Jennifer Holsman Tetreault
President

Ms. Holsman Tetreault serves as the West Region Legal Counsel for US Foods and is responsible for providing practical, timely and high quality legal services to various functional groups, including Sales, Marketing, Human Resources, Supply Chain, and Operations.

Prior to joining US Foods, she was Corporate Counsel for Rural/Metro Corporation and served as the Executive Director of Operations and Chief Legal Officer for the Arizona State University Alumni Association from 2007-2012. From 2003-2011, she worked as a litigation defense attorney (2003-2007), and Of Counsel (2007-2011) at Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, P.L.C. From 2011-2013, Jenny served as Of Counsel at Struck, Wieneke and Love, P.L.C., practicing in the area of civil rights, constitutional defense, and governmental liability. She is admitted in the state courts for Arizona and the District of Columbia, the U.S. District Courts for Arizona and the District of Columbia, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mrs. Holsman Tetreault is a graduate of Arizona State University (magna cum laude and Barrett Honors College). She earned both her masters and law degrees from Syracuse University, where she was named the Outstanding Law School Graduate upon her graduation.

Mrs. Holsman Tetreault is very active in the community and serves on the Board of Directors for Valley Leadership, the Children′s Action Alliance, Downtown YMCA, Women′s Leadership Council/United Way, and the Tempe Community Council. Jenny is also active with the Sandra Day O'Connor Inn of Court, Association of Corporate Counsel, and the Maricopa County Bar Association. In recognition for her work in the community, Jenny was named one of the Top 25 “ASU Barrett Honors College Graduates to Watch" in 2013 and was a recipient of the Phoenix Business Journal's Forty Under 40 in 2009. She also graduated from Valley Leadership in 2010 and was a Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy Fellow in 2011.

She has served as a faculty member at the Sandra Day O'Connor School of Law since 2010 and teaches U.S. Law and Legal Analysis.

Rachel Hernandez
President Elect

Ms. Hernandez is an Assistant United States Attorney in Phoenix, Arizona. She currently handles criminal appeals, representing the United States before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.  Prior to her stint in the appellate section, Rachel was assigned to the fraud section of the criminal division, where she prosecuted a wide range of fraud and public corruption cases.  From 2009 to 2012, Rachel was the Executive Assistant United States Attorney, where she advised the United States Attorney, oversaw administrative matters and developed and implemented office-wide policies.

She received her law degree from University of California, Hastings College of Law and her undergraduate degree from Brandeis University.  Over the course of her career, she has also prosecuted violent crimes, drug organizations and immigration cases. Prior to becoming an Assistant United States Attorney in 2000, she was a Deputy Maricopa County Attorney and an Assistant Arizona Attorney General.

Rachel served as chair of the State Bar Public Lawyer Section from 2002 to 2003 and as chair of the State Bar Legal Services Committee from 2008 to 2010.

Damon Ashcraft
Vice President

Mr. Ashcraft is a partner at Snell & Wilmer law Firm. He assists clients in identifying, protecting, and maximizing the value of their intellectual property.  As a registered patent attorney, Damon prepares and prosecutes patent applications in the biotechnology, medical device, electronics, software and business method areas, and manages numerous global patent portfolios. His technical experience includes medical devices, software,microbiology, optics, pumps, heaters, ultrasound, semiconductors, wireless devices, software and circuitry.

Damon is a frequent speaker on various intellectual property topics and has authored and co-authored various articles. He is also an active member of the International Trademark Association("INTA") and currently is serving on the Internet Committee as Chair of the Internet Governance and Contracts Subcommittee.

His community involvement include Epiphany Lutheran Church, Habitat for Humanity and Snell & Wilmer Community Committee.

Matthew Binford
Past President

Mr. Binford is an Assistant United States Attorney with the Department of Justice in Phoenix, Arizona. Prior to serving with the Department of Justice, Matt was an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Arizona. Before he began his legal career, Matt taught with the Teach For America program in South Central Los Angeles and Las Vegas. 

