Officers
New York State Magistrates Association 2024-2025 Officers & Directors
President
Hon. Thomas J. Sheeran – Town Justice, Lewiston
President Thomas Sheeran
Judge Thomas Sheeran is a native of New York City’s borough of Queens and grew up in Katonah in Westchester County’s Town of Bedford. A graduate of Ithaca College, Sheeran possesses advanced degrees from Ithaca College and Niagara University, and a doctorate from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Elected Town Justice in 1992, Sheeran has been re-elected every four years and was elected in 2023 to a ninth term in office.
A longtime member of the Faculty of Education at Niagara University, Judge Sheeran is the author of dozens of articles, books and monographs, and has presented papers and workshops across the U.S., Canada, and Asia. He is a member or fellow of many professional education and judicial societies and has served in various capacities in the New York State Magistrates Association. That association, comprised of approximately two thousand one hundred and ten judges, representing over twelve hundred town and village courts, is one of the largest judicial associations in the United States
Additionally, Judge Sheeran has served as a member of the senior faculty for the New York State Judicial Institute’s Continuing Education program for Town and Village Justices presenting programs in various venues across the State. In 2008, Judge Sheeran was appointed by the Chief Administrative Judge to the Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics. In that capacity, Sheeran became the first non-attorney to serve on that committee.
Sheeran has been married to his wife Maureen for fifty-four years, has two children, Meaghan and Brendan and two grandchildren, Jack and Rian.
President Elect
Hon. Susan Sullivan Bisceglia – Town Justice, LaGrange
Hon Susan Sullivan-Bisceglia – President – Elect
Susan is the first woman judge in her hometown of LaGrange, Dutchess County.
Having previously served as Acting City of Poughkeepsie Judge, Town of Union Vale, Pawling and Patterson Justice, as well as Associate Justice of the Village of Wappingers Falls, Judge Sullivan-Bisceglia brings over eight years of experience as a Judge.
Elected as President Elect of the New York State Magistrates Association, and President of the Dutchess County Magistrates Association, Judge SullivanBisceglia is the “Judge Who Teaches the Judges”, traveling across New York State providing education to the judiciary.
Having a commitment to civic mindedness, Judge Sullivan-Bisceglia frequently welcomes students to her court to participate in mock trials providing them an opportunity to learn about the courts and the administration of justice to the community.
She received her Juris Doctorate from New York Law School and is a licensed attorney admitted to practice in NY and CT, the United States Supreme Court, as well as the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, Professor of Law at Dutchess Community College, and maintains her law office at the Hudson Valley Regional Airport. Judge SullivanBisceglia has well over 25 years of combined experience obtained in the courts, major law firms, Fortune 500 companies and the State of New York.
Inspired by her family of U.S. Air Force fighter pilots, she is a licensed Commercial Pilot with Instrument and Multi-Engine Ratings and prior Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Counselor.
Judge Sullivan-Bisceglia maintains her hometown residence in the beautiful Hudson Valley with her husband Paul and two children.
Vice Presidents
1st – Hon. David Kozyra – Town Justice, Marcy
Hon. David W. Kozyra – First Vice President
Hon. David Kozyra has served as a Town Justice in Marcy, New York, since January 2008. He graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1987. David was nominated as a Director of the New York State Magistrates Association in September 2012 and re-elected in 2016 and 2021.
He assumed the Vice Presidential duties in 2022. Prior to his First Vice President election in 2024, David served on the following committees: Conference/Judicial Training and Education, County Association/Outreach, Consolidation and Court Reform Issues, Media and Public Relations, Bylaws, and the Finance and Audit committees. He was a regular lecturer for first time conference attendees.
2nd – Hon. Barbara Seelbach – Town Justice, Clinton
Hon. Barbara Seelbach – Second Vice President
Hon. Barbra Seelbach has been Justice in the Town of Clinton, Dutchess County, for the past 19 years. She is currently employed as the Confidential Secretary to Dutchess County Supreme Court Justice Christi J. Acker. During her tenure as Town Justice, she was elected Secretary, Vice President and President of the Dutchess County Magistrates Association. In 2010, She was the recipient of the Dutchess County Magistrate of the Year award for her decision regarding the New York State Police position regarding plea bargaining.
In September of 2015, she was elected to the ranks of directors of the New York State Magistrates Association. She is a long-standing member of the Training and Education Committee where she has been responsible for developing and implementing CJE training programs for annual conferences. She has taught several continuing judicial education courses in small claims, summary proceedings and other topics for the New York State Magistrates Association. In addition, she has served as a member of the Judicial Outreach Committee and the By Laws Committee.
In 2022, she was selected to be a Judicial Ambassador for the National Judicial College. She is currently serving as President of the Dutchess County Magistrates Association and Second Vice President of the New York State Magistrates Association.
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3rd – Michael A. Fedish – Town Justice, Chenango
Hon. Michael A. Fedish – Third Vice President
Michael (Mike) Fedish is a Town Justice in the Town of Chenango, Broome County. He was first elected in 2014. Judge Fedish has been an active member of the Broome County Magistrates Association serving as President for the past eight years.
Judge Fedish retired in 2011 after a 26-year Law Enforcement career with the Broome County Sheriff’s Office, starting his career in Corrections and retiring as the Law Enforcement Division Commander with the rank of Captain.
Judge Fedish has served five years as a Director on the NYSMA Board since 2018. While on the Executive Board he has served as the Co-chair of the Site Selection Committee and on the Conference Training and Education Committee, County Association and Outreach Committee, Audit Committee, By-laws Committee, Finance Committee, Consolidation and Court Reform and Counsel at Arraignment Committee and the Media and Public Relations Committee.
Judge Fedish resides in the Town of Chenango with his wife Laurie where he is an active member in his community volunteering his time to a local youth organization. He has a daughter Amanda and son-in-law Ted who lives in Pennsylvania with his four grandchildren, Maddie, Jon, Aly and Katie.
Judge Fedish is looking forward to serving all members of NYSMA as your Third Vice President.
Treasurer
Hon. James Evans – Town Justice,
Secretary / Executive Director
Hon. Tanja Sirago – Town Justice, Cairo
Tanja Sirago was a chief court clerk for six years prior to being elected town justice in 2008 for the Cairo Town Court. She is married to her husband Vinny for 35 years, enjoys traveling and spending time with her children and two grandchildren.
Directors
Hon. Ronald W. Meister - Town Justice, Mamaroneck
Hon. Donald Nipper - Town Justice, Palermo
Hon. Deborah A. Stritzel - Town Justice, Williamson
Hon. Gregory P. Thomas - Town Justice, Union / Village Justice Johnson City
Hon. Timothy E. Cox - Town Justice, Olive
Hon. William F. Franks - Town Justice, Stoney Point
Hon. Jeffrey B. McCabe - Town Justice, Moreau
Hon. Christopher D. Penfold - Town Justice, Dunkirk
Hon. Dawn Fiorillo - Village Justice, Cobleskill
Hon. Debra K. Kluth - Town Justice, Kendall
Hon. Klu K. Padu - Town Justice, Tusten
Hon. Jeffrey M. Stone - Town Justice, German Flatts
Immediate Past President
Hon. Kenneth Ohi Johnson – Town Justice, Day