NHBA Board of Governors Election Starts April 1
Online balloting will begin April 1 and conclude April 15. An email containing your personalized ballot link will be sent from Intelliscan on April 1. Members who have not voted by April 8 will receive an email reminder.
Because the NHBA Board of Governors ballot is sent as a bulk email message from Intelliscan, it may end up in your email application’s or firm’s spam filter. To ensure that you receive your ballot, please add NHBA@intelliscanvotes.com to your “safe senders” list. Large firms should have their IT Department add the election vendor to their safelist to ensure ballots are received.
If you did not receive a ballot or need assistance, please contact Keith Wier with Intelliscan at kwier@intelliscaninc.com or (484) 920-8106.
NHBA 2026 Board Candidates
Officers
Sarah Mattson Dustin
President-Elect
Nomination by Board of Governors
Sarah Mattson Dustin is the executive director for New Hampshire Legal Assistance (NHLA), a statewide nonprofit law firm providing civil legal aid to people with low income and older adults from offices in Concord, Manchester, Portsmouth, Claremont, and Berlin. A career public interest lawyer, Sarah has been with NHLA for more than 18 years. She worked first as a staff attorney and Skadden Fellow, handling a wide variety of cases for individual clients, and later oversaw the organization’s policy advocacy before taking on the executive director role in 2018. She was the recipient of the Bar Foundation’s 2010 Robert E. Kirby Award, participated in the inaugural class of the Bar Association’s Leadership Academy, and currently serves on the Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission. Sarah earned her undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard. She began her legal career as a law clerk with United States District Judge Paul Barbadoro. Sarah is deeply involved in the New Hampshire community and has served as a Board member for numerous local organizations including the Hopkinton Public Schools Foundation, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation, Merrimack County Savings Bank, and New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp. She is a lifelong Granite Stater hailing from Center Harbor and now lives in Contoocook with her husband and two daughters.
“I’ve been a member of our Bar Association for more than twenty years, and I’m still learning about the many ways in which it supports our members and our profession. We’re lucky to have thoughtful, committed Officers and Governors as well as an excellent staff team. Law practice continues to evolve, as do the diverse needs of New Hampshire attorneys. I’m eager to be part of the Bar Association’s work to preserve its strengths while ensuring it remains relevant, vibrant, and cost-effective for the next generation of practitioners.”
Governor-at-Large
Kyle D. Robidas
Governor-at-Large
Nomination by Petition for a Three-Year Term
Kyle D. Robidas is a litigation attorney at Devine Millimet and Branch. He works out of the Manchester office but takes cases throughout the state. He works on a variety of litigation matters, focusing primarily on criminal defense. Prior to entering private practice in 2025, he spent more than a decade as a public defender, representing indigent community members and ensuring the protection of their constitutional rights. He was an active team member of various treatment courts in Hillsborough County, including Veterans’ Court and Drug Court (now Recovery Court). Kyle also focused on training and staff development while at the Public Defender, serving as a trial skills trainer for six years and as the statewide Director of Professional Development during his last two years at the Public Defender. Kyle is about to finish his second two-year term as the Hillsborough County North representative to the Board of Governors. He is excited about the prospect of being an at-large governor. Kyle enjoys being active in the Bar Association. He is a member of the Hearings Committee for the Attorney Discipline Office and the Wellness Committee of the Bar Association. Kyle is a graduate of Norwich University and the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. He is a native of New Hampshire, originally from Colebrook. He now lives with his wife Cindy and son Keagan in Epsom.
