Growing up shaped by faith and a deep love of learning, I have spent my life in service to others — whether in the classroom, the courtroom, or the community. If I had to capture my approach in a phrase, it would be this: I help people navigate life’s most important moments with wisdom, integrity, and care.
My educational journey reflects both my love of learning and my commitment to faith. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education from Pacific Lutheran University, followed by graduate theological studies — a Master of Divinity from Melodyland School of Theology and both a Master of Arts in Theology and a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Those years deepened my conviction that serving people well requires not just knowledge, but character. I then pursued my Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and have been a licensed Michigan attorney since 1993.
For more than thirty years, my private practice has centered on the areas of life where people need a trusted guide most: Adoption, Probate, Wills, Trusts, Estate Planning, Real Estate, and Business and Corporate Law. I have had the privilege of working with individuals and families, start-up businesses, established companies, churches, and non-profit organizations — each with their own unique story and goals.
Alongside my legal practice, I spent three decades as a Distinguished Adjunct Professor at Davenport University and nearly two decades as Special Appointment Business Faculty at Cornerstone University, where I was honored with the Colleen S. Smith Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2015. Teaching has always felt like a natural extension of the same calling — equipping people with the tools they need to move forward with confidence.
My faith drives much of my community involvement as well. I have served as Director of Christian Legal Aid Services at Mel Trotter Ministries, as Board Member and Corporate Counsel for Friends of Kibbuse — a non-profit serving Uganda — and as Corporate Counsel for Upper Peninsula Bible Camp. I have also served my hometown of Hudsonville as an appointed member of the Terra Square Advisory Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals, and represented Ottawa County for fifteen years in the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly.
I am deeply grateful to bring this background and these passions to Parakletos Law, where the work of serving families feels like a true calling.
Distinguished Adjunct Professor, Davenport University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1994 to 2024.
Foster Care Review Board Program Representative (part-time), State Court Administrative Office, Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Services, Lansing, Michigan, 2019 to 2025. Facilitate foster parent appeals working with caseworkers, attorneys, judges, foster care agencies, foster parents and Lawyer Guardian Ad Litems.
Michigan Licensed Private Practice Attorney, 1993 to present. Practice focuses on Adoption, Business and Corporate Law, Real Estate, Probate, Wills/Trusts and Estate Planning. Clients include individuals, start-up for-profit businesses, established for-profit businesses, as well as churches and non-profit organizations.
Special Appointment Business Faculty, Cornerstone University, Professional and Graduate Studies Division, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2005 to 2022.
2015 Colleen S. Smith Award for Excellence in Teaching, Cornerstone University.
Embrace the strength of Parakletos Law PLC, where advocacy meets action. Ready to shape your legacy or tackle family law with a compassionate guide? Call the office in Hudsonville or reach out via the website contact form to start your journey. Your future is waiting – let’s protect it together
