TOPEKA—The 12th Judicial District Nominating Commission has appointed a Beloit native to fill a vacancy that was created by the retirement of Mitchell County District Magistrate Judge Bonnie J. Wilson, it was announced today.
Appointed following interviews that were conducted Tuesday in the Mitchell County Courthouse, Beloit, was Debra J.Gronewoller Wright, who currently resides in Raymore, MO. She will relocate to Mitchell County upon her swearing-in. No date for that has been set.
Wright is a graduate of Beloit High School and received an Associate of Arts degree from the Cloud County Community College. She received her BA degree from the University of Missouri—Rolla and her law degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law.
She currently serves as legal counsel for the Juvenile Officer for the 17th Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri—Juvenile Division in Harrisonville, MO. Before that she served as an attorney for the Jackson County, MO, Family Court Division in Kansas City, and also engaged in private practice in Raymore and Kansas City.
Others applying for the position included Kay Marie Strong Prather, Randall; Daniel T. Porterfield Runge, Hill City; Matthias W. Schroeder, Hunter; and Janet M. Thiessen, Sherwood, OR.
The nominating commission includes Justice Nancy L. Moritz, Departmental Justice, as the nonvoting chair, and Dana Brewer, Concordia; Jerry L. Harrison, Beloit; Daniel D. Metz, Lincoln; Darrell E. Miller, Mankato; Douglas G. Simms, Belleville; Regine L. Thompson, Scandia; Carol K. Good, Barnard; Dwight L. Daniels, Beloit; Michael E. Johnson, Courtland; J. Bradley Lowell, Concordia; Steven G. Melby, Mankato; and Bruce E. Meyer, Palmer.