Chair/Vice Chair
Chief Justice
Utah Supreme Court
Salt Lake City, UT
Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the capacity of President of the Conference of Chief Justices. He was appointed to the Utah Supreme Court in January 2000 and began his tenure as Chief Justice in 2012. Previously, he clerked with the U.S. Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit under Judge Monroe G. McKay, and was an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School. Chief Justice Durrant joined the Board of Directors in August 2022.
Administrator of Courts
Judicial Branch of the Virgin Islands
St. Thomas, VI
Regina deChabert Petersen serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the capacity of President of the Conference of State Court Administrators. Ms. Petersen became the State Court Administrator for the Virgin Islands in December 2016 after serving as Administrative Director of the Virgin Islands Supreme Court. Prior to this, she worked in senior management for 20 years in all three branches of government. Mrs. Petersen joined the Board in January 2023.
Chief Justice
Delaware Supreme Court
Dover, DE
Chief Justice Collins J. Seitz, Jr., serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the capacity of President-Elect of the Conference of Chief Justices. He was sworn in as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Delaware on November 8, 2019. He has served as a Supreme Court Justice since 2015. Prior to his appointment, Chief Justice Seitz founded a corporate advisory and litigation firm in Wilmington, Delaware representing clients in high profile corporate and trust disputes in the Delaware Court of Chancery and the Supreme Court. Chief Justice Seitz joined the Board in August 2024.
State Court Administrator
Nebraska Supreme Court
Lincoln, NE
Corey R. Steel serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the capacity of President-Elect of the Conference of State Court Administrators. He was appointed State Court Administrator for the Nebraska Supreme Court in 2014. He previously served as the Deputy Administrator for the Nebraska Office of Probation Administration in charge of the Juvenile Services Division. Mr. Steel joined the Board in August 2023.
Directors
President
National Center for State Courts
Williamsburg, VA
Mary C. McQueen serves ex officio as a non-voting member of the NCSC’s Board of Directors in her capacity as President of the National Center for State Courts. Ms. McQueen served for over 18 years as the State Court Administrator in Washington state. She assumed the position of President of the National Center for State Courts in August 2004.
Chief Judge
Court of Appeals
Washington, DC
Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the capacity of Past President of the Conference of Chief Justices. She became Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals in March 2017. She has served on the Court of Appeals since 2006 and on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia from 2000-2006. Chief Judge Blackburne-Rigsby joined the Board of Directors in August 2021.
General Counsel and Secretary
Tyson Foods
Adam Deckinger serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the category reserved for an at-large, non-judicial branch member. He is the General Counsel and Secretary for Tyson Foods, Inc. where he leads Tyson’s global Law & Compliance, Government Affairs, Internal Audit Services, Corporate Services and Aviation teams. His responsibilities include overseeing all legal matters globally, corporate governance, regulatory, federal and state government relations and policy, internal audit, and risk management. Mr. Deckinger joined the Board in August 2024.
Ambassador (retired)
Washington, DC
Ambassador (ret.) Christopher W. Dell serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the category reserved for an at-large, non-judicial branch member. He is a retired U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo (2009 to 2012). Ambassador Dell has also served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul (2007 to 2009), Ambassador to the Republic of Zimbabwe (2004 to 2007), and to the Republic of Angola (2001 to 2004). Mr. Dell joined the Board in August 2022.
Trial Court Administrator
Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida
Miami-Dade County, FL
Deirdre Dunham serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the category reserved for an at-large, trial court administrator member. She is the Trial Court Administrator for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida in Miami-Dade County. Prior to holding this position, she was the court's Assistant General Counsel, and before that, the Chief Personnel Officer. Ms. Dunham joined the Board of Directors in August 2023.
GreenbergTraurig, LLP
Albany, NY
Henry "Hank" Greenberg serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the category reserved for an at-large, non-judicial branch member. He is past President of the New York State Bar Association, the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. A former Counsel to the New York State Attorney General, General Counsel to a major New York State agency and federal prosecutor. His current practice concentrates on civil litigation, criminal and civil investigations, and regulatory and administrative law. Mr. Greenberg joined the Board in August 2024.
Nichols Liu
Washington, DC
Lynne Halbrooks serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the category reserved for an at-large, non-judicial branch member. She is a Partner for the firm Nichols Liu. Her practice focuses on helping government contractors manage compliance and enforcement risks and solve business problems. Ms. Halbrooks joined the Board of Directors in August 2023.
Chief Justice
South Dakota Supreme Court
Pierre, SD
Steven R. Jensen serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the capacity of First Vice President of the Conference of Chief Justices. He was appointed to the South Dakota Supreme Court in 2017 and began his tenure as Chief Justice in 2021. Prior to his service on the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Jensen served as a circuit judge for 14 years and served as the circuit’s Presiding Judge for seven years. Chief Justice Jensen joined the Board in 2024.
Executive Vice President & General Counsel
Selective Insurance Company of America
Branchville, NJ
Michael H. Lanza serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the category reserved for an at-large, non-judicial branch member. He is Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Selective Insurance Company of America, with oversight of the legal department, as well as the regulatory, ethics and compliance, and legislative and government affairs functions. He also serves as Selective Insurance's Chief Compliance Officer. Mr. Lanza joined the Board of Directors in August 2021.
