NAFUSA Board of Directors Meets in Nashville

The NAFUSA Board of Directors met the first weekend in April in Nashville, Tennessee.
Great city! It was the first in-person meeting for the class of 2027 directors elected in the
general membership meeting in September in Oklahoma City. Either in-person or virtually, all but one of our directors was able to attend this meeting.

In addition to financial reporting, organization business and membership updates covered in the meeting, the board voted on the Bradford Award Committee’s recommendation for the 2025 recipient of this prestigious award. There was also spirited discussion of issues of general concern and issues impacting our non-partisan association. The conference committee reported on plans for this year’s conference and panel leaders were appointed for the CLE program areas to be presented at the conference at the Willard Hotel in Washington DC in October. If you are interested in being a part of the conference planning, please let me or Lisa know or contact any of the NAFUSA officers or directors.

Additionally, there was discussion of recommendations for new directors which will be
presented to the membership for voting in October at the 2025 annual conference.
NAFUSA Directors play an important role in the operation of the organization. They are
instrumental in planning and presenting relevant, timely and interesting programs for our annual conferences, in recruiting sponsors, promoting the organization and seeking new members. It’s not all work, however. Our mid-year meetings are a great opportunity to get to know each other and enjoy the camaraderie and spirit of our shared experiences in interesting and fun locations. Please let us know if you are considering serving on our Board of Directors in the future. It’s a great opportunity to connect with other former U.S. Attorneys and take an active role in NAFUSA.

 

Death of Former U.S. Attorney Jessica Aber

Jessica Aber, who served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia for most of the Biden administration died in her home in Alexandria, Virginia, on March 26 of natural causes. She was 43. The news of her death greatly shocked and saddened her family and many friends in the U.S. Attorney and Department of Justice community. Her friends and colleagues were “heartbroken” to learn of her passing.

Ms. Aber, a career federal prosecutor, took office in October 2021, after being nominated by President Biden and unanimously confirmed by the Senate. She resigned from that position in January 2025. She was known for prosecuting high-profile cases involving organized crime and national security. U.S. Attorney Erik Seibert, who currently heads that office, remarked that “[Ms. Aber] was unmatched as a leader, mentor, and prosecutor, and she is simply irreplaceable as human being.”

Flag Ceremony for Family of Victor Ortega

 

As reported in the December 2024 NAFUSA newsletter, former U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico and founding NAFUSA member Victor Otega died in May 2024, at the age of 91.

On February 6, 2025, a ceremony was held in the U.S. Attorneys Office in Santa Fe, New Mexico during which the flag flown over the Department of Justice in honor of former U. S. Attorney Ortega was presented to Carol Ortega, his widow. The presentation was made by lifetime NAFUSA member and former president Bill Lutz on behalf of NAFUSA. In addition to Mrs. Ortega, the ceremony was attended by current U.S. Attorneys Holland Kastin, Judge Harris Hartz from the 10th Circuit, who worked for Mr. Ortega in the 1970’s, and former U.S. Attorneys Fred Federici and Alexander Euballez , among others. Mrs. Ortega expressed her gratitude and thanked NAFUSA for the ceremony and flag honoring her late husband.

Update From 2024 Bradford Award Winner

New Jersey Assistant U.S. Attorney John Romano captivated NAFUSA’s 2024 Annual Conference attendees as he related the long and twisted history of the prosecution of foster parents Carolyn and Keith Jackson, who brutally tortured and starved young children in their care. The original trial judge sentenced the couple three times, twice after remand from the Third Circuit, significantly lower than the verdict and sentencing guidelines called for. The case went up to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals three times. The sentence was finally vacated and the case remanded for resentencing before a different judge. The link to the Third Circuit’s opinion on the appeal of the new sentence is below. Spoiler alert: John’s perseverance once again prevailed. Congratulations, John, and thank you!

Jackson Case Update

NAFUSA Conference 2025 – Golf!

The 2025 annual conference in Washington D.C. October 8-10 will open early for NAFUSA golfers. Conference attendees will be able to play a round of golf with fellow members and guests at the historic Army Navy Country Club on Army Navy Drive in Arlington, Virginia. Registration for the reserved tee times on Wednesday morning, October 8, and for transport to the golf course from the conference hotel, will open concurrently with conference registration this summer.

The Army Navy Country Club was established in 1925. It sits in part on the site of Fort Richardson, a Union fort which commanded the highest ground of the forts on the Virginia side of D.C. defending the nation’s capital during the Civil War. It is a private, member-owned country club whose membership ranges from civilians to Active Duty and Retired Commissioned Officers and is ranked in the top 4% of private clubs in the U.S. The club has been featured in Virginia Golfer magazine. The course is considered challenging with a variety of holes and is certainly beautiful. We are pleased to offer an opportunity to play on this legendary golf course to NAFUSA conference attendees.

Death of Morton Susman

Well-known Houston attorney Morton Susman passed away surrounded by loving family on January 21, 2025. He was 90. Following graduation from Southern Methodist University Law School he enlisted in the United States Navy and served in the Navy’s JAG Corps for three years of active duty. Following his military commitment he moved with his family to Houston, Texas. He began his career with the U.S. Department of Justice as an Assistant United States Attorney and later, in 1966, was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas by President Johnson. Susman, a former
NAFUSA member, had a long-distinguished career in private practice. He concluded his legal career as a senior partner at the New York law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges in 1997.

In retirement, Susman and his wife Nina traveled the world and spent much of his retirement years at their vacation home in Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona. He loved scuba diving, underwater photography and flying radio-controlled airplanes.

NAFUSA 2025 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

 

NAFUSA President Donna Bucella announced in Oklahoma City in September at the 2024 Annual Conference that NAFUSA’s Conference in 2025 will be held in Washington, D.C. at the historic Willard Hotel. Mark your calendars for October 8 -10, 2025! The unofficial start to the conference will be Wednesday morning, October 8 with golf for interested members at the Army Navy Country Club. Registration for golf AND the conference will not open until this summer, but we have already had sponsors coming forward to be a part of what is sure to be a great event. Keep reading your monthly newsletter for conference and sponsorship updates.

Atlanta Area NAFUSA Members Meet

 

In what appears to be becoming an annual event, former United States Attorneys from the Northern District of Georgia met over lunch in Atlanta in January. Former U.S. Attorney and NAFUSA member Joe Whitley (1990-1993) gathered together six former U.S. Attorneys who served in that role in subsequent years. Rick Deane (1998-2001), Bill Duffy (2001-2004). David Nahmias (2004-2009), Bjay Pak (2017-2021) and Kurt Erskine (2021-2022) welcomed the latest member to their join their ranks – Ryan Buchanan (2022-2025). Ryan is also one of NAFUSA’s newest members, having joined
in January 2025.

Welcome New NAFUSA Members

Members of NAFUSA are always happy to welcome former U.S. Attorneys to join us.
Traditionally, the number of applications for membership rises when there is a change in
presidential administrations, as there is this year. Starting this month, we will publish the
names and districts of new members each month in the newsletter, and we will begin this month by listing new members starting from September 2024.

September 2024
Steven Weinhoeft – Southern District of Illinois 2018-2022

October 2024
Henry Leventis – Middle District of Tennessee 2022-2024. Lifetime Member

December 2024
Lane Tucker – District of Alaska 2022-2025

January 2024
Ryan Buchanan – Northern District of Georgia 2022-2025
Michael Norton – District of Colorado [a returning member!] 1988-1993
Peter Leary – Middle District of Georgia 2022-2025. Lifetime Member

Welcome to NAFUSA! We hope to see you in October at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., for NAFUSA’s 2025 Annual Conference.