from staff
Two veteran members of The Florida Bar Board of Governors have qualified to run for president-elect in the 2010 Bar elections. Twelve lawyers are running for five seats on the board and 19 other lawyers were elected unopposed when the filing period ended Dec. 15.
For president-elect, 11th Circuit board member Ervin Gonzalez of Coral Gables and 15th Circuit board member Scott Hawkins of West Palm Beach filed qualifying papers by the December 15 deadline. It is the first contested race for president-elect in 10 years.
Locally, GrayRobinson attorney Grier Wells is uncontested in his bid for re-election to the Bar’s Board of Governors.
Contested races are in the Second, Seventh, 10th, 11th, and 15th circuits:
• In the Second Circuit, Seat 2, William Howard Davis and Kelly A. O’Keefe of Tallahassee have filed to replace retiring board member Dom Caparello.
• In the Seventh Circuit, Seat 1, K. Judith Lane and Sandra C. Upchurch of Daytona Beach filed to replace retiring board member Chobee Ebbets.
• In the 10th Circuit, Seat 1, C. Richard “Rick” Nail of Lakeland and Brandon J. Rafool of Winter Haven have filed to replace retiring board member Robert Brush.
• In the 11th Circuit, Seat 3, Michael B. Feiler of Coral Gables, Leslie J. Lott of Coral Gables, Jason M. Murray of Miami, and Roland Sanchez-Medina Jr. of Miami have filed to replace Ervin Gonzalez, who is running for Bar president.
• In the 15th Circuit, Seat 3, Theodore J. Leopold of Palm Beach Gardens and Michelle R. Suskauer of West Palm Beach have filed to replace Scott Hawkins, who is running for Bar president.
Incumbents reelected without opposition for two-year terms were:
• Stephen H. Echsner of Pensacola in the First Circuit, Seat 1;
• Clay Schnitker of Madison in the Third Circuit, Seat 1;
• Andrew Sasso of Clearwater in Sixth Circuit, Seat 1;
• Mary Ann Morgan of Winter Park in the Ninth Circuit, Seat 1;
• Scott McMillen of Orlando in the Ninth Circuit, Seat 3;
• Ramon Abadin of Miami in the 11th Circuit, Seat 1;
• Dennis Kainen of Miami in the 11th Circuit, Seat 5;
• Jack Hickey of Miami in the 11th Circuit, Seat 7;
• William Schifino Jr., of Tampa in the 13th Circuit, Seat 1;
• David Prather of West Palm Beach in the 15th Circuit, Seat 1;
• Walter “Skip” Campbell of Ft. Lauderdale in the 17th Circuit, Seat 1;
• Jay Cohen of Ft. Lauderdale in the 17th Circuit, Seat 4;
• Clif McClelland Jr., of Melbourne in the 18th Circuit, Seat 1;
• Laird Lile of Naples in the 20th Circuit, Seat 1;
• Ian Comisky of Philadelphia in Out-of-State, Seat 2; and
• Brian Burgoon of Atlanta in Out-of-State, Seat 4.
Two newcomers were also elected without opposition for two-year terms:
• Michael S. Hooker of Tampa to fill the newly apportioned Seat 4 in the 13th Circuit and John W. Manuel of Panama City, who replaces retiring board member Sandy Sanborn in Seat 1 in the 14th Circuit.
The Bar’s Board of Governors has exclusive authority to formulate and adopt matters of policy concerning the activities of the Bar, subject to limitations imposed by The Rules Regulating The Florida Bar. The board consists of the Bar president and president-elect, the president and president-elect of the Young Lawyers Division, representatives elected by members of the Bar from each of the state’s 20 judicial circuits, four out-of-state representatives elected by Florida Bar members who reside outside of Florida, and two public members appointed by the Florida Supreme Court. The Florida Bar currently has more than 87,000 members.
Again this year, Bar members in circuits with contested board races will have the option of voting by mail-in paper ballot or via the Internet. The Bar’s election administrator, Election Services Corporation, will mail ballots in time to arrive in Bar members’ offices around March 1. It will contain instructions for voting either by the paper ballot or online, which will require the member’s name and a PIN. The instructions will include an online address where members can cast their electronic votes.
All votes must have be received by Election Services Corporation by midnight, March 22.