NAUFUSA members elected a new slate of officers and directors at the general meeting held at the conclusion of conference programing in Oklahoma City in September. Former President Elect Donna Bucella was elected President for 2024-2025 (see article in the November 2024 newsletter) and Catherine Hanaway (ED Missouri) became President Elect. Tim Purdon (North Dakota) became Vice President, and Don Washington (WD Louisiana) became Secretary. Members elected Richard (Rick) Hartunian (ND New York 2010-2017) to fill the vacated Treasurer position. Rick should be familiar to many NAFUSA members since he previously served on our Board of Directors. He is currently a partner at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP.

Members also elected six new members to the Board of Directors replacing outgoing Directors Melinda Haag, Paul Fishman, Chuck Rosenberg, John Brownlee, Willy Ferrer and Carol Lam. The newly elected directors will serve a term of three years. In accordance with NAFUSA rules, three previously served in a Democratic administration and three in a Republican administration. The new directors are Booth Goodwin, Maria Chapa Lopez, Wendy Olson, Scott Schools, Ken Polite and Justin Herdman.

Booth Goodwin served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia from May 2010 through the end of 2015. He is a graduate of Washington and Lee University School of Law. Before becoming United States Attorney, he served as an Assistant in that office for nearly 10 years. He practices law at Goodwin & Goodwin in West Virginia.

Wendy Olson served as United States Attorney for the District of Idaho from 2010 to 2017. A native of Idaho, she received her law degree from Stanford University. After clerking for U.S. District Judge Barbara Jacobs Rothstein, she joined the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division until joining the Idaho U.S. Attorney’s Office as an Assistant in 1997. She is now a partner at Stoel Rives.

Maria Chapa Lopez served as U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida from 2018 to 2021. She received her law degree from South Texas School of Law. She spent more than a decade as a judge advocate in the United States Army, leaving at the rank of lieutenant colonel. She worked as an Assistant in the MDFL office for 16 years and served as a DOJ Deputy Attaché in the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City before being named U.S. Attorney.

Scott Schools served as U.S. Attorney for South Carolina from February 2001 to November 2001 and U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California 2007-2008. He served as Associate Deputy Attorney General at DOJ 2008-2013. He recently was appointed Chief Compliance Officer for OpenAI (see NAFUSA November 2024 newsletter).

Ken Polite served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana from 2013 to 2017 and was Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division July 2021 to July 28, 2023. He received his Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center. He is currently a partner with Sidley in Washington, D.C.

Justin Herdman served as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio 2017 to 2021. He received his J.D. from Harvard. He served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Cleveland from 2006 to 2013. Prior to becoming U.S. Attorney, he was a partner at Jones Day and he rejoined that firm in 2021.