Candidates for FY27 National Office
Pursuant to the FBA Constitution and Bylaws, and in accordance with the notice disseminated earlier this year, the Nominations & Elections Committee has met and considered applications for nomination to FBA national office. The committee has nominated or received petitions from the following members for the offices indicated.
| Candidates | |
| Hon. Alison A. Bachus | President-Elect |
| Kelly T. Scalise | Treasurer |
| Christian Haugsby | Director |
| Dina T. Miller | Director |
| Michael S. Vitale | Director |
| Carolina Velaz-Rivero | Vice President for the First Circuit |
| Padmaja Chinta | Vice President for the Second Circuit |
| No vacant seat in FY27 | Vice President for the Third Circuit |
| No vacant seat in FY27 | Vice President for the Fourth Circuit |
| Molly Lizbeth Roth | Vice President for the Fifth Circuit |
| Jade K. Smarda | Vice President for the Sixth Circuit |
| Sarah Jane Hunt | Vice President for the Seventh Circuit |
| No vacant seat in FY27 | Vice President for the Eighth Circuit |
| Jody A. Corrales | Vice President for the Ninth Circuit |
| No vacant seat in FY27 | Vice President for the Tenth Circuit |
| Hon. Anna W. Howard | Vice President for the Eleventh Circuit |
| No vacant seat in FY27 | Vice President for the D.C. Circuit |
Petitions
Members who have not been nominated for office by the Committee, but who wish to be placed on the ballot for national office, may do so by delivering to Hon. Karoline Mehalchick, Chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee, at elections@fedbar.org, a petition, including an Application, specifying the office being sought and bearing the required number of signatures indicated previously. Petitions must be received by May 15, 2026.
No member shall be eligible as an endorser of a petition whose dues are not paid for the current fiscal year or who is not otherwise in good standing. Each petition may propose nominees for one or more offices; however, in no event shall any member be eligible as an endorser of more than one candidate for the same office.
Elections
In accordance with Bylaw 6(D), if there is more than one candidate per office either by nomination or timely receipt of petitions that comply with Article V, section 3.b. of the Constitution, by June 1, 2026, the Committee shall cause a Notice of Contested Election to be mailed or transmitted electronically to each Association member in good standing for each contested office. The notice shall list only the names of all nominated candidates and candidates by petition in alphabetical order under each contested elective office. The notice also shall contain such instructions as necessary for members to cast their votes as prescribed by policy adopted by the Board of Directors.
Completed ballots shall be received by the Chair of the Committee or by such person as designated by the Chair no later than June 15, 2026. The Committee shall review and certify the tabulated votes and report as elected the candidate for each office who has received a plurality of the votes cast for that office by the next business day following June 15, 2026.
If only one candidate is nominated by the Committee for an office and no timely petitions are received, then the office is uncontested and shall not require a member vote. For each uncontested office, the Committee shall instead certify and report as elected the slated candidate by the next business day following June 15. All uncontested offices shall be certified without a member vote, even if other offices may be contested. Certification of an uncontested slated candidate satisfies any and all election requirements included in the Constitution or Bylaws.
In the event that any deadline herein specified is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal federal holiday, the next succeeding business day shall substitute for that specific deadline.
2026 Nominations and Elections Committee
Hon. Karoline Mehalchick, President and Chair
Kevin A. Maxim, President-elect
Glen R. McMurry, Immediate Past President
Suzanne Katchmar, Circuit Vice President
Alessandra P. Serano, Circuit Vice President
Hon. Suzanne Mitchell, Section/Division Chair
Lawrence J. Satola, Chapter Representative
Pursuant to Bylaw 8, Sec. A1, the Nominations and Elections Committee is responsible for administering the procedures applicable to nomination and election of national officers of the Association during the annual election as prescribed in Article V, Section 3, of the Constitution and Bylaw 6. The Committee shall be composed of the President, who shall chair the Committee; President-elect; immediate Past-President; two Vice Presidents for the Circuit designated by the President; a Division or Section chairperson designated by the President-elect; and one Professional Chapter representatives designated by the President-elect.