President

Nathan Miller is an attorney with the Beecher Law Firm in Waterloo, Iowa. His practice areas include probate, guardianship and conservatorship, estate planning, and real estate. In guardianship and conservatorship cases, he represents financial institutions, professional guardians and conservators, private guardians and conservators, protected people, respondents, and serves as court visitor. Nathan has presented to various groups on guardianship and conservatorship matters, including physicians, judges, attorneys, professional guardians and conservators, trust departments, lending institutions, and private guardians and conservators.

Vice President

Sherri McLerran is a Nationally Certified Guardian (NCG) and the sole proprietor of Decisions for Life, LLC. With more than 25 years of experience in probate law and an extensive background as both a legal assistant and program coordinator for Iowa’s Office of Substitute Decision Maker, Sherri is uniquely qualified to understand substitute decision making from multiple perspectives. A current member of the National Guardianship Association and former vice president of the Guardianship Association of Iowa Network (GAIN), Sherri is a dedicated professional who is proud to abide by the ethical principles and standards of best practice when it comes to substitute decision making.

Treasurer

Julie Versluis is a Vice President and Trust Officer at Fidelity Bank and Trust. Julie is a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor™. Versluis is a graduate of Cannon Trust School, Cannon Financial Institute, and a graduate of Schools of Banking Trust School in Topeka, Kansas. Julie graduated from Kirkwood Community College with an associate of arts degree in Legal Assistant/Paralegal Studies. She has 24 years of trust experience with expertise is areas of Estate & Trust Administration, Portfolio Management and Financial and Estate Planning. Julie is a member of the Institute of Certified Bankers, CTFA, a member of the Iowa Association of Paralegals, a past member of Black Hawk County Estate Planning Council, a past president and board member of the Iowa Trust Association, past member of Substitute Decision Maker Task Force of the State of Iowa (2012). Julie is a member of the Waverly Rotary Club.

Member at Large

Jessica Hobart-Collis is a clinical social worker who holds a Master of Social Work degree, Master of Criminal Justice degree, and will soon begin a Master of Health Administration degree. Jessica has worked effortlessly towards ensuring that staff members around her understand guardianship and ensures that guardian flags are applied to each patient’s chart as appropriate.  Along with serving on the executive board of GAIN, Jessica also serves as a voting member of the Iowa City Community Police Review Board.  Jessica is higly involved in national committees through her employer which focus on age-friendly healthcare systems and the education of social work health professional trainees. Jessica is a strong advocate for guardianship, when apppropritely needed, and ensures that the least restrictive level of care is secured for all patients.

Member at Large

I’ve been where you are. That is why when you enter my office for the first time I want you to feel this is a safe space where I not only listen to you, I understand you. I will do my utmost to be friendly and accessible, and thoroughly explain all legal proceedings so that you are confident and secure in the legal advice and assistance I am providing you. My ultimate goal is that you emerge from your legal matter whole, satisfied, and taken care of at every step in the process.

Since graduating from Drake Law School and my admittance to the Iowa Bar in April of 2005, I have practiced primarily in the field of family law, assisting families through divorce and custody matters. About four years ago, following my own family’s struggle with my mother’s Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, I decided to expand my practice to include work in the probate arena. Since then I have found great personal fulfillment helping families find the necessary resources to take care of their loved ones by guiding them through the guardianship and conservatorship process with dignity and compassion. I also work with my clients to be future-focused and develop comprehensive estate plans that ensure they and their loved ones will be protected against the uncertainties that life inevitably throws our direction.

Secretary

Lori DeVries has been both a Nationally Certified Guardian by the Center for Guardianship Certification and an Iowa Licensed Bachelor of Social Work for the past 25 years. She has worked for Permanent Planning, Inc. (PPI), a corporate guardianshipi agency in Cedar Falls, IA, for the past 26 years, serving as director since 2001. Lori was one of the founding members of GAIN, serving as Recorder and President over the years. She values the collaboration, learning opportunities, and resources provided by the National Guardianship Association and GAIN. Lori continues to enjoy her career of advocating for others and being a resource for people who want to learn more about guardianship.