Matt received his law degree from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, where he graduated with Highest Pro Bono Distinction. At the law school, he was the Truman R. Young Prosecutorial Fellow and a staff writer for the Arizona State Law Journal. He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona, and has a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. 

Matt is a member of Arizona’s Criminal Jury Instructions Committee and the Arizona Bar Foundation’s Board of Directors. He also serves on the Executive Council of the State Bar’s Appellate Practice Section and has previously served on the Attorney General’s Committee on Record Statements and Eyewitness Identification, as well as on the Arizona Forensic Science Academy Advisory Board.

Tom Giallanza
Treasurer

Mr. Giallanza previously served on the Arizona Bar Foundation Board from 2009-2015. He had been an Assistant Superintendent for the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions. Prior to moving to Arizona, he served as general counsel for a national real estate developer and later as manager of a national business unit for a major title insurance company. Tom earned his B.S. and J.D. from Loyola University of Chicago and is admitted to the Illinois bar. He is a member of the St. Thomas More Society of Phoenix.

Robert Brooks
Board Member

Robert Brooks - U.S. Attorney's Office

Susan Conrad
Board Member

Ms.  Conrad has served in senior roles in Special Assets with financial institutions managing complex workout and turnaround situations, including restructuring, bankruptcy and commercial litigation claims. Her current venture is with Premier Strategy group working with a team of investment bankers, tax attorneys, CPS and financial service professionals to help bring a comprehensive, holistic approach to their clients. Ms. Conrad creates collaborative environments, leveraging the strengths and ideas of many to get things done. Provides expert financial analysis and consults with stakeholders, empowering them to make sound, evidence-based decisions. Intrinsically motivated to add value to teams, stakeholders, and business partners. Effortlessly identifies cost savings and profitable answers to complex financial situations, as demonstrated by multi-million dollar portfolio management experience.

Ms. Conrad received her MBA from Arizona State University and a Masters of Science in Accounting from Grand Canyon University.

Rodney Glassman
Board Member

Mr.  Glassman currently works for Beus Gilbert managing external affairs, government relations and strategic development among other areas. Prior to that, Mr. Glassman led Ryley Carlock & Applewhite's External Affairs and Government Relations practice. Rodney's practice is focused on driving relevancy, enhancing credibility, and developing substantive relationships for his government, corporate, and non-profit clients. In 2013, Rodney was appointed as the Acting Town Manager of Cave Creek, one of Arizona's most conservative communities, where he oversaw the completion of an independent audit, infrastructure planning for the town's utilities, and a national search for the community's new, permanent manager.

Prior to his service in Cave Creek, Rodney managed over $150,000,000 in annual sales revenue for Waste Management in Arizona and New Mexico. In 2010, Rodney won a four-way primary to then serve as the Democratic nominee for United States Senate. Previously, at the age of 29, Rodney was elected to the Tucson City Council by over 60% of the vote and was the first Democrat elected by residents of the Ward he represented in over two decades.

Having earned his Eagle Scout as a youth, Rodney serves as a Major in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps Reserves. There he acts as both a litigator and civil attorney in the Air Force, attached to the 355th Fighter Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. In 2012, Rodney was selected as the 12th Air Force, JAG Reservist of the Year, amongst reservists from more than 27 active and reserve duty units.

John Gordon
Board Member

Mr. Gordon is the former Director of Leadership Development at Arizona School Boards Association (6 years). John’s 38 years in public education include serving as the Superintendent of the Cave Creek Unified School District from 2000 — 2005.

Prior to arriving in Arizona, John was a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent in the State of Washington. His final role in Washington was as Superintendent of the Wenatchee Public Schools in Wenatchee.

John has been involved in ASBA′s superintendent searches and leadership training since the spring of 2006 and completed many searches and school board training sessions throughout Arizona. He knows high–level performance and has a history of assisting district leaders to make breakthrough improvements in their organizations.

