Not Just a Lawyer.
A Problem-Solver for Adams County Families.
How my work as a mediator, Guardian ad Litem, and program director prepares me for the bench.
The EYES Program – Keeping Kids in Class, Not Court
In 2020, I developed the EYES Program (Enhancing Youth Education through Support) in collaboration with Brown County Juvenile Court Judge Val E. Lewis. The idea for this program actually began here in Adams County about a decade ago, but the timing wasn’t right. When Judge Lewis came to office, he asked me to start a mediation program. I agreed—but I also proposed EYES. He embraced it, and we ran with it.
The mission was simple but powerful: minimize negative interaction with the Juvenile Court system by addressing truancy and attendance concerns early and collaboratively, before they ever become court cases.
With the support of Georgetown Local and Ripley Union Lewis Huntington schools, we achieved remarkable results:
By the end of the grant period, negative court interaction was reduced to less than one percent.
Now I am bringing EYES home to Adams County through a close partnership with Judge Brett M. Spencer, Court Administrator Veronica Grooms, and Diversion Officer Radah Curtis. The Supreme Court of Ohio approved a grant application developed cooperatively by my office and Judge Spencer’s office.
While I will devote the majority of my time to the Ohio Valley Career & Technical Center, I will also provide mediation services to other schools in the area. The program focuses on strengthening communication between families and schools, addressing attendance challenges, and connecting students with resources before issues escalate.
As Tracy Spires, the Ohio Valley Attendance Officer, has said, “Everyone has been gracious and cooperative.” We’ve had tremendous support—from the Prosecutor’s Office to the Probation and Diversion Offices, and from our school partners.
This is what juvenile justice should look like: early intervention, family support, and shared leadership.
Mediator – Ohio Supreme Court Trained
Since October 2012, I have run Rothwell Law & Resolution Center as a mediation practice. I am an Ohio Supreme Court trained mediator, and my job is to help parties in conflict find solutions through alternative dispute resolution—without the cost, delay, and emotional toll of a trial.
In 2020, I developed and now operate the Brown County Juvenile Court Mediation Program, training and supervising mediators to help families resolve disputes before they escalate into full court dockets.
A judge who has spent 14 years mediating knows how to listen, how to find common ground, and how to rule only when necessary. That’s the kind of judge I will be.
Guardian ad Litem – The Voice of the Child
For over 15 years, I have been appointed by courts in Adams, Brown, and Scioto Counties as a Guardian ad Litem. That means I am the person in the courtroom whose only job is to investigate and recommend what is best for the child.
I do not take sides between mom and dad. I take the child’s side.
In January 2026, the Supreme Court of Ohio appointed me as faculty for GAL education, training other guardians across the state. That is a responsibility I take seriously, and it reflects the depth of my experience in this exact role.
When I become the Juvenile and Probate Judge, I will be one of the few judges in Ohio who has actually done the job of a Guardian ad Litem. That matters.
Solicitor & Small Firm Practice – Ready for Any Case
Adams County’s Common Pleas Court handles everything: criminal, civil, domestic, probate, and juvenile. I am the only candidate in this race who has practiced in every single one of those areas.
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As Solicitor for the Village of West Union (2008–2020) and Solicitor for the Village of Seaman (2009–present) , I have advised elected officials, drafted ordinances, represented villages in litigation, and handled cases transferred from Mayor’s Court to Adams County Court.
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In my solo practice, I have handled family law, Guardian ad Litem appointments, juvenile law, estate planning, probate, criminal defense, civil actions, real estate, and even personal injury and bankruptcy.
I have sat at every table in the courtroom. I know what it’s like to be the lawyer, the mediator, the Guardian, and soon, the judge. That perspective matters.