Senior Judge Thomas J. Felts inducted as president, new ISBA Board of Governors members

Indianapolis (Sept. 29, 2023) – Senior Judge Thomas J. Felts was inducted as president of the Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA) today during the association’s Assembly Meeting. He is the first ISBA president to concurrently serve as a judge.

Judge Felts is a certified Senior Judge affiliated with the Indiana Office of Court Services. He is a 1976 graduate of the University of Notre Dame and received his law degree from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 1979. He worked for two law firms in Fort Wayne following graduation, becoming a partner with the Burt, Blee, Hawk & Sutton (now Burt, Blee, Dixon, Sutton & Bloom LLP) law firm in 1987.

Judge Felts was named magistrate of the Allen Circuit Court in October 1989 and served in that capacity until he was elected as judge of the Allen Circuit Court in 2002. He served three terms as judge, choosing not to seek re-election in 2020, and began his service as a certified senior judge on January 1, 2021.

Judge Felts has a long record of leadership and service both in the legal community as well as local and state organizations. He created and supervised three problem-solving courts and has been a frequent presenter for legal and judicial education. Prior to being elected as ISBA president, Judge Felts served on the organization’s Board of Governors for three terms. He has been a longtime board member of the Indiana Judges Association and served as its president from 2007 through 2009. He served three terms on the board of the Indiana Bar Foundation as well as three terms on the Board of the Indiana Judicial Conference. On the local level, Judge Felts has served on the boards of the Foellinger Foundation and St. Joseph Community Health Foundation in Fort Wayne as well as on the boards of the Fort Wayne Metro YMCA, Allen County Community Corrections, Allen County Public Records Commission, and Allen County Courthouse Preservation Trust.

Judge Felts’ honors include receiving the ISBA Outstanding Judge Award, being named the Notre Dame Club of Fort Wayne Person of the Year, and receiving the Indiana Lawyer Leadership in Law Distinguished Barrister Award. In December 2020, Judge Felts was honored by Governor Eric Holcomb with a Sagamore of the Wabash Award in recognition of his service to the state of Indiana.

Judge Felts has been married to Kathryn (Kay) Felts for 41 years and has three sons and three grandchildren.

Judge Felts succeeds Amy Noe Dudas of Dudas Law in Richmond, Ind. Michael Jasaitis, Crown Point, Ind. assumes the role as ISBA president-elect, and John Maley, Indianapolis was elected vice president during today’s Assembly Meeting.

ISBA’s new leadership team, as inducted by members is:

OFFICERS
President: Hon. Tom Felts, Fort Wayne 
President Elect: Michael Jasaitis, Crown Point 
Vice President: John Maley, Indianapolis 
Secretary: April Keaton, Indianapolis 
Treasurer: Hon. Stephanie Steele, Granger 
Counsel to the President: Jackie Pillar, Crown Point

BOARD OF GOVERNORS 
1st District: Steve Sersic, Munster 
2nd District: Barbra Stooksbury, Chesterton 
3rd District: Joe Fullenkamp, South Bend 
4th District: Hon. Frances Gull, Fort Wayne 
5th District: Patrick Jones, Lafayette 
6th District: Julia Kozicki, Noblesville 
7th District: Anne McFadden, Bloomington 
8th District: Raymond Dudlo, Evansville 
9th District: Derrick Wilson, New Albany 
10th District: Jim Williams, Muncie
11th District:

• Jane Dall Wilson, Indianapolis
  
• Joe Rompala, Indianapolis 
  
• Jimmie McMillan, Indianapolis 
  

At Large District: 

• Allyse Wirkkala, Indianapolis 
  
• Hon. Mike Witte, Nineveh 
  

Past President: Amy Noe Dudas, Richmond 
House of Delegates Chair: Séamus Boyce, Westfield 
House of Delegates Chair Elect: Hon. Elizabeth Bellin, Elkhart 
Young Lawyers Section Chair: Adrienne Rines Hammond, Marion 
Young Lawyers Section Observer: Matt Land, Indianapolis

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