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 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 membership@ialanet.org.

Sherry is employed as legal assistant/paralegal for total of 20 years, currently working in the areas of litigation, operations, and management of support staff at Wells Fargo Law Department.  she has an AA degree in Legal Assistant; BA in Business Management in 2001; and a Masters in Public Administration in 2004. Sherry has worked as a paralegal for many years in personal injury and medical malpractice. While her focus is now more on corporate litigation, operations, and staff management, it is a challenge that she has embraced as it provides new learning experiences on a daily basis. Sherry has held the positions of  Region 5 Director, School Liaison at DMACC, and Secretary for IALA.

Employer: Nationwide Insurance working in litigation.

Education: Received Bachelors Degree in History from Iowa State in 1995. Completed legal assistant certificate in 2003. Mark also has three Associate Degrees from the Community College of the Air Force.

Background: Mark has been married to his wife Teri for 38 years and has two children and six grandchildren. Mark and Teri adopted their oldest granddaughter in 1991.

Mark retired from the United States Air Force as a Master Sergeant after 22 years. For his first 12 years in the Air Force he worked as a Security Policeman performing nuclear security here at home and air base defense overseas. He completed his last 10 years as a weapons instructor. In his last assignment he was the Superintendent of Small Arms Training at Hurlburt Field, Fl. In this position, he was responsible for 15 enlisted men and women and one DOD civilian. Mark was also responsible for an annual operating budget of $26,000.00. His unit was responsible for all small arms training for 3 Air Force installations translating to about 20,000 individuals annually. His unit was also responsible for all weapons maintenance for these installations.

After completing his degree at Iowa State, Mark substitute taught in the Des Moines school system for a year. He then started working as a technical writer at the John Deere plant in Ankeny for its tillage equipment. Mark then started working as the technical writer for Ag Leader Technology in Ames. After being laid off from Ag Leader in 2002, Mark returned to school and took obtained his legal assistant training.

Mark started working as a legal assistant in 2003 part-time with Grefe & Sidney, PLC in Des Moines and then went full-time after completing his training at DMACC. In 2006, he moved to Peddicord, Wharton, Spencer, Hook, Barron and Wegman, LLP until 2008 when he began working at Nationwide. All of these firms were focused on litigation, primarily insurance defense work, and workers' compensation.

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.

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. Sheiscurrently 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.

Laurie has been employed as a legal assistant for a total of 10 years, currently working in the area of criminal law for the Sioux County Attorney.

Laurie is a high school graduate and has taken various continuing education seminars throughout the years. She worked at a private law firm for four years working primarily in the areas of litigation, criminal, adoptions, and guardianships/conservatorships, and served as office manager the last year. Laurie has been with the Sioux County Attorney for six years and handles the felony docket as well as any civil matters including forfeitures, post-conviction relief, etc. Laurie looks forward to being involved with IALA and meeting the legal assistants in the Region 3 area.

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.