2024-2025
GAIN Board Members
Nathan Miller
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.
Sherri McLerran
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.
Kimberly Walker
Treasurer
Kim Walker is a Nationally Certified Guardian (NCG) and the sole proprietor of Transitional Life Consulting, LLC. She started her business in 2012 to provide Care Management and then later expanded her services to provide Professional Guardianship and Conservatorship services. Kim has extensive knowledge about available resources and how to access them. Kim loves the opportunity to advocate for those that cannot advocate for themselves.
Jennifer Donovan
Office of Public Guardian Liaison
Jennifer Donovan is the Public Guardian for the State of Iowa and oversees Iowa’s Office of Public Guardian. She received her law degree from the University Of Iowa College Of Law. Prior to joining the Office of Public Guardian in 2018, she practiced law for eleven years as a Staff Attorney at Iowa Legal Aid. She is a member of the Guardianship Association of Iowa Network (GAIN), the National Guardianship Association, the Iowa State Bar Association, and the American Bar Association.
Lori DeVries
Recorder
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 guardianship 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.
Cynthia A. Bahls
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.
Jessica Hobart-Collis
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.
Cheryl Oldenkamp
Member at Large
Cheryl Oldenkamp has been a Guardian Case Manager for Guardians of Northeast Iowas since 2020. She is a National Certified Guardian and National Certified Case Manager serving clients in western and northeast Iowa. Cheryl graduated from Wayne State College with a BS in Psychology. She was a Targeted Case Manager with Woodbury County Social Services for 20 years, working with people with traumatic brain injuries, mental health challenges, the aging population, and people with an intellectual disability. She then worked for a Managed Care Organization as a Community Based Manager and Crisis Specialist before moving on to Director of Social Services at a local nursing facility.
Anna Stamat
Member at Large
Anna, serving as Board President, and Co-Founder of Guardians of Northeast Iowa, Inc. and a National Certified Guardian. She graduated in 2010 from Capella University earning a Master’s Degree in Human Services, Nonprofit Management. In 1984 she graduated from St. John’s University earning a BS in Human Services & in 1982 from LaGuardia Community College earning an AA in Human Services. Anna considers herself to be a professional advocate for individuals with disabilities. She has provided support services to individuals that live with disabilities and mental illness in the areas of case management, personal development, skills development, and educational services. Anna worked at Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) as the Coordinator of Disability Services for the past 12 years in which she recently retired.
Deanna Clingan-Fischer
Executive Director
Deanna Clingan-Fischer began serving as the Executive Director for GAIN in May of 2021. Deanna brings together a wealth of experience and knowledge regarding substitute decision making. Deanna worked with the Iowa Department on Aging as the Legal Services Developer. As the Developer she worked with issues of guardianship, conservatorship, advance directives, elder abuse, and powers of attorney and was part of the task force that drafted revisions to the guardianship and conservatorship laws in Iowa. In 2011, Deanna was named the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman overseeing the program that acted as an advocate for persons residing in long-term care facilities. Deanna is a graduate of Drake University –both undergraduate and law school. She is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association and currently serves as the Past-Chair of its Elder Law Section.