Andrea Cartwright
Cartwright Law Firm, PLLC

It is with great pleasure and honor that I have served as a board member of the Consumer Bankruptcy Association since 2016. I now seek re-election for a full six year term. The last three years the board members succeeded because we attracted consistently good attendance at our events and workshops and I would like to continue building upon those successes by being involved with putting on education as well as social events for the consumer bankruptcy bar.

I am a dedicated debtor side attorney because I have a passion to help people struggling financially to survive life challenges. The CBA gave me a chance to help people avoid many challenges through effective education. I enjoy planning and organizing these events and find personal satisfaction in their success.
I have participated since 2003 as a panel attorney for pro bono clients in certain contested matters. I also serve as a board member panel attorney and board member of Access to Bankruptcy Court and, working on the fundraising subcommittee, my experience at the board level has encouraged and motivated me to take the next step.

As a Board member, I will further contribute to my profession. I therefore seek your vote so that I can continue to assist, implement and plan educational events that raise our standard of professional excellence.

We have gained momentum over the past three years. I plan to continue and expand our events if elected and stand ready to do so.

Michael T. Brown, Esq.
Kilpatrick & Associates, P.C.

Coming from a family of teachers, I am very interested in the opportunity to help an organization that focuses on better educating the bankruptcy bar.

I have primarily practiced consumer bankruptcy law for the previous eight and a half (8.5) years. The first seven and a half (7.5) were spent as debtors’ counsel at the Dietrich Law Firm (“DLF”) in Lansing. In my time at DLF, I handled all aspects of consumer bankruptcy cases from the initial consultation through discharge. This includes arguing various contested matters before bankruptcy courts in both the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, resulting in numerous published opinions. Additionally, I was a panelist at the 29th FBA Annual Bankruptcy Seminar and have presented at several Ingham County Bar Association Bankruptcy Section luncheons.

For the past year, I have primarily represented creditors in bankruptcy cases state-wide. This representation includes several vehicle lenders, a municipality utility department, and a county treasurer.

I would like to use my experience on both sides of the “aisle” to help the CBA and its continued efforts to help educate the bankruptcy bar. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require additional information. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Cheryl D. Cook
Potestivo & Associates

I am running for an open position on the CBA and I ask for your support.  I am interested in becoming a member of the board because I want to help advance the organization’s purpose of “through continuing education, training, and open discourse… to promote excellence and civility in the practice of Consumer Bankruptcy Law.”  That is a lofty and desirable goal, and I’ve seen the commitment to that goal in my practice each time I’ve walked into a courtroom or engaged in email or telephone exchanges with members of this bar.

I have handled Chapter 7 and 13 bankruptcy matters on behalf of creditors for 8 years, including mortgage creditors, other secured creditors, and student loan creditors.  During that time, I also have handled state court litigation, collection, eviction, and foreclosure matters.  While I have attended CBA meetings and presentations in the past and found them very informative and helpful, this would be my first involvement in this organization that provides such a tremendous benefit to its members.

I hope you will consider voting for me on the ballot.  Thank You

Ethan Dunn
Maxwell Dunn, PLC

My name is Ethan Dunn and I am running for a board seat with the CBA.  I believe the association is a large part of the reason we have a greater level of civility among attorneys practicing consumer bankruptcy.  The education and training the CBA provides is designed to improve the quality of our practice and our ability to serve our clients.  I want to serve as a board member to advance this mission and add value to the work the CBA is already doing.

For nearly thirteen years I have represented debtors in Chapter 7, 11 and 13 matters.  I have served on the fundraising committee for the Access to Bankruptcy Court non-profit organization and I previously served as a co-chair for the Federal Bar Association Bankruptcy Practice group.   The CBA has been an invaluable resource for me throughout my career.  Beyond the legal education opportunities and roundtable discussions, I have received mentoring from other more experienced practitioners.  It is now my turn to give back and I hope that you will vote for me to serve as a member of the board of directors.

Karen Evangelista
Karen Evangelista PC

I have placed my name in nomination for the CBA Board as I believe this organization is a very important one. More significantly, I believe it is an organization that is a very relevant one.  Consumer bankruptcy lawyers do not always receive the respect they deserve and I would like to help change that narrative.

I have been a bankruptcy lawyer for many years and have represented all sides of the process.  I am currently a Chapter 7 Trustee.  Full disclosure, I sat on the Board but retired from it in 2012.  I have seen what the CBA has done to educate the bar and promote civility. I look forward to returning to return and help do it again!

Caralyce M. Lassner
Lassner Law

I am interested in returning to serve on the CBA Board.  I have been in consumer practice for over 10 years and have sat on the CBA Board previously by appointment and then by election.  I have served as the Co-Chair of the ABI Consumer Committee, served as the Chair and a committee member of the ABI/CBA Veteran’s Day Conference, and have helped develop, spoken at, and moderated a number of continuing education sessions over the years for the betterment of our bankruptcy bar. I am an Access to Bankruptcy Court panel attorney and am on the Court’s pro bono appointment list. I have demonstrated a commitment to the ongoing education of our bar and would welcome the opportunity to continue to do so as a member of the CBA Board.  I would welcome your vote but should I not be elected, I will continue to do what I can to support the CBA Board and the educational and other professional development opportunities for all practicing in our district.  Thank you.

Lorinda Lindsay
Great Lakes Legal

I am running for an open position on the CBA and I ask for your support. The CBA has been very beneficial to my growth and development as an attorney and is an important organization for this practice area. I am interested in becoming a member of the board because I believe I can provide additional insight and ideas to continue benefiting the members of the organization.

I have been practicing Chapter 7 and 13 Bankruptcy for almost 19 years and about 70% of my practice area involves bankruptcy cases.

