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Supreme Court Justice DeGenaro to join state auditor’s senior staff next month
COLUMBUS
Outgoing Ohio Supreme Court Justice Mary DeGenaro of Poland will become the chief legal counsel in the state auditor’s office.
Auditor-elect Keith Faber, a Republican, announced the senior-staff appointment Thursday. It will take effect Jan. 14, when Faber is sworn in as auditor.
“I am especially looking forward to working with local governments as part of the auditor-elect’s team,” Justice DeGenaro said. “Together, we will increase transparency and create effective solutions to save taxpayer dollars.”
Justice DeGenaro, a Republican, was appointed Jan. 25 to the Supreme Court by Gov. John Kasich to replace Bill O’Neill, who resigned to unsuccessfully run for the Democratic nomination for governor.
Justice DeGenaro lost the Nov. 6 election to Democrat Melody Stewart for a full six-year term. Justice DeGenaro will leave the Supreme Court on Jan. 1.
Faber also said Thursday he was appointing New Albany Mayor Sloan Spalding as his incoming chief of staff.
“I am thrilled to have Sloan and Justice DeGenaro on the team,” Faber said. “The expertise in management and law that these two bring to the table will be invaluable to the success of our office. The senior-level team we are forming will maintain the auditor’s office as an innovative and efficiency powerhouse for state government.”
Justice DeGenaro spent 17 years on the Youngstown-based 7th District Court of Appeals, first elected in 2000 after 14 years in private practice. She was re-elected in 2006 and 2012.
She earned a bachelor of arts degree from Youngstown State University in 1983 and a law degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1986. She was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1986.
Justice DeGenaro, a Cuyahoga County native, spent her entire legal career in Mahoning County. She became the first sitting judge from Mahoning County on the state Supreme Court since Paul W. Brown, who also sat on the 7th District Court of Appeals bench, served from 1964 to 1968. He resigned to become state attorney general.