Six applications received for vacant District 1A Judge seat; Public invited to express views regarding candidates

Six individuals have submitted applications to the Subdistrict 1A Judicial Nominating Commission for consideration for nomination to the District Court. The 1A Judicial Nominating Commission will meet Monday, January 28 to interview applicants to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the Honorable Margaret Lingreen.

The applicants include John William Bernau, Shea Marie Chapin, Alan Thomas Heavens, Nathan Carl  Moonen, Stephanie Christine Rattenborg and Justin Michael Vorwald. Any citizen may communicate with any Commissioner listed below to express their views of a candidate prior to the January 28 interview date.

The Judicial Nominating Commission for State of Iowa Judicial District 1A includes the following Commissioners (listed with their email contact information):

• Chairman, who by statute is the Senior District Court Judge: John Bauercamper (john.bauercamper@iowacourts.gov;
• Members appointed by Governor: Matthew Giese (mgiese84@gmail.com), Kathleen Klimesh (katescalling@hotmail.com), Rev. Duane Smith (pastorduane1631@gmail.com), Marsha Hauser (mmhauser@gmail.com), Dean Franzen (djfranzen@alpinecom.net);
• Attorney members elected by the Iowa State Bar Association: Whitney Gessner (gessnerlawoffice@gmail.com), Dana Desimone (Ddesimone@Millerlawdecorah.com), Jeremy Thompson (jthompson@putlaw.com), Christopher Fry (cfry@octhomaslaw.com), Patricia Reisen-Ottavi (ottavilaw@gmail.com);
• Secretary, who by rule is the Court Administrator: Linda Nilges (linda.nilges@iowacourts.gov).

Interviews will be held in the Winneshiek County Courthouse in Decorah. A schedule for the interviews will be posted prior to the January 28 date of the interviews. At the conclusion of the interviews, the 1A Judicial Nominating Commission will nominate two candidates to be interviewed by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.  Governor Reynolds will then appoint one of the nominees to serve as district court judge. Subdistrict 1A Judicial District consists of five counties in northeast Iowa, including Allamakee, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque and Winneshiek.