Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Guy L. Reece II.

Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Guy L. Reece II.

Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Guy L. Reece II will serve as president of the Ohio Common Pleas Judges Association for 2015.

Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor administered the oath of office to Judge Reece and the other judges elected to leadership positions at the group’s annual winter conference on Wednesday in Columbus. She also spoke briefly and assisted in handing out 21 Golden Gavel awards to retiring judges with at least 10 years of service on the bench.

Judge Reece has served as a trial judge for more than 17 years and is the presiding judge of the Franklin County Common Pleas Court. He is a retired U.S. Army colonel, and has earned numerous military awards including the Bronze Star. Judge Reece received an undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and a juris doctorate from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the National Conference of State Trial Court Judges and the Judicial Division of the American Bar Association.

“I thank my fellow judges for their trust in me as president of our association. There are many challenges for our judges and courts, including pay, funding, and sentencing. As a co-equal branch of government we will strive to meet these challenges,” Judge Reece said. “2015 will be a year of growth and achievement for our courts. I look forward to leading in those efforts.”

Additional association officers include:

• Licking County Common Pleas Court Judge Thomas M. Marcelain, president-elect
• Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge David T. Matia, first vice president
• Lucas County Common Pleas Court Judge Linda J. Jennings, second vice president
• Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Jody M. Luebbers, third vice president
• Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael P. Donnelly, fourth vice president
• Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Barbara P. Gorman, secretary
• Wayne County Common Pleas Court Judge Mark K. Wiest, treasurer
• Darke County Common Pleas Court Judge Jonathan P. Hein, past president

The Golden Gavel honorees include:

• Portage County Common Pleas Court Judge John A. Enlow
• Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge James C. Evans
• Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge David W. Fais
• Warren County Common Pleas Court Judge James L. Flannery
• Athens County Common Pleas Court Judge L. Alan Goldsberry
• Jefferson County Common Pleas Court Judge David E. Henderson
• Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Daniel T. Hogan
• Medina County Common Pleas Court Judge James L. Kimbler
• Miami County Common Pleas Court Judge Robert J. Lindeman
• Ashtabula County Common Pleas Court Judge Alfred W. Mackey
• Fairfield County Common Pleas Court Judge Chris A. Martin
• Lucas County Common Pleas Court Judge Frederick H. McDonald
• Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Richard J. McMonagle
• Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Norbert A. Nadel
• Butler County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael J. Sage
• Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Richard S. Sheward
• Belmont County Common Pleas Court Judge John M. Solovan II
• Van Wert County Common Pleas Court Judge Charles D. Steele
• Ashtabula County Common Pleas Court Judge Ronald W. Vettel
• Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge W. Duncan Whitney
• Crawford County Common Pleas Court Judge Russell B. Wiseman

The common pleas judges association’s membership includes all general division judges of the state’s common pleas courts, and its mission is “to improve the law, the legal system and the effective administration of justice.”