Hon. Stephen McCarville
Board Member

Hon. Mcarville attended Creighton University, Bachelor of Arts, History/Political Science, 1983; and, Creighton University School of Law School, Juris Doctorate Law Degree, 1987. Steve was engaged in the general practice of law with McCarville , Cooper & Vasquez in Casa Grande, Arizona until 2000 and also served as Town attorney for the Town of Mammoth, from 1990-2000. Steve was appointed as Pro Tempore Juvenile Court Commissioner by Presiding Juvenile Court Judge William O’Neil, May, 2000, as Superior Court Judge Pro Tempore by Vice-Chief Justice Charles E. Jones of the Arizona Supreme Court, July, 2000 and was elected to first full term as Pinal County Superior Court Judge, beginning January 2001.

Steve has served on several community boards including: Pinal-Gila County Legal Aid Board; Casa Grande Valley Historical Society; the Mayor’s Ad Hoc Committee on Downtown Development in Casa Grande, 1998; Saint Anthony of Padua School Board; Hospice Charitable Foundation; and, Casa Grande’s Main Street Board.

He is a member of the Pinal County Bar Association; Arizona Bar Association; and, American Bar Association.

Robert McWhirter
Board Member

Mr. McWhirter is a nationally and internationally known speaker and author on trial advocacy, immigration law, and the history of the bill of rights. He is a Certified Specialist in Criminal Law with the State Bar of Arizona and first chair qualified to defend capital cases by the Arizona Supreme Court.

The American Bar Association has publish Mr. McWhirter′s book BILLS, QUILLS, AND STILLS: THE HISTORY OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS (working title) in 2014. The American Bar Association has published his books THE CRIMINAL LAWYER′S GUIDE TO IMMIGRATION LAW: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS, 2nd Ed. 2006 and THE CITIZENSHIP FLOWCHART, 2007. In 2010, in Padilla v. Kentucky Justice Alito extensively quoted from his book. Mr. McWhirter has served on the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section and on the Standard Committee writing the CRIMINAL JUSTICE STANDARDS.

Currently, Mr. McWhirter has continued his private practice in Criminal Defense and testifies and provides expert advice on Immigration Consequences of Criminal Conviction. Mr. McWhirter also provides expert opinions on citizenship issues and litigation.

His professional career outside of the Foundation includes a wide array of technical and academic experiences. Duane has three years of technical instructor experience as a technical instructor at Chanute Air Force Base’s Center for Technical Training. He instructed students in technical reading and applied sciences at the School for Aerospace Ground Equipment. This was followed by seven and one-half years of academic training in the field of Equal Opportunity and Treatment/Human Relations Education. After retirement, he studied and practiced Civil Law for State Farm Insurance; before returning to Europe, where he served as adjunct faculty at the Bremerhaven Hochschule, Bremerhaven, West Germany; teaching technical English in the Computer Engineering Department. He has recently retired from an inner-city middle school teaching job where he taught U.S. History and math intervention.

Alexia Semlek
Board Member

Alexia Semlek specializes in probate and elder law.  She has her own firm Alexia J. Semlek & Associates. Her passion is "cost-efficient and compassionate legal representation for families experiencing one of the most difficult times of their lives."

Joel England
Ex-Officio/State Bar's CEO

Joel F. England currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the State Bar of Arizona.

Before coming to the Bar, Joel was the Chief Judge of the Yavapai-Apache Nation, a federally recognized Indian Tribe in Camp Verde, Arizona. He was responsible for the overall administration of the Court and presides over criminal and civil cases as well as an alternative disposition Wellness Court.

Prior to his current position, he served for over 21 years in the United States Air Force. He held a variety of positions, including service as a prosecutor, defense counsel and as a deployed combat operations attorney advising on the law of armed conflict. His final assignments included serving as the Chief of Professional Responsibility for the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps and as the General Counsel for the 56^th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base. During his tenure at Luke Air Force Base, his team was recognized as the Arizona Corporate Counsel In-House Legal Department of the Year in 2016.

Joel graduated with academic distinction from the United States Air Force Academy with a bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies. He holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Arizona College of Law, where he graduated summa cum laude and served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law. Joel is a member of the Arizona, California, and District of Columbia bars.