Past Presidents of AAfPE

The American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE) has been led by visionary professionals since its inception. Below is a comprehensive list of past presidents who have guided our organization and advanced the field of paralegal education.

• Janet Kaiser (1982–1983)
• James W. H. McCord (1983–1984)
• Elizabeth Marmorston Horowitz (1984–1985)

  Elizabeth Marmorston Horowitz, founding director of the USC Law School paralegal program and a Juvenile Court mediator, died July 21, 2005, of cancer at age 72. Legendary for her compassion, generosity, and concern for the underprivileged, she conducted hearings in heart-rending abuse and neglect cases. She also served as a professor at the UCLA School of Social Welfare and as a clinical professor of law at USC.

• Michael Pener (1985–1986)
• David A. Dye (1986–1987)
• Therese A. Cannon (1987–1988)
• Michael Fitch (1988–1989)
• Sharrie Hildebrandt (1989–1990)
• Jill E. Martin (1990–1991)
• Thomas Eimermann (1991–1992)
• Susan M. Sullivan (1992–1993)
• Judy A. Gibbs (1993–1994)
• Ann Yarbro McCoin (1994–1995)
• Diane Petropulos (1995–1996)
• Bernard G. Helldorfer (1996–1997)

  BERNARD G. HELLDORFER of Maspeth, after a valiant struggle with cancer, died on Thursday, December 15, at the age of 61. He was the beloved husband of Linda (Sturm) Helldorfer, born August 4, 1955 to Lillian and Bernard Helldorfer.

  He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in accounting from St. John's University College of Business in 1977, and earned a J.D. from St. John's University School of Law in 1980.

  Following law school, he served as in-house counsel for Mobil Oil Corporation until 1983, then joined St. John's College of Professional Studies as the first chair of the Division of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies. He co-founded the Mock Trial Team with Oscar Holt, leading them to 21 national finals appearances and a #2 national finish in 2000.

  Bernie maintained a private practice in Maspeth, specializing in elder law, trusts and estates, and real property. He was admitted to the federal district court and U.S. Supreme Court bar, as well as the bars of New York, Pennsylvania, and Montana.

  In 1996, Bernie's nomination by a Mock Trial team member led to his selection as one of the Torchbearers of the Olympic Flame.

• Anita Tebbe (1997–1998)
• Clark G. Moscrip (1998–1999)
• Paul D. Guymon (1999–2000)
• Kathryn L. Myers (2000–2001)
• Robert J. LeClair (2001–2002)
• Joan Fraczek Spadoni (2002–2003)
• Diane Pevar (2003–2004)
• Ronald C. Goldfarb (2004–2005)
• William J. Mulkeen (2005–2006)
• Hedi Nasheri (2006–2007)
• Marisa Campbell (2007–2008)
• Carolyn Smoot (2008–2009)
• Nancy Caine Harbour (2009–2010)
• Mary Carol Parker (2010–2011)
• Scott Hauert (2011–2012)

Scott A. Hauert is President of the American Association for Paralegal Education and the Director of Legal Studies at Phoenix College, the largest ABA-approved Paralegal Studies program in Arizona. The program serves 400 students per semester and offers both an associate degree and a post-degree certificate.

Mr. Hauert previously served as President of the Phoenix College Faculty Senate, Chair of the college Technology Committee, and currently co-chairs the Budget Committee. In December 2008, he and faculty opened the e-Court at Phoenix College’s Downtown Campus—a full-sized, fully-functional courtroom with the latest technology to train paralegals and litigation team members.

He holds a J.D., magna cum laude, from University of Dayton School of Law; an M.B.A. from University of New Mexico; and a B.S. in Computer Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Before Phoenix College, he served as a Deputy Maricopa County Attorney and a Judicial Clerk to the Supreme Court of Arizona and the Arizona Court of Appeals.

From 2005 to 2008, he served on the ABA’s Standing Committee on Paralegals Approval Commission, leading site visits for ABA-approval. From 2004 to 2008, he served on the Board of Directors of the Maricopa County Bar Association Paralegal Division, and from 2001 to 2004 on the State Bar President’s Task Force on Paralegal Membership.

• Loretta Calvert (2012–2013)
• Steve Dayton (2013–2014)
• Patricia Lyons (2014–2015)
• Robert Mongue (2015–2016)
• Julia Dunlap (2016–2017)
• Kye Haymore (2017–2018)
• Bruce Davis (2018–2019)
• Debra Geiger (2019–2020)
• Toni Marsh (2022–2023)

Director, The George Washington University Paralegal Studies Program

Toni Marsh is the founding director of the George Washington University paralegal studies program and an associate professor of Paralegal Studies and Constitutional Law. Professor Marsh’s research focuses on increasing access to justice by expanding paralegals’ roles, unauthorized practice of law, paralegal licensing, and tribal paralegal models. She designed and launched the paralegal programs at George Washington University, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the University of Bagamoyo in Tanzania. She is a member of the DC Courts Civil Legal Reform Task Force and chair of its Scope and Qualifications committee.

As the COVID President, she faced many unique challenges. Perhaps the greatest of these arose early in the pandemic, before universal shutdowns were in place, when she and her team had to determine whether to convene the conference in person or transition to a virtual format. Although the substantive content of the program was critically important, the chance to forge and renew professional connections—reuniting with colleagues and friends who gather only once a year—proved invaluable. Navigating that decision under unprecedented circumstances tested both her leadership and the organization’s resilience.

• Page Beetem (2024–2025)
• Chris Simcox (2025–2026)