KUDOS!

BY MICHELLE LETOURNEAU (OAKLAND)

Kudos to Dan Ferency (Oakland) for his move from Wayne County to Oakland County.  Dan worked as a Referee in Wayne County and was assigned to a judicial docket.  He is assigned to the AID (Assistance in Resolving Debt) Docket in Oakland County where he tackles child support enforcement issues on a daily basis. 

Kudos to Linda Harrison (Macomb) for being named Deputy Court Administrator of the 16th Circuit Court in March 2025.  Linda had been the Chief Juvenile Referee at the 16th  Circuit Court since 2012 after beginning her referee service in 2004.  At the time of her appointment, Linda was serving as the RAM representative on the SCAO Commission on Well-Being in the Law. 

Kudos to Kimberly Gildner (Alpena/Montmorency) who was recently elected to the Presque Isle County Probate Court in the November 2024 general election.  Even more impressive, Judge Gildner was appointed Chief Judge of that Court by the Michigan Supreme Court effective January 1, 2025. 

Kudos to Michelle Letourneau (Oakland) for becoming President of the Michigan Inter-Professional Association on Marriage, Divorce, and the Family (MIPA).  MIPA is a non-profit organization consisting mostly of judges, lawyers, and mental health professionals who meet on a regular basis to combine their special skills, knowledge, and insights with a goal towards strengthening family life.
 
Kudos to Lynn Ruhlman (Wayne) for her retirement from the Wayne County Friend of the Court.  Lynn started her position at the Friend of the Court in the late 1980s as a Friend of the Court attorney.  She became a Domestic Relations Referee on June 1, 1998, and retired on May 31, 2025, after serving Wayne County as a referee for 27 years.

Kudos to Melissa Sytsma (Kalamazoo) for her move from Cass County, where she had been a Referee since 2013, to Kalamazoo County.  Melissa will continue to have a positive impact on the families she serves in her role as a 9th Circuit Court Family Division Referee. 

Don’t be shy about sending your professional, personal, and community involvement accomplishments to be recognized in this section. We love celebrating the multi-talented, multifaceted professionals in our group! ​Please forward anything you’d like to share about yourself or a colleague by emailing Michelle Letourneau (Oakland) at ​​[email protected] anytime throughout the year.