The Executive Director and General Counsel is hired by, and reports directly to, the Commission. The Executive Director oversees the intake and investigation of complaints and serves as disciplinary counsel in public proceedings. The Executive Director is also the primary liaison between the Commission and the judiciary, the public, and the media.
Disciplinary counsel, with the assistance of the staff attorneys (serving as "associate disciplinary counsel"), is responsible for preparing public cases for hearing and presenting the evidence that supports the charges before the master. They also prepare legal briefs addressing master’s reports and present cases orally and in writing in hearings before the Commission. The Commission staff is organized as follows:
Lynn Helland became the Executive Director and General Counsel on February 6, 2017. Before joining the Commission, he worked as an Assistant United States Attorney for 34 years. Mr. Helland has been a member of the State Bar of Michigan since 1980.
Cas Swastek joined the Commission as a staff attorney in August 1997. In August 2022, he was named Administrative Counsel to the Commission. Mr. Swastek's legal work in private practice focused on general business litigation and the defense of legal and accounting malpractice claims. He has been a member of the State Bar of Michigan since 1989.
Staff Attorney Lora Weingarden joined the Commission in December 2018. She previously worked as an Assistant Prosecutor for Wayne County for 33 years. Ms. Weingarden has been a member of the State Bar of Michigan since 1985.
Staff Attorney Kavita Uppal joined the commission in March 2021. She has practiced law for 25 years and previously worked as an Assistant Prosecutor in Michigan, Illinois and North Carolina. Ms. Uppal has been a member of the State Bar of Michigan since 2004.
Staff Attorney Melissa Johnson joined the Commission in November 2021. She previously worked as a prosecutor in Minnesota. Ms. Johnson has been a member of the Michigan Bar since 2008.
Staff Attorney Nichollette Hoard joined the Commission in December 2021. Before joining the Commission, Ms. Hoard worked as a First Assistant Public Defender in Washtenaw County. Her work primarily focused on juvenile justice advocacy. She has been a member of the State Bar of Michigan since 2016.
Staff Attorney Amy Kullenberg joined the Commission in December 2021. She previously worked in private practice, with expertise in criminal, family, environmental, municipal, Indian law, civil litigation, and appeals. Ms. Kullenberg has been a member of the Michigan Bar since 2006.
Staff Attorney Dina Dajani joined the Commission in January 2022. Previously, she worked at the Attorney Grievance Commission for 19 years. Before working at the AGC, Ms. Dajani worked at the Court of Appeals for 11 years, including as a judicial clerk for Judge Kathleen Jansen. Ms. Dajani has been a member of the State Bar of Michigan since 1990.
Staff Attorney Robert Kalec joined the Commission in April 2022. He previously worked 8 years for the U.S. Department of Justice as a trial attorney in the Civil Division and as an Assistant United States Attorney. His 29 years in private practice focused on complex commercial litigation and white-collar crime. Mr. Kalec has been a member of the State Bar of Michigan since 1986.
Staff Attorney Jade Edwards-Cureau joined the Commission in December 2022. She previously worked in private practice, specializing in family law, probate, and child custody law. She also served as a Circuit Court Referee in Oakland County. Ms. Edwards-Cureau has been a member of the Michigan Bar since 2006.
Staff Attorney Rebecca Jurva-Brinn joined the Commission in January 2023. Prior to joining the Commission staff, she was an Assistant Prosecutor in the Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office for 17 years. She has been a member of the State Bar of Michigan since 2005.
Staff Attorney Molly Kettler joined the Commission in February 2023. She previously worked an Assistant Prosecutor at the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office for over 23 years. Ms. Kettler has been a member of the State Bar of Michigan since 1999.