Lansing, MI October 17, 2000 -- At its recent annual meeting in Detroit, the Michigan State Bar Foundation has elected Officers and Trustees for the next year. The Foundation is a nonprofit corporation, founded by Michigan lawyers and judges in 1947 to provide grants for law-related charitable projects. It currently administers nearly $8,000,000 in annual grants to improve the administration of justice and further the delivery of legal services to the poor.

Margaret J. Nichols is the Foundation's new President. She previously served as Vice President, Vice Chair of the Legal Services Grant Committee and was elected a Fellow of the Foundation in 1995. Ms. Nichols is a shareholder in the Ann Arbor firm of Nichols, Sacks, Slank & Sweet, where her practice is devoted entirely to family law, mediation and arbitration. Ms. Nichols is a past chair of the Washtenaw County Bar Association and has held numerous other professional positions including recent election as Chair of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, which has 3000 members who work to promote better legal practice by family attorneys throughout the State and address other matters related to aspects of the legal system which affect spouses and children within divorce and separation proceedings.

Elaine H. Charney of Lansing was elected the Vice President. A Trustee since 1992, Ms. Charney is Chair of the Foundation's Administration of Justice Grants Committee. She was elected a Fellow of the Foundation in 1990 and also served as a hearing panel member of the Attorney Discipline Board, past president of the Ingham County Bar Association and Chair of the State Bar of Michigan's Annual Meeting Planning Committee. Ms. Charney recently was appointed as the Bureau Director of the Bureau of Driver Safety for the Michigan Department of State. She is responsible for three divisions: Driver License Appeal Division, Driver Assessment, and Driver Training and Testing. For the last 17 years, Ms. Charney held the position of Director of the Driver License Appeal Division.

Bruce M. Groom of Midland was named Foundation Treasurer, a position he has held since 1990. A Foundation Fellow since 1988, Mr. Groom is a past member of the State Bar of Michigan Board of Commissioners and Representative Assembly as well as past President of the Midland County Bar Association. He has served on many bar-related committees and has undertaken a wide range of civic activities including past President of the United Way of Midland and membership on the boards of several community foundations. Mr. Groom is currently Senior Vice President and Senior Trust Officer for Chemical Bank and Trust Company in Midland and is a member of the executive management committee for Chemical Financial Corporation, the bank's holding company.

Patrick Keating was chosen as Secretary of the Foundation, having been first selected for this position in 1988. He has been a Fellow of the Foundation since 1989 and is recently retired from practice with Clark Hill, P.L.C. in Detroit. Mr. Keating is a past member of the State Bar Board of Commissioner and the Representative Assembly, having served as State Bar President in 1982. He also has been a member of many State Bar sections and committees as well as past Chairman of the Michigan Attorney Discipline Board.

Richard K Rappleye was elected as a new Trustee of the Foundation. Mr. Rappleye is Vice President for Field Services for the C. S. Moot Foundation where for 17 years, he served as Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer. He has been on the boards of publicly held companies and is a Director and Treasurer for the Council of Michigan Foundations. He received his MBA from the Wharton School, recently completed a masters degree in religious studies at the University of Detroit-Mercy and is a member of many local and professional groups.

Other Foundation Trustees are: Lamont E. Buffington, Garan, Lucow, Miller, PC, Detroit; Stefani A. Carter, Hamilton, McDonald and Carter, Ann Arbor; John W. Cummiskey, of counsel, Miller, Johnson, Snell & Cummiskey, Grand Rapids; Hon. Michael G. Harrison, Circuit Judge, 30th Circuit Court, Lansing; Hon. R. Stuart Hoffius, of counsel, Varnum, Riddering, Schmidt & Howlett, LLP, Grand Rapids; Hon. Harold Hood, Judge, Michigan Court of Appeals, Detroit; Jon H. Kingsepp, Howard & Howard Attorneys, PC, Bloomfield Hills; Dean S. Lewis, Lewis & Allen, PC, Kalamazoo; Michael B. Rizik, Jr., Rizik & Rizik, PC, Grand Blanc; Charles R. Rutherford, PLLC, Dykema Gossett, Bloomfield Hills; and Ex-Officio Trustees, Hon. Elizabeth Weaver, Chief Justice, Michigan Supreme Court; Thomas J. Ryan, President, State Bar of Michigan; and Bruce W. Neckers, President Elect, State Bar of Michigan.

For more information, call the Foundation offices at 1-800-968-6723 or visit the web site at www.msbf.org.

Margaret J. Nichols, President Michigan State Bar Foundation	Elaine H. Charney, Vice President Michigan State Bar Foundation	Bruce M. Groom, Treasurer Michigan State Bar Foundation
Patrick J. Keating, Secretary Michigan State Bar Foundation	Richard K. Rappleye, Trustee Michigan State Bar Foundation