PRESIDENT’S CORNER
BY JANET MENDEZ (INGHAM)
 
Hello RAM. Happy fall to you all. We are well into football season, pumpkin season and leaves-changing-color season. I hope you all had a fantastic summer and are settling in and getting ready for our lovely upcoming Michigan winter. I just have a few updates to share.
 
Continuing Judicial Education: We are almost through with the first two-year cycle of our continuing judicial education requirement. Everyone should have received an email from the Michigan Continuing Judicial Education Board (I received mine on September 30), informing you of your status. If you still need credit hours before the end of the year, I encourage you to visit the MJI website. They have plenty of recorded webinars available to view, with a wide-variety of topics. In other CJE news, the applicable rules were modified in July 2025. Two changes to note: 1) while the total hours continue to be 24 every two years, the category distribution was adjusted to consist of four hours in integrity and demeanor (ethics) and twenty hours in judicial practice and related areas (formerly six and eighteen respectively), and 2) at least eight CJE hours must come from MJI courses (formerly at least one-half).
 
Getting Involved: For anyone looking to get more involved, just a reminder that there are many ways and opportunities to make an impact in the legal community and/or get more involved directly with RAM. I want to specifically encourage any members that may be interested in serving on the Family Law Section council. There will likely be an open seat(s) in the near future, and referees are underrepresented on the current council. It is very important that we have a voice at the table when decisions are being made that could impact how we do our jobs, and how we best serve our communities. The council should have adequate representation by all interested groups, including attorneys, the judiciary and quasi-judicial officers. If you have ever considered running for a seat on the council, I strongly encourage you take that next step and help provide a much-needed voice. I know that over the last couple of years, there was a shift in the meeting schedule, with meeting dates at various times, including mid-week evenings. This made joining council difficult for people that had to travel. It is my understanding that moving forward, all meetings will take place on Saturdays and Sundays, which will hopefully alleviate some concerns and make joining a little more feasible for our members. I also want to note that whether you are on the council or not, all Family Law Section members are welcome to attend any and all meetings. If you are ever free on a meeting weekend, and are interested in seeing what the meetings are about and contribute to the discussions, I encourage you to attend.

Hello, fellow RAM’ers!  I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the lovely summer weather!
 
We have concluded our annual conference, which was held in Midland from May 21-23, 2025. Thank you to all members that were able to join us. It is your active participation and the camaraderie that is shared over the three-day event that makes the annual conference so special. This year’s conference was phenomenal. Thank you to Sahera Housey and Kate Weaver for all of their hard work and dedication in planning the conference.  We had speakers and presentations that provided legally relevant information to all of our members, including juvenile and domestic relations issues. We also had a presentation specific to our own self-care, recognizing the stressful work that we all do, and discussing ways to combat the pressures and stressors that we face. Although the weather was less than ideal on the first day of the conference, this did not prevent people from getting outside and enjoying the quaint downtown area of Midland. And a big thank you to Ilyssa Cimmino for planning a fun and unique social activity for Thursday evening. Members made their way to three different establishments to collect playing cards, ending up at a final destination to turn in their cards and see who collected the best poker hand.  The event culminated in a social hour at the local distillery, with snacks and fellowship.

Happy New Year, everyone!  I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season, and is smoothly settling back into the grind of work.  There will never be a shortage of families that need our attention, that’s for sure.
 
Continuing Judicial Education: We are now officially half-way through our first two-year cycle of the new continuing judicial education requirement.  This would be a good time for everyone to check in and see how they are doing on their requirements. Just a reminder to everyone that every two years, we need to have 24 hours of continuing judicial education credits.  18 hours need to be in the areas of Judicial Practice and Related Areas, and the other 6 need to be in the areas of Integrity and Demeanor (Ethics). The best way to stay up-to-date on your status is to regularly log into your CE Broker account. Everyone should have received an email last January, or shortly after their  start date if they were hired later in  the year, prompting them to set up their CE Broker account. If anyone has NOT received such an email or otherwise set up their account, please let me know and I will put you in touch with resources to help you get set up. If anyone is still short on credits in either area, you have two fantastic resources that should help you reach your requirements. First and foremost, thanks to the very hard work of Kate Weaver and Sahera Housey, RAM is one of the approved providers of CJE training. Everyone should make every effort to plan on attending our annual conference in May (this year we will be in Midland, MI), where you will not only network with your fellow referees from across the state, but you will also earn credits towards your CJE requirements. Second, MJI offers monthly webinars specifically for CJE training. Not all webinars are directly on-point with the work that we do, but all count towards your CJE requirements.

I want to start my first President’s Corner by telling you all what an honor it is to be President of this organization, and also by thanking Kate Weaver for all that she did during her time as President. I joined the RAM board in 2017, two years after becoming a referee, and have had nothing but increasing admiration for all of the dedication and hard work that our members put into keeping our group at the forefront of the legal community. We have members participating in countless legal associations, organizations, workgroups, and committees so that our profession has a presence, as well as a voice, in legal issues being addressed that affect the families with whom we work. As President, one of the things I hope to continue is helping our members find ways to become and stay active, not only within our organization, but in other legal capacities across the state. Over time, there will be various opportunities that come up, and I urge everyone that has any interest to volunteer for those opportunities. By doing so, it will not only provide valuable experience to you as individuals, but also continue to ensure that our roles as referees in the juvenile and domestic arenas continue to have an impact.
 