Although a six-year commitment is a long time for a position in any organization, I am dedicated and approach all commitments with Trojan effort. I served on the Wolverine Bar Association’s Barristers’ Ball for three-years and continue to support the organization today. I am also a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys.

The CBA provides many networking, charitable and professional development opportunities for its members. These are all things I am passionate about. I volunteer annually with the Detroit Public Schools’ Mock Trial tournament where I mentor and judge middle school and high school students in a mock trial tournament. Also, I participate in various ICLE trainings for professional development and networking.

I realize that this is a significant time commitment; however, the CBA has been extremely beneficial to me professionally and I would like to “return the favor” so to speak, to other members.

I hope you will consider voting for me on the ballot. For additional information, please feel free to contact me via e-mail at llindsay@wcnls.org or 313-888-9665. Thank You.

Charissa Potts
Freedom Law, PC

I formed my consumer bankruptcy-focused firm in 2014. From its start at my dining room table, the firm has consistently grown over its five-year life into a small but highly profitable enterprise with multiple locations and additional practice areas. The firm’s embrace of technology, highly refined business processes, and data analytics ensures cost-effective and efficient client representation.

I am involved in several professional extracurriculars: I served on the Sixth Circuit Merit Selection Panel; as a Board member and as a volunteer attorney for Access to Bankruptcy Court; on the Barbara J. Rom Award for Bankruptcy Excellence Committee; on the planning committee for the ABI’s Shapero Cup Regional Moot Court Competition; as bankruptcy committee co-chair for the Federal Bar Association. I was published in the American Bankruptcy Institute Journal in 2018 (with another article pending October 2019); I recently served on a panel with Judge Opperman and David Lerner at the annual Michigan Judges Conference in May 2019, presenting on the interplay of bankruptcy and state court proceedings.

Crystal L Price-Buckley
Trott Law P.C.

I am applying for one of the open positions on the CBA Board. I have been practicing bankruptcy for over ten (10) years and have both debtor and creditor bankruptcy experience. Currently, I am a supervising attorney in the bankruptcy department at Trott Law P.C. I am fairly well known among the debtor/creditor bar and have frequently participated in CBA events and few bankruptcy panels.  Recently, I have been selected as the “Lawyer Co- Chair” for an upcoming event with the Judicial Conference of the United States Committee on the Administration of the Bankruptcy System diversity initiative. Additionally, I have accepted a position on the planning committee for the “Shapero Cup”.

I am interested in becoming a member of the CBA board because I have always found value in seminars and events sponsored by the Board. I would like to participate in the continued success of the CBA and hopefully bring new and exciting events/seminars to the bankruptcy bar.

I hope you will consider me as a candidate for the CBA Board.

Steve Sowell
Sowell-Law PLLC

I am running for an open position on the Consumer Bankruptcy Association board of directors.  I believe the CBA provides important support to the debtor-creditor bar in the Eastern District of Michigan.  I am running because I believe the creditor side of the bar is under-represented on the board of directors.

I have been practicing primarily real estate law for over 30 years, including representing landlords, mortgagees, land contract vendors, and condominium associations as creditors in Chapter 7 and 13 cases.  I spoke at the Central States Bankruptcy Workshop in Traverse City for the American Bankruptcy Institute on June 16-17, 2006, regarding changes to the Bankruptcy Act that took effect in October, 2005, as well as speaking for the Consumer Bankruptcy Association at the Peking House about the 2005 changes affecting the automatic stay.  I served on the committee which proposed revisions to the Local Bankruptcy Rules which took effect in 2016.  I provided testimony before the National Bankruptcy Review Commission on proposed amendments to the “Fairness to Condominiums and Cooperatives” provision of the Bankruptcy Code, Detroit, MI, July 27, 1997.  I’ve written two articles, “Fitting the Round Peg into the Square Hole: Condominium Assessments in Chapter 13 Bankruptcy,” and “Condominium Associations Get A Break–Or Do They?,” both both concerning condominiums and bankruptcy, which were published in the Michigan Real Property Review.

In the non-bankruptcy arena, I have made several presentations for the Community Associations Institute and have authored over a dozen other articles published in such publications as the Michigan Bar Journal, the Michigan Real Property Review, and the CAI-Michigan Journal.  I am a transplanted Arkansawyer, the father of 5 children (none of whom, thank God, are lawyers), and an avid photographer.

I believe my knowledge and experience can be of service to the CBA.  Thank you for your consideration.

Shannon Warner
Holzman Law PLLC

Hello, my name is Shannon Warner and I am a candidate running for an open position on the Consumer Bankruptcy Association board.  I have been practicing consumer bankruptcy law for approximately 15 years, wherein most of my practice has been representing consumer debtors; however, I have recently branched out, and taken on another specialty in representing creditors in consumer bankruptcy proceedings as of April 1, 2019.

I am a graduate of Western Michigan University Cooley Law School and have been a member of the State Bar of Michigan since 2004.  I have also been an active member of the Detroit Consumer Bankruptcy Association since 2005 and the American Bankruptcy Institute since 2016.

While I don’t have past experience in presentations with the above organizations, I have enjoyed participating in different volunteer projects in Detroit during college, law school and now in my legal career, to serve those less fortunate, the most recent being the Capuchin Soup Kitchen.  I have also participated in serving at St. Christine’s Soup Kitchen and the Life Remodeled project.

The Consumer Bankruptcy Association is a reputable organization in the consumer bankruptcy community that I have benefitted from and gained knowledge through in my practice of law.  It is an organization that has proven to carry out its mission time and time again over the years through its various networking and learning opportunities provided to practitioners, and while it is a lengthy commitment, I want to assist in the continuance of that mission.

I hope that you will consider the qualities that I may bring to the table in continuing to carry out the CBA’s mission on the upcoming ballot