The Nominating Committee presents the following slate to the Council and the Section for election in June of 2024. To read the full nominee bios, see below.
President-Elect
Brian J. Moore
Brian Moore is a Shareholder with the Roetzel & Andress law firm’s Akron, Ohio office having been with the firm for over 35 years. He previously served as the City Manager for the Akron office. He focuses his legal practice on transactional real estate, banking and financial services.
Brian received his Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from The University of Akron School of Law and received his B. A., magna cum laude from State University of New York at Fredonia.
Professional affiliations include the Akron Bar Association, American Bar Association and the Ohio State Bar Association. He has previously served on the Board of the Akron Bar Association, as a past chair of its Real Property Committee and past member of a grievance subcommittee. He is an Akron Bar Foundation Fellow. He has also served on the Ohio State Bar Association Real Property Council.
Brian’s current community affiliations include: Akron Community Foundation (Board Member), Northern Ohio Golf Charities Foundation (Board Member and Past-President); Summit Choral Society (Board Member and Vice President); Downtown Akron Partnership (Executive Committee); and Grace House Akron (Board Member and Board Secretary). His past involvement includes, among others: Blue Coats of Summit County (President); Portage Country Club (Chairman); Summit & Portage Counties Red Cross (Chairman); United Way of Summit County (Campaign Chair); Downtown Special Improvement District Board (President); Akron Civic Theater (Board); Greenleaf Family Center (President); and PGA Tour World Golf Championships-NEC Invitational (past Tournament Chairman). Brian was previously honored with the Lieberth Community Leadership Award by Leadership Akron, the H. Peter Burg
Community Service Award by the American Red Cross of Summit County, and the Betty Dalton Service Award by Greenleaf Family Center. Brian also sings with Summit Choral Society and is a cantor at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (Cuyahoga Falls).
Brian and his wife Diana (a retired attorney) live in Copley and have two adult children.
Vice President of Membership
Jessica Forrest
Jessica Forrest is a shareholder and a co-chair of the Estates, Trust & Probate Litigation practice group with Reminger Co., L.P.A. She practices throughout Ohio with main offices in Cleveland and Akron. Jessica has previously served as Chair of the Akron Bar Association’s Estate Planning, Probate & Elder Law Section, of which she is still an active member. She presently serves on the ABA’s Investigative Subcommittee and the Membership Committee. Jessica is also a member of the Ohio State Bar Association’s Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law Section Council where she helps to draft and edit future legislation and make policy decisions in the area of trust and estate law. Jessica teaches numerous CLEs each year and was recently retained as the new upkeep author for Anderson’s Ohio Probate Practice & Procedure, an annual LexisNexis publication that serves as a quintessential guide for Ohio probate law practitioners. A graduate of the University of Akron School of Law, Jessica continues to give back to her alma mater by coaching the school’s nationally-ranked mock trial team and serving as an instructor for the Summer Trial Academy. Outside of law, Jessica serves as the Chair of Our Lady of the Elms School, a trustee of the Highland Square Neighborhood Association, and serves on the Professional Advisory Committee for Ohio Living – Home Health & Hospice Greater Akron. Jessica is a 2017-2018 graduate of the Akron Bar’s Leadership Academy, received a 2018 “30 for the Future Award” from the Greater Akron Chamber, was just recognized in February 2024 as a “Notable Woman in Law” by Crain’s Cleveland Business, and has been listed in the Best Lawyers for her practice area since 2022.
Board of Directors
Moriah Cheatham Williams
Moriah Cheatham Williams is an attorney in the Akron office of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith and a member of the Complex Business and Commercial Litigation practice group.
Moriah builds relationships with clients in order to tailor solutions to their unique needs, making the litigation experience easier. She handles business disputes both in and out of court. Moriah has a passion for trial work but recognizes that clients prefer resolving disputes before they even reach litigation. She has negotiated several settlements, always keeping her clients’ interests in mind.
In addition to representing business clients, Moriah is an advocate in her community. She serves on several nonprofit boards, municipal commissions, and volunteers regularly. She enjoys giving back to students and other young professionals.
Moriah was born in raised in Barberton, Ohio, and is a graduate of Barberton High School. She obtained a bachelor's degree in English Literature from The Ohio State University, with a certificate in Youth Development and Cognitive Studies. After that, She attend law school at the University of Akron where she was a member of the Black Law Student Association and Akron Law Trial Team.
Moriah currently resides in Akron, Ohio, with her husband Jerry and their Great Dane, Samson.