Now, just a little bit about me…I have been a domestic referee in Ingham County since 2015. Prior to that I was an investigator/conciliator, also in Ingham County, for just over two years. Before entering the public sector, I worked as a private attorney for almost nine years at a well-respected law firm in Lansing, Michigan, doing almost exclusively domestic relations work. I am originally from Ann Arbor, and yes….my blood runs blue!!  I graduated from the University of Michigan for both undergrad and law school. I am the immensely proud mom of a 24-year old son, Colin. He also graduated from the University of Michigan, and is now living in Chicago doing amazing things.
 
I am very excited to serve as President of RAM. I want to maintain very open communication with all members. If you ever have concerns, questions, comments…anything at all…please do not hesitate to reach out. If I can’t answer any particular question, I will do my best to seek out the resource that can.
 
Finally, I want to thank Kate Weaver and Sahara Housey for all of the work they did for our 2024 annual conference on Mackinac Island this past May.  It was truly spectacular.  I hope ALL members will consider joining us next year for the annual conference, which will be held in Midland, Michigan. RAM has been named an approved provider for the new continuing judicial education requirement. By attending the annual conference, you will not only be networking with your fellow referees from across the state, but you will be earning credits towards your CJE obligation.  And I assure you, a great time will be had by all!
 
Have a great fall, everyone!

Thank you to all who attended our annual meeting on May 17, 2024.  We had our elections and your new Board has begun their journey in supporting RAM for next two years.  Each Board member has numerous goals for this great organization and will work hard towards achieving those goals.   
 
Let us introduce you to the RAM 2024-2026 Board.  Each member brings key experience, network connections, and leadership that are critical to ensuring our organization remains at the forefront of information, guidance, training, and expertise, as is required in our important work.  Their service to this organization is so appreciated.
 
President
Janet Mendez works in Ingham County as a Domestic Referee. She has been on the RAM Board since 2017.  She served as the RAM Secretary from 2017-2022 and Vice President from 2022-2024.
 
Vice President
Tyler Martinez works in Oakland County as a Domestic Referee. He has been on the RAM Board since 2021. He is co-chair of the Communications Committee and also the Editor of the Referees Quarterly.
 
Treasurer
Michelle Letourneau works in Oakland County as a Domestic Referee.  She has been on the RAM Board since 2016. She serves as chair of the Finance Committee. She also served as a Past President and was a former chair of the Membership Committee.
 
Secretary
Melissa Sytsma works in Cass County as a Domestic and Juvenile Referee.  She has been on the RAM Board since 2019.  She has served in her current role since 2022. 
 
Members at Large
Ilyssa Cimmino works in Oakland County as a Domestic Referee.  She has been on the RAM Board since 2023. She is the chair of the Social Committee.
 
Dan Ferency works in Wayne County as a Domestic Referee. He has been on the RAM Board since 2024 and is on the Law and Court Rule Committee. 
 
Lisa Harris works in Oakland County as a Juvenile Referee.  She has been on the RAM Board since 2022. She is chair of the Law and Court Rule Committee. 
 
Sahera Housey works in Oakland County as a Domestic Referee.  She has been on the RAM Board for more than ten years. She is a Past President and current co-chair of the Conference Committee. 
 
Agnes Jury works in Mason County as a Domestic Referee.  She has been on the RAM Board since 2022. She is on the Communications Committee.
 
Lynn Perry works in Kent County as a Domestic and Juvenile Referee.  She has been on the RAM Board since 2016 and serves on the Child Welfare board.
 
Kate Weaver, Past President works in Oakland County as a Domestic Referee.  She has been on the RAM Board since 2015.  She is co-chair of the Conference Committee and formerly chair of the Law and Court Rules Committee.
 
Stephanie Witucki works in Wayne County as a Domestic Referee. She has been on the RAM Board since 2020 and serves as the chair of the Membership Committee.
 
Thank you again to those who are serving on the Board for the next two years.  We are excited to continue making RAM a vibrant and visible organization within the legal community! If any current RAM member is interested in serving on one of our many important committees, please reach out to a board member, and we will do our best to put you in touch with a committee best suited to your talents.

Happy New Year Referees!  2024 promises to be an exciting year, and in many ways, represents a fresh start and advancement for our organization.  To start the year off, make sure that you have renewed your membership.  The 2024 RAM application is available now.  Our small membership fee covers many benefits including our website:  https://www.referees-association.org/  Membership fees also help to support the publication of the RAM Quarterly, organizing and maintaining a robust legal discussion on our listserv, and our annual conference.  Being a member of RAM provides you with access to a network of colleagues across the state.   The resources our organization provides help us provide support to one another.

In other RAM news, our organization has been approved as an accredited organization by the Michigan Continuing Judicial Education Board to provide required training to our members.  Judicial officers are required to achieve twenty-four (24) hours of continuing education with two years, so our term runs from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025.  12 hours of the 24 hours are allowed to be virtual while the other 12 hours are required to be in person.  Each judicial officer should have received an account log in to track their hours from CE Brokers.  If you have not, please reach out to Jonah Sjoquist ([email protected] ).

Thank You!

I would like to thank all members who attended the annual RAM conference at The H Hotel in May of 2023.  We had record-setting attendance with 82 Referees from all over the state participating.  The conference received rave reviews in evaluations complimenting the hotel, speakers, food, and content.  With a look toward future conferences, Referees hoped for new content, including more juvenile-specific content, and suggested various new locations.

We announced our conference location for RAM Conference 2024, at the Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, on May 15, 2024 – May 17, 2024.  Please mark your calendars and plan to join us.  I am excited for our membership to experience a new venue coupled with some great speakers and guests. 

Our Board is going into their second year of their terms and reflects as follows: