Nancy S. Footer
Nancy S. Footer has been Vice Chancellor and General Counsel since March 2004. Previously, Ms. Footer was General Counsel for Bowling Green State University, where she also served as an adjunct faculty member in the College of Education and Human Development teaching higher education law. Prior to her tenure at BGSU, she served as Associate General Counsel for the University of Houston System. Ms. Footer was a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of College and University Attorneys from 1995-98 and is a past president of the Texas Association of State University Attorneys. She received her J.D. from the University of Houston College of Law and her B.A. in History with special honors from the University of Texas at Austin, where she gave the History Department commencement address in May 2007. She is licensed to practice in Texas and Ohio, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

Katari D. Buck
Katari D. Buck joined the Office of General Counsel in October 2007 as an Assistant General Counsel. Before joining the Office of General Counsel, Ms. Buck was an associate in the El Paso office of Scott, Hulse, Marshall, Feuille, Finger and Thurmond, P.C., where she practiced in the areas of employment litigation, general civil litigation, and medical malpractice defense. Prior to attending law school, Ms. Buck was a corporate trainer and training coordinator for Rio Bravo, Inc., a national restaurant corporation. She received her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law and her B.A. in Communications from the University of North Florida. She is admitted to practice in Texas and New Mexico state courts, as well as federal courts in the Western District of Texas, the District of New Mexico, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Ms. Buck recently served as the President of the El Paso Women’s Bar Association and she is a current member of the Public Affairs Committee of the State Bar of Texas.

Karin W. Rilley
Karin W. Rilley was recently appointed as an Assistant General Counsel. Prior to joining the staff at the University of North Texas System, Ms. Rilley was Executive Legal Counsel and Chief Operating Officer for the largest public school district in Ohio, the Columbus City School District. Ms. Rilley also served the State of Ohio as General Counsel for the Ohio Department and State Board of Education and as an Assistant Attorney General providing advice and litigation services for various state education clients. Ms Rilley was a partner in the Cleveland law firm of Britton, Smith, Peters and Kalail and an associate with Scariano, Ellch, Himes, Sraga and Petrarca in Chicago, Illinois with a focus on issues in primary and secondary education. Ms. Rilley graduated with honors from both Rutgers University and the University of Akron School of Law.

Erin Stewart
Erin Stewart joined the Office of General Counsel in February 2007 as a Staff Attorney. Previously, Ms. Stewart was an associate with the law firm Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP in New York City, where her practice focused on commercial litigation, product liability, and toxic torts. After relocating to Texas, she interned in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Waco Division. She earned her J.D. from Columbia Law School, where she was a Teaching Fellow in Negotiation, and her B.A., with a double major in History and English Literature, from the University of Maryland, where she was active in the Department of Resident Life and in the University Honors Program. Ms. Stewart is licensed to practice in Texas and New York, and in the Federal District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York.

Renaldo L. Stowers
Renaldo L. Stowers is Senior Associate General Counsel. Before joining the office in 1997, he was a Senior Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas where he defended state officials and agencies against employment and constitutional law claims and an Assistant General Counsel for a state regulatory agency. Prior to entering state government, Mr. Stowers was a Field Artillery and a Judge Advocate General officer in the U.S. Army. As a military attorney, Mr. Stowers served as an administrative law officer, senior criminal defense attorney and a senior prosecutor. During his legal career he has taught legal courses for Central Texas College and currently teaches a sports law course at UNT. Additionally, he is a frequent speaker on topics such as equal opportunity and discrimination, employment law, and risk management. Mr. Stowers is licensed to practice in all state and federal courts in Texas, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and U.S. military courts. He received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law. He received his B.A. with high honors in political science and was commissioned as a Distinguished Military Graduate from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Alan Stucky
Alan Stucky joined the Office of General Counsel in October 2004 as an Assistant General Counsel. Mr. Stucky previously served as in-house counsel and risk manager for Hillcrest Health System in Waco, and was also in private practice with Dunnam & Dunnam, LLP, in Waco, and with Brown & Fortunato, P.C., in Amarillo, with a legal practice in the areas of real estate, business, corporate, construction, and health care law. He received his J.D. from Baylor University Law School, and his B.S. from Bethel College. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Stucky worked for the Dallas County Juvenile Department. Mr. Stucky taught real estate law at Amarillo College for several years, and currently teaches business law in UNT’s College of Business Administration.