Amy Corrigall Jones
Amy Corrigall Jones, Esq., is an Executive Vice President at Oriana House, Inc. Oriana House is a private, nonprofit behavioral health and community corrections agency with programs in Summit, Stark, Cuyahoga, Seneca, Sandusky, Huron, and Washington counties and has been providing services since 1981. Before Amy decided to join Oriana House to pursue other professional opportunities, she served as a Summit County Common Pleas Judge from January, 2012 through August, 2022.
During her tenure as a Common Pleas Judge, Amy was elected in 2012 and re-elected in 2018. She was also nominated and elected to serve as the Presiding Judge of the Common Pleas Court (General Division, Probate, Domestic Relations & Juvenile Court) in 2016 and was elected by her colleagues in the General Division to serve as Administrative Judge of the Court in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
In addition to managing her own docket, Amy established and presided over both the Summit County Valor Court in 2012 and the Summit County Offender Recidivism Reduction Project (SCORR) in 2019. Through Valor Court, veterans involved in the criminal justice system are provided access to programs and resources that help them address any physical and mental trauma needs they have upon returning to civilian life. SCORR aims to reduce recidivism, drug use, and increase compliance with the terms of probation among high-risk/high-need probationers to enhance their chances at successful completion of community control supervision.
Prior to her judicial career, Amy was in private practice both at the trial and appellate levels. She handled cases throughout the State of Ohio and across the Country in both State and Federal Courts. Some of her most rewarding work was spent serving as a Guardian Ad Litem for children, an advocate for the mentally ill, and as a guardian for incompetent adults.
Amy graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She received her Juris Doctorate Degree from The University of Akron School of Law and was thereafter admitted to the Ohio Bar and the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio. Over the years, Amy has enjoyed serving as a presenter at the Ohio Judicial College Capital Case Seminar and at the OACDL Capital Case Seminar. She loves to coach and has dedicated time to St. Vincent St. Mary (her alma mater) and Archbishop Hoban High School as a Trial Team coach and basketball coach.
Judge Christine Croce
Judge Christine Croce graduated, in 1989, with honors, from the University of Akron with a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Organizational Communications. In 1994 she received her Juris Doctorate from The University of Akron School of Law and was thereafter admitted to practice law in the State of Ohio. While attending law school Judge Croce worked for the City of Akron Law Department handling thousands of traffic cases as well as appellate research and writing.
In 1995, Judge Croce began working for the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office as an Assistant Criminal Prosecutor where she handled adult felony cases ranging from illegal possession of drugs to rape and murder.
In 2001, Judge Croce served as Executive Director of the Summit County Sheriff’s Office and remained in that position until 2009. Judge Croce served as the legal advisor to the Deputy Sheriffs and the Summit County Drug Unit. Judge Croce also supervised the Fiscal Department, Personnel Department, CCW Unit, and Sex Offender Unit of the Sheriff’s Office and drafted inter-agency mutual aid agreements. Judge Croce also drafted county legislation and represented the Sheriff’s Office at Summit County Council.
From 2005-2009, Judge Croce served on Green City Council representing the citizens of the 4th Ward. While on council, Judge Croce served as the Chairperson of the Finance Committee, and the Parks and Recreation Committee. She also served as President of Council in 2008 and Vice President in 2009.
In 2009, Judge Croce was elected as the Barberton Municipal Clerk of Courts. During her time as Clerk, Judge Croce implemented time and money saving changes including electronic mailings, and online payments.
In 2011, Judge Croce was elected as Judge in the Barberton Municipal Court and during her tenure she served as Presiding Judge. While serving the Barberton Municipal Court many changes were made at the Court in an effort to make the Court operate effectively and efficiently. The Court started a Community Service program along with a Suspended License Intervention Program and a Mental Health Court. The Court actively sought grant money to make changes and enhancements to the Court without the need to use taxpayer money.
In November of 2013, Judge Croce was appointed to the Summit County Common Pleas Court after the retirement of Judge Judy Hunter. In November of 2014, she was elected to serve as a Judge in the Summit County Court of Common Pleas and she was re-elected in 2020.
Judge Croce is involved in the following:
- Uniform Sentencing Data Platform Governance Board
- Criminal Law and Procedure Committee of the Ohio Judicial Conference
- Akron Bar Association –
- Member
- Fellow
- Chairperson of the Bench/Bar Committee-2021-2023
- Akron Crime Clinic - Member
- Fraternal Order of Police Associates #6 - Member
- GASP – Former Advisory Board Member
Magic City Kiwanis - Member
- Ohio State Bar Association – Member
- Sons of Italy Lodge #685 – Member
- Summit County Catholic Charities-Member of the Women’s Board