Executive Vice President, Justice & Health and Executive Director, Center for Justice & Health
Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute
Dallas, TX
Yolanda L. Lewis serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the category reserved for an at-large, non-judicial branch member. Ms. Lewis is the Executive Vice President for Justice & Health and Executive Director, Center for Justice & Health, with the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. Most recently, Ms. Lewis was Senior Director, Safety and Justice with The Pew Charitable Trusts. Before joining Pew, she served as the district court administrator for the Atlanta Judicial Circuit. Ms. Lewis joined the Board of Directors in August 2022.
State Court Administrator
Missouri Office of State Courts Administrator
Jefferson City, MO
Kathy S. Lloyd serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the capacity of First Vice President of the Conference of State Court Administrators. She became the State Courts Administrator for Missouri in 2015. She leads an agency of more than 200 staff who provide administrative, business, and technology support services to all levels of the state court system. Ms. Lloyd joined the Board in August 2024.
Judge
Fifth District Court of Appeals
Dallas, TX
Judge Emily Miskel serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the category reserved for an at-large, intermediate appellate courts member. She is a judge of the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Dallas, Texas. She is the Chair of Civil Justice for the Texas Judicial Council and serves on the Supreme Court Advisory Committee. Judge Miskel joined the Board of Directors in August 2022.
Vice President and General Counsel (retired)
ExxonMobil Corporation
Irving, TX
Craig S. Morford serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the category reserved for an at-large, non-judicial branch member. Mr. Morford was Vice President and General Counsel of ExxonMobil Corporation until 2024. In 2007, he was appointed Acting Deputy Attorney General by President George W. Bush, and from 2008 until joining ExxonMobil, he served as the Chief Legal and Compliance Officer for Cardinal Health. Mr. Morford joined the Board in August 2022.
Libby Hoopes Brooks & Mulvey
Boston, MA
Elizabeth N. Mulvey serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the category reserved for an at-large, non-judicial branch member. She is a partner at Libby Hoopes Brooks & Mulvey. Ms. Mulvey is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, elected as an Advocate of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Ms. Mulvey joined the Board in August 2021.
Professor of Law
Susan Gurley Daniels Chair in Civil Advocacy
Director, Civil Justice Program
Loyola Law School
Los Angeles, CA
John T. Nockleby serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the category reserved for an at-large, non-judicial branch member. He is the founding Director of the Civil Justice Program and the Journalist Law School at Loyola Law School. Professor Nockleby received his J.D. from Harvard Law School where he served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review. From 1993-95, and again in 2000, Professor Nockleby served as a visiting professor at Harvard Law School. He has also taught at the Northeastern University School of Law, and the Southwest Institute of Law and Political Science in Chongqing, China. Mr. Nockleby joined the Board in August 2020.
Judge
Division XIII, Second Judicial District Court
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Judge Lisa Chavez Ortega serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the category reserved for an at-large, general jurisdiction trial court member. She was appointed to Division XIII of the Second Judicial District Court by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham in 2019. She serves in the Civil Division. Judge Ortega joined the Board in August 2024.
Ciresi Conlin, LLP
Minneapolis, MN
Kathleen Flynn Peterson serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the category reserved for an at-large, non-judicial branch member. She is Partner with Ciresi Conlin LLP. Her practice focuses on medical negligence cases. She serves as a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the American Board of Trial Attorneys, the International Society of Barristers, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and the American Bar Foundation. She is the Past President of the American Association for Justice, the nation’s largest plaintiffs’ trial bar association. Ms. Peterson joined the Board of Directors in August 2019.
Judicial Programs Administrator
Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts
Harrisburg, PA
Richard “ Rick” J. Pierce serves on the NCSC Board of Directors representing the National Association for Court Management. He is the Judicial Programs Administrator of the Judicial District Operations and Programs Department at the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts. He served as the President of the Mid-Atlantic Association for Court Management from 2005-2006 and previously served on its Advisory Board from 1997-2005. Mr. Pierce joined the Board of Directors in August 2022.
State Court Administrator
Unified Judicial System
Pierre, SD
Greg Sattizahn serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the capacity of Past-President of the Conference of State Court Administrators. He became the State Court Administrator for South Dakota in 2013 after being in private practice and serving as Staff Attorney, Legal and Legislative Counsel, and Director of Policy and Legal Services for the South Dakota Unified Judicial System. He joined the Board in August 2021.
Sifford, Anderson & Company, P.C.
Dallas, TX
Lewis R. Sifford serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the category reserved for an at-large, non-judicial branch member. He is the founder of Sifford, Anderson & Company, P.C., where his practice includes complex commercial litigation and catastrophic personal injury and death cases, where he has represented both plaintiffs and defendants. Mr. Sifford joined the Board of Directors in August 2023.
Judge
Second District Court of Appeal
Tampa, FL
Judge Morris Silberman serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the category reserved for an at-large, intermediate appellate court member. He has been Judge at Florida's Second District Court of Appeal since 2001. He is the Past President of the Council of Chief Judges of the State Courts of Appeal. Judge Silberman joined the Board of Directors in August 2023.
Law Office of J.D. Smith PLLC
Seattle, WA
J.D. Smith serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the category reserved for an at-large, non-judicial branch member. He is with the Law Office of J.D. Smith PLLC and his practice focuses on serious personal injury, wrongful death cases, and risk management. Mr. Smith joined the Board of Directors in August 2023.
Judge
Superior Court Santa Clara County
San Jose, CA
Erica R. Yew serves on the NCSC Board of Directors in the category reserved for an at-large, general jurisdiction trial court member. She has served on the Santa Clara County, California Superior Court since 2001, where she presides over a dependency drug treatment court and problem-solving courts. Judge Yew joined the Board in August 2021.