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| President - Rhonda Henning |
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Rhonda is currently employed with Buckmeier & Daane
Lawyers PC in Sioux City, Iowa, as a paralegal - office
manager since 1995. Her attorneys are primarily trial
attorneys and practice in Iowa, Nebraska, and South
Dakota.
Rhonda has obtained a Bachelors Degree in Criminal
Justice, an Associate of Applied Science in Paralegal/Legal
Assistant, and an Associate of Applied Science Degree
in Accounting. She has served in numerous positions
with the Iowa Association of Legal Assistants.Paralegals such
as Treasurer, 2008 & 2006 Spring Seminar Chair,
Placement Chairperson, and Region 3 Director.
If any member has specific questions regarding the
association, please feel free to contact me at henningr@buckmeierdaane.com or president@ialanet.org |
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| FIrst Vice President & Seminar
Committee Chair - Tracy L. McGee |
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I have been employed with Grefe & Sidney since 2004 and working in the litigation department, doing defense work, handling primarily worker’s compensation claims. I graduated from DMACC in 2003, with a degree in Associated Science in Legal Assistant Studies. I did my internship with Des Moines Public Defender’s Office, Adult Division.
I was born in the Des Moines area and have lived here my entire life. I graduated from Urbandale High School in 1980. After high school, I went on to IA School of Beauty for Cosmetology. Received my license, and worked for the next 5 yrs. I then had my first daughter in 1983 and my second daughter in 1990. I then went on to work for Mercy Medical Center in 1990 in the Physical Therapy Department. I decided to go back to school in 1997/1998 to earn my AS Degree. Worked full time and part time and went to night school for the next 4 yrs while juggling home life. I left Mercy then to start my next adventure with Grefe & Sidney. I have one grandson, who will be 9 in September. I am constantly learning something new every day, and welcome new challenges.
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| Second Vice President & Membership
Committee Chair - Bethany
Hempel |
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Bethany received her Bachelor
of Arts from the University of Iowa in Political Science
and received her Certificate of Specialization
in Legal Assistant from the Des Moines Area Community
College. Bethany began working as a Legal Assistant
at Iowa Legal Aid on the Equal Justice Project in October
2007. The Equal Justice Project is a specialized division
of Iowa Legal Aid that not only seeks to protect victims
from domestic abuse, but to develop and identify best
practices in lifting families from abuse through advocacy
and research. Bethany worked in the areas of divorce
law, housing, administrative law, and small claims.
As an IALA member, Bethany enjoys getting
to know other IALA members, receiving resources,
and learning new ways to improve her position
as a legal assistant at Iowa Legal Aid.
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| Treasurer & Budget and Finance Chair – Rosie Starr |
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Rosie Starr got her first job as a legal secretary with a small law office in Iowa City in 1970, and has worked in a law office ever since. Rosie has been employed as a paralegal with Hayek, Brown, Moreland & Smith, L.L.P. in Iowa City for 28+ years. Rosie works primarily in the areas of probate, family law, and tax preparation.
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| Secretary & Elections and Nominations
Chair - Janine Plettner-Glodt, CP |
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Janine Plettner-Glodt, CP is a Paralegal for American Equity Investment life Insurance Company In West Des Moines, Iowa. She received her Bachelor of Liberal Studies from Iowa State University in 1995, and her Paralegal Certificate from DMACC in 1999. She earned the CP designation from NALA in 2004. Janine has been a paralegal for more than 10 years, and has worked primarily in-house for insurance and annuity companies.
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| Iowa Bar Liaison & New Laws and Legislature Chair - Patty
Nearmyer |
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Patty is employed at Anderson & Tully for
5 years in the areas of practice are Personal Injury
and Medical Malpractice. She has been a Paralegal
for 10 years, a Legal Secretary for 5 years before
that. She has attended Hamilton Business College
in Legal Executive Administration; Des Moines Area
Community College in Business Administration; and
is taking on-line classes at DMACC. |
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| NALA Liaison & Certified Legal
Assistant Chair -
Becky Lohrbach, CP |
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Becky is currently working in the
areas of workers compensation, administrative law, employment
law, insurance, probate, and real estate. She earned by CLA
in January 1991. Becky is working as an in-house legal
assistant for ABCM Corporation for the past 15 years. Prior
to that she worked in a law office for 14 years
for a sole practitioner in a variety of areas. Becky is
looking forward to networking with legal assistants across
the state and hope to be able to meet some of the IALA members
in my region. She also hopes to educate other legal
assistants on the benefits of belonging to IALA. |
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| Public Relations Liaison - Laurie
Bolluyt |
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Laurie has been employed as a legal assistant at the Sioux County Attorney’s office for the past seven years and is primarily responsible for the felony docket as well as civil matters including forfeitures, post-conviction relief, and lawsuits involving the county.