Stephani Roundy Knights
Governor-at-Large
Nomination by Petition for a Three-Year Term
Stephani Roundy Knights graduated from The George Washington University Law School in 2008. Following graduation, she served as a term law clerk for the New Hampshire Superior Court from 2008 to 2010. She then joined her family’s law practice in Dover, New Hampshire, where she represented workers’ compensation claimants and personal injury plaintiffs. In 2016, Stephani returned to the New Hampshire Superior Court as Law Clerk Supervisor, a role she continues to value deeply. In her law clerk capacity, Stephani assists in resolving the wide range of cases within the Superior Court’s broad jurisdiction. This work has given her a front-row view of the challenges and triumphs faced by New Hampshire litigants and attorneys. Her unique vantage point has allowed her to develop a strong understanding of both the nuanced areas of New Hampshire law and the procedural and logistical issues confronting practitioners across the state. While Stephani is grateful for the substantive legal work she performs, she finds the supervisory aspects of her role especially rewarding. Now in her tenth year as Law Clerk Supervisor, she has had the privilege of working with dozens of new attorneys as they launch their legal careers. She is passionate about mentoring young lawyers as they navigate the intellectual demands of clerking and pursue meaningful and successful post-clerkship opportunities. Stephani’s commitment to supporting emerging attorneys led her to join the New Hampshire Bar Association’s New Lawyers Committee in 2022. She currently serves as co-chair of the committee. She is also a member of the New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association and the Daniel Webster-Batchelder American Inn of Court. Her prior Bar service includes membership on the NHBA’s Gender Equality Committee. Stephani is now seeking a position on the NHBA Board of Governors to provide more direct support for the programs and initiatives the Bar advances on behalf of its members. She believes that Bar membership strengthens the bonds of the legal profession and fosters unity during challenging times. At a moment when the rule of law faces increasing pressures and divisions are often amplified, Stephani is committed to helping the Bar rise to meet those challenges. She would be honored to contribute her experience, ideas, and strong work ethic to the role of Governor-at-Large.
County Governors
William D. Woodbury
Belknap County Governor
Nomination by Petition for a Two-Year Term
Bill is a Co-Managing Member of Normandin, Cheney & O’Neil, PLLC, in Laconia, New Hampshire. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.S. in Microbiology in 1995 and received his J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law in 2003. Prior to attending law school, Bill spent eleven years as an Emergency Medical Technician for a major pre-hospital care provider in southern New Hampshire and Maine. Bill represents clients in a variety of legal areas before New Hampshire’s State and Federal Courts. He maintains an active Family Law practice and routinely represents women and men in matters ranging from divorce to complex child support and relocation actions. As these matters are highly emotionally charged and often involve the ongoing welfare of children, Bill works hard to find practical and creative solutions that will be sustainable, not only in the short term, but well into the future.
Alexander J. Smeaton
Belknap County Governor
Nomination by Petition for a Two-Year Term
Attorney Alexander Smeaton began his legal career in 2012 in Downeast Maine, representing a diverse range of clients ranging from court appointed criminal defendants in state courts as well as the Passamaquoddy Tribal Courts to writing waivers of liability for the Eastport Port Authority’s rebuild of its breakwater. In 2016, he joined the Washington County District Attorney’s Office where he prosecuted crimes ranging from Aggravated Attempted Murder to Fishing for Sea Urchins during a Closed Period. In 2019, Attorney Smeaton accepted a position in the Belknap County Attorney’s Office as an Assistant County Attorney where he currently works prosecuting felony level criminal cases. In his personal time he is active in Mt Lebanon Lodge #32 F& AM, enjoys fishing, mushroom foraging, football, and spending time with his gray parrot Cecil. Attorney Smeaton looks forward to helping bring a public service view to the Board of Governors.
John “Jake” Crabbs
Carroll County Governor
Nomination by Petition for a Two-Year Term
One summer day in my youth, my parents—both lawyers—dragged me and my sisters to a picnic hosted by their county bar association. The only thing that I really remember was that an attorney performed a magic routine for the children. It is my earliest memory of sleight of hand, but the picnic left an impression for another reason. Even at that age, I understood that the work of lawyers was adversarial. Still, the members of the bar could come together and genuinely enjoy each other’s company. That realization stuck with me. For the last two years, I have had the honor and pleasure to serve as the Carroll County Governor on the Board of the New Hampshire Bar Association. I see my service to the NHBA as a continuation of Cooper Cargill Chant’s dedication to the mission and objectives of this important institution. It is no mere coincidence that both Randy Cooper and Paul Chant served terms as President of the Bar Association. Nor is it coincidental that my immediate predecessor in the role of Carroll County Governor was Leslie Leonard—now, the Honorable Leslie Leonard. Indeed, more attorneys at my firm have been elected to the Board of Governors than have not. I seek re-election to continue that work, and I thank you for your vote. Senior Associate, Cooper Cargill Chant, PA; J.D. The John Marshall Law School (now UIC Law School), Summa Cum Laude 2016; B.A. St. John’s College, Annapolis; admitted to N.H. Bar, 2022; admitted to Maine Bar, 2025, admitted to Illinois Bar, 2016; member, NHBA New Lawyers Committee; member, Pope Memorial Library Board of Directors, school board moderator, Eaton, New Hampshire.
