I am a graduate of Michigan State University. While working as a Social Security Disability Examiner for the State of Michigan, I attended Thomas M. Cooley Law School and graduated cum laude in 1991. I was admitted to the State Bar in 1991 and the Federal Bar in 1999. I began my legal career as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for the County of Kalamazoo where I worked from November 1992 through January 1998. As a prosecuting attorney I handled a variety of criminal matters including murders, rapes and other serious felonies, and spent several years on special assignment handling criminal sexual conduct cases involving children. Since leaving the prosecutor's office I was an attorney and partner with the law firm of Ford & Kriekard, P.L.C. in Portage for over 5 years, and I am now with the law firm of Redmond, Redmond & Yokom, P.L.C. in downtown Kalamazoo.
My main areas of practice are criminal law, juvenile law and bankruptcy, but I also have experience with family law, and general civil litigation. I have been a member of the Kalamazoo County Bar Association, the Michigan Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Kalamazoo County Trial Lawyers Association. I was Chairperson of the Criminal Court Practices Task Force of the Kalamazoo County District Court Consolidation Committee, and I am a member of the Kalamazoo County Courts Criminal Process Committee, and on the Advisory Board of the Kalamazoo County Drunk Driving Court.
I have been extremely active in Kalamazoo community and currently serve as a member of the Mattawan School Board. My other community activities have included being a Board Member of the Southwest Michigan High School Hockey League; a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Program for children; Board Member and Division Director for Little League; and coach and manager for a variety of youth sports programs.