Laurie is a high school graduate and has taken various continuing education seminars throughout the years. She has recently enrolled in the paralegal program at Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City.
Prior to joining the staff at the County Attorney’s office, Laurie worked at a private law firm for four years working primarily in the areas of litigation, criminal, adoptions, corporations, and guardianships/conservatorships, and served as office manager the last year. She has served as the IALA Region 3 Director since 2009. |
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| Technology Liaison
(Technology and Placement Chair) - Rhonda Henning |
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Rhonda is currently employed with Buckmeier & Daane
Lawyers PC in Sioux City, Iowa, as a paralegal - office
manager since 1995. Her attorneys are primarily trial
attorneys and practice in Iowa, Nebraska, and South
Dakota.
Rhonda has obtained a Bachelors Degree in Criminal
Justice, an Associate of Applied Science in Paralegal/Legal
Assistant, and an Associate of Applied Science Degree
in Accounting. She has served in numerous positions
with the Iowa Association of Legal Assistants.Paralegals such
as Treasurer, 2008 & 2006 Spring Seminar Chair,
Placement Chairperson, and Region 3 Director.
If any member has specific questions regarding the
association, please feel free to contact me at henningr@buckmeierdaane.com or president@ialanet.org |
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| Ethics Chair - Open |
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Historian -
Open |
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Editor, Original Notice - Janine Plettner-Glodt, CP |
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Janine Plettner-Glodt, CP is a Paralegal for American Equity Investment life Insurance Company In West Des Moines, Iowa. She received her Bachelor of Liberal Studies from Iowa State University in 1995, and her Paralegal Certificate from DMACC in 1999. She earned the CP designation from NALA in 2004. Janine has been a paralegal for more than 10 years, and has worked primarily in-house for insurance and annuity companies. |
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Region I Director - Nikki Thompson
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Employer: Miller, Pearson, Gloe, Burns,
Beatty & Cowie, PLC, Decorah, IA; Nikki
has been employed as a paralegal since 1996 and has
over 13 years of experience in the legal field. She is currently
working in the areas of family law, personal injury,
insurance defense along with some workman's compensation. Nikki received
her A.S. degree in paralegal studies from
Iowa Lakes Community College and earned her Bachelor
of Arts degree majoring in political science from Buena
Vista University. She has worked for the
Miller Law Firm since June of 1996. Nikki is looking
forward to meeting more members of the IALA and becoming a
more active participant of the IALA organization. |
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Region II Director & Past President - Marilyn Harms
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Marilyn has been employed by Hardin County Attorney’s
Office for the past 24 years. She works primarily
in criminal law. Prior to that, Marilyn worked
a private law firm for 8 years.
Marilyn attended Iowa State University. She
received her CLA designation from NALA in 1990. Marilyn
has served on the IALA Board of Directors in many
capacities including Ethics Chair, Bar Liaison, and
1st Vice President.
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| Region III Director - Open |
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Region IV Director - Lisa Bryan
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I work for a solo practitioner in Council Bluffs, Iowa, who works in a variety of legal areas. Compared to many others in the organization, I am a late bloomer. I realized about 4½ years ago that becoming a legal assistant would be something that would keep my mind engaged and hopefully always employed! I plan to take the National Paralegal exam within the next year or so.
I have lived in Council Bluffs nearly my entire life. In my spare time, I enjoy gardening, bicycling and walking.
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Region V Co -Directors - Linda Theobold and Melanie Broich
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Linda is a native of Davenport, Iowa, & has had a long career in the legal profession. After high school, she worked part-time for a law firm while attending Prospect Hall College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and graduated in 1971 with a Legal Secretary Certificate. She moved back to Iowa where she worked for a few years for the Scott County Attorney in his private office.