Ryan J. Correia
Hillsborough County South County Governor
Nomination by Petition for a Two-Year Term
Ryan Correia is a family law attorney and founding attorney of Correia Law PLLC in Nashua, NH. Ryan earned his B.A. in Spanish and Government from Suffolk University in 2011 and obtained his law degree from Suffolk University Law School in 2015. Ryan has focused on family law since 2021 and his practice areas include divorce, collaborative divorce, parenting, child support, restraining orders, and guardianship of minors. Ryan is a frequent lecturer at the Family Law section of the New Hampshire Bar Association Practical Skills. In his free time, Ryan serves as President of Board of Trustees for Symphony NH, is on the Board for the Nashua Bar Association, is an avid traveler, and is passionate about soccer.
James H. Eager
Sullivan County Governor
Nomination by Petition for a Two-Year Term
Jimmy Eager is an Assistant County Attorney at the Sullivan County Attorney’s Office in Newport. He works exclusively in criminal law, prosecuting a variety of cases that range from district court misdemeanors to superior court felonies. Born and raised in Boston, MA, Jimmy began his professional life working in the nonprofit industry in Cambridge, MA. He spent four years working with men in drug & alcohol rehabilitation and then transitioned to working with families seeking emergency assistance. In 2013, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served for eight years in communications and cryptography aboard nuclear submarines. After completing three years of shore duty in Naples, Italy—where he earned his B.A. in History from the University of Maryland—Jimmy traded in his neckerchief and jumper for a shirt and tie before starting law school. A participant of the Daniel Webster Scholar Honors Program, he graduated from UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law in 2024 and was admitted to the State Bar that same year. In 2025, he was elected President of the Sullivan County Bar Association. He is also an adjunct professor at Manchester Community College, where he teaches State and Local Government. In his free time, Jimmy enjoys tinkering with his Jeep and is an avid Red Sox/Celtics/Patriots/Bruins fan. He is also an accomplished pianist and sketch artist. He is honored to represent the people of Sullivan County as a member of the NHBA Board of Governors and looks forward to working with all the other members to effect good work.
Michael J. Iacopino
ABA Association Delegate
Nomination by Petition for a Two-Year Term
Mike Iacopino is a criminal defense lawyer. He began his career in the Manchester office of New Hampshire Public Defender from 1984 through 1987. He is senior shareholder at Brennan Lenehan Iacopino & Hickey in Manchester NH where he has practiced for 38 years. His practice includes representation of accused people and businesses in state and federal court. Mike is the current NHBA Association Delegate to the American Bar Association House of Delegates. He is the former Chair of the New Hampshire Bar Association Legislative Committee. Mike also served for many years on the Committee on Cooperation with the Courts. At the ABA he is a member of the Criminal Justice Section, the Administrative Law Section and the Environment, Energy and Resources Law Section. Mike is a former CJA Panel Representative for the District of New Hampshire and a former member of the CJA Panel Selection Committee. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of New Hampshire Public Defender and is the immediate Past President of the NHPD Board. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and continues to serve as Co-Chair of the NACDL State Legislative Committee and as Co-Chair of the NACDL Sex Offender Policy Committee. He is the 2024 recipient of the Robert C. Heeney Memorial Award from NACDL. He received his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of New Hampshire in 1980 and his law degree from Suffolk University Law School in 1984. He is admitted to practice in the New Hampshire state and federal courts, the First Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.