor for the Texas Municipal Court Education Center (), Texas Justice Court Training Center (TJCTC), and the Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA). He is also an adjunct instructor at South University, teaching Criminal Justice courses. Mr. Teeler has received criminal investigations training in the following areas: criminal personality profiling, human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, stalking, cyber crimes, digital forensics and Investigative hypnosis. Gary received his TCOLE Instructor Certification in 2001 and his Master Peace Officer license in In 2012, he earned the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) credential, and in 2013, he earned the Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) credential. He serves as a peer reviewer for the Department of Justice s grant programs. Mr. Teeler currently serves as the President of the Midwest Association of Fish and Game Law Enforcement Officers (AMFGLEO), along with serving as the Chair of the Technology Committee. He also serves on the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Environmental Crimes Committee. He is a member of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement s (TCOLE) Curriculum Committee. He is a member of the Executive Council of the Texas Interoperable Communications Coalition (TXICC). He serves on the International Public Safety Association s (ISPA) Emerging Technology Committee. He also serves on the Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force. In 1994, he graduated from Texas State University in San Marcos with a Bachelors of Science in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Law Enforcement. In 2009, he received his LCC Designation from the Leadership Command College at Sam Houston State University. In 2011, he received his Masters of Science in Criminal Justice Leadership and Management, from Sam Houston State University. In 2014, he graduated from the 256th Session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico Virginia.

6 BONNIE TOWNSEND Bonnie Townsend comes to us with 24 years of court experience. She began her career in the Justice of the Peace Courts as a part time clerk in After 3 years, she was hired on as a full time clerk and served the Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2, in Caldwell County for another 5 years, as the Chief Court Clerk. In 1998, Bonnie was the first woman to be elected to the position of Justice of the Peace in Caldwell County, and served Precinct 3 in that capacity until the end of During her time with the JP Courts, Bonnie was an active member of the Justice of the Peace and Constables Association. Bonnie was hired as the Court Administrator for the City of Lockhart in September 2002 and in 2008 was also appointed as the Associate Judge for the court. Bonnie has served on the Merchandise Committee for TCCA and the Membership Committee for TMCA. She remains active in the Freedom Trail Chapter of TCCA in an advisory capacity. She achieved her Level III certification in 2006 and is a Certified Municipal Court Clerk. In 2010, Bonnie successfully completed the Institute for Court Managements Court Manager Program and in 2012; she became a Fellow of the Institute for Court Management, graduating at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.