She left the working world for several years to raise her children, moved to Wisconsin, and went back to work first as an administrative assistant then as legal secretary, eventually working for several law firms in the Milwaukee area. After spending almost 30 years in the Milwaukee area, she moved back to Iowa where she married, bought a house, and acquired two dogs. She joined Hopkins & Huebner, P.C., in Des Moines, Iowa as a legal secretary and after graduating from Simpson College in 2007, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Management, was promoted to legal assistant and now works primarily in workers’ compensation and litigation. |
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Region VI Co-Directors - Denise
M. Wall, CP, Rhonda Purdy & Renee Hadjis, ACP
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Denise M. Wall was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She
earned her associates' degree in paralegal studies
from Kirkwood Community College in 1992 and received
her bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa
in 2003. Ms. Wall earned her CP (certified paralegal)
designation in 2000.
Ms. Wall has experience in the areas of workers'
compensation, personal injury, employment litigation,
and commercial litigation. Currently, she works primarily
in workers' compensation and personal injury.
At various times since 1997, Ms. Wall has served as President, First Vice President, Iowa Bar Liaison, NALA Liaison, Secretary, Region VI Director, and Technology & Place Chair of the Iowa Association of Legal Assistants.Paralegals. She has also chaired numerous IALA seminar committees. In addition to IALA, Ms. Wall is a member of the National Association of Legal Assistants.
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Rhonda K. Purdy is a paralegal at the Wertz & Dake law firm in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 1987. She was awarded the Dollars for Scholars Scholarship in Kennedy Office Education Association Received a trophy for Most Outstanding Kennedy Office Education Student. In May of 1991, Rhonda received her Paralegal Degree from Kirkwood Community College. She was a member of Beta Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Beta Gamma, Business Honor Society, and Alpha Eta Rho Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Fraternity. Rhonda has been a member of the Iowa Association of Legal Assistants for many years. Rhonda has 23 years of experience in the legal field. Although her area of practice is now limited to workers’ compensation, she has worked, at some point in the 23 years of my experience, in just about every field of law.
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Renee Hadjis, ACP, is a native of northwest Iowa, having grown up in Sioux City. She spent 15 years living in Des Moines until moving to Cedar Rapids in 1995. She has been a paralegal since 1985, when she received her AA degree from Des Moines Area Community College (Legal Assistant program) in Ankeny. She received her BA degree from Simpson College (English, Management) in Indianola in 1993. She became certified through the National Association of Legal Assistants in 2004 and obtained her advanced certification in trial practice in 2009. She works in civil litigation and is employed by Lederer Weston Craig, PLC in Cedar Rapids. She has been a member of IALA since 1985 and a member of NALA since 2004.
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Region VII Director - Open
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Region VIII Director - Open
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Scholarship Co-Chair - Peggy L. Patters |
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Past Positions Held - Paula Grady Memorial
Education Scholarship Committee (1997-2007)
Peggy Patters is a paralegal with the law firm
of Brady & O'Shea, P.C. She earned her Associate
of Arts with honors in the Legal Assistant program at Kirkwood
Community College and has been practicing as a litigation
paralegal since 1988. She is a member of the Iowa Association
of Legal Assistants and a paralegal member of American Association
for Justice (formerly Association of Trial Lawyers of America). Ms.
Patters has assisted in jury trials in state and federal
courts. Her main focus is in the areas of personal
injury and business litigation. She has served on several
IALA seminar committees in the past, coordinated speakers
and presenters for regional meetings and presented as a speaker
on several occasions. Peggy is proud to have served on the
Paula Grady Memorial Education Scholarship Committee since
its inception in 1997.
Peggy is married to Keith and lives in Marion, Iowa. She
has three children and six grandchildren. In
her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her children
and grandchildren, traveling, music and photography. |
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Scholarship Co-Chair - Jill
Jamieson |
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Jill Jamieson earned her Associate of Arts degree in paralegal studies through Kirkwood Community College and began her career as a paralegal at Life Investors Insurance Company (now AEGON USA, Inc.) in Cedar Rapids in 1985. Jill’s experience includes insurance defense, including class action cases. Her current position with AEGON is Compliance Analyst and Field Advisor.
Jill became a member of Paralegals of Iowa, now known as the Iowa Association of Legal Assistants, in 1985 and was treasurer at one time. Currently, she enjoys being the Scholarship Committee co-chair and appreciates IALA’s continuing support of education for its members. |
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School Liasons |
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Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) -
Des Moines - Mark Brooks
Grandview College - Des Moines - Randi R. Radosevich
Iowa Lakes Community College - Estherville - Jill
Freed, CLA
Kaplan University- Mason City - open
Kaplan University - Davenport - open
Kirkwood Community College - Cedar Rapids -
Heather Hunter
Western Iowa Tech Community College - Sioux
City - Rhonda Henning
Iowa Western Community College - Council Bluffs
- open
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