S. Michelle Williams
S. Michelle Williams is Associate General Counsel. Ms. Williams joined the office in 1992. Immediately after graduating from law school, Ms. Williams was an associate with the Dallas law firm of Gardere & Wynne, where she practiced in the area of litigation. Ms. Williams received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and her B.A. with honors in both international studies and history from the American University in Washington D.C. In addition to her responsibilities as Associate General Counsel, Ms. Williams has taught various legal courses as an adjunct professor for the UNT Department of Criminal Justice.

Ronda Bewley
Ronda Bewley is Administrative Assistant II and provides support to Michelle Williams, Alan Stucky, and Erin Stewart. Most recently, she worked in administration and sales support for over five years with a company that handled specialized construction. Ms. Bewley brings over 20 years administrative experience to the office.

Cheryl Finley
Cheryl Finley is Administrative Services Officer II and Assistant to Nancy Footer. Ms. Finley attended Brookhaven Community College, Paris Junior College and received her Paralegal Certificate in Allentown, Pa. Prior to working for the Office of General Counsel she was Executive Administrative Assistant for ten years in the Bond Counsel Division of Fulbright & Jaworski in Dallas, Texas.

Sheri Fisher
Sheri Fisher is Administrative Assistant II and provides support to Katari Buck and Karin Rilley. Prior to working at UNT System, Ms. Fisher worked in the Records Department at Godwin Pappas Ronquillo in Dallas. Ms. Fisher graduated from Tarleton State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising and a minor in Business Administration. In 2004, Ms. Fisher received a certificate in Paralegal Studies from Arlington Career Institute.

Darin Haerle
Darin Haerle is Administrative Assistant III and provides support to Alan Stucky, Erin Stewart and Michelle Williams. Previously, Ms. Haerle was a Group Living Counselor at Excelsior Youth Center in Aurora, CO. Ms. Haerle graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a B.A. in Psychology and Kinesiology. Ms. Haerle is pursuing a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice at UNT with an expected graduation date of August 2008.

Tina Sikes
Tina Sikes is Administrative Assistant III and provides support to Renaldo Stowers and Katari Buck. Prior to her position with the Office of General Counsel, she worked in bid coordination and administration for five years at an Argyle based lightning protection company. Ms. Sikes is currently attending Texas Woman’s University where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Government.

William S. LeMaistre
William S. LeMaistre is Senior Associate General Counsel and also serves as an adjunct assistant professor at UNTHSC. Previously, Mr. LeMaistre served as Senior Assistant Attorney to Harris County, representing the county's hospital district and serving as counsel for the hospital district's HMO, Community Health Choice, Inc.  Mr. LeMaistre earned his a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law, and a master's degree in public health from the University of Texas School of Public Health.  He has a B.A. in political science from Austin College in Sherman, Texas. At the commencement of his legal career, Mr. LeMaistre was a briefing attorney for Chief Justice McCloud of the Eleventh District, Texas Court of Appeals, and a law clerk to Judge Ricardo Hinajosa of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

Jon McGough
Jon McGough is Associate General Counsel.  Mr. McGough received his J.D. cum laude from Texas Tech University School of Law and his  B.A. magna cum laude in history from Texas Tech University. Before joining UNT System, he was an associate attorney with Gibson, Hotchkiss, Roach and Davenport in Wichita Falls, Texas, where he practiced in the areas of contract law, real estate law, bankruptcy and commercial litigation. 

Patrice Poole-Wiliams
Patrice Poole-Williams is Administrative Assistant III. Previously, Ms. Poole-Williams was a CPS Specialist/Investigator with the Texas Department of Family & Protective Services in Dallas, TX. Prior to working for Child Protective Services, Ms. Poole-Williams was Senior Business Assistant in the Campus Life office at Texas Tech University. Ms. Poole-Williams received her B.A. in mass communications from Texas Tech University and has completed 21 hours toward an MBA in E/Business through the University of Phoenix Online.