Why Do We Have an Ethics Board?
It is declared that high moral and ethical standards among county public officials and county employees are essential to the conduct of free government. The County believes that a code of ethics for the guidance of county public officials and county employees will help them avoid conflicts between their personal interests and their public responsibilities, will improve standards of public service, and will promote and strengthen the faith and confidence of the people of this County. It is the intent of the County that in its operations the board shall protect to the fullest extent possible the rights of individuals affected.
Duties Regarding the Lobbying Code
The Ethics Board:
- Prescribes forms and instructions for preparing and filing registration applications and expense statements governed by M.C.G.O., Chapter 14
- Prepares and publishes a manual setting forth recommended uniform methods of accounting and reporting for use by persons who are required to provide information or file statements under M.C.G.O., Chapter 14
- Adopts such rules as may be necessary to enforce the various provisions of M.C.G.O, Chapter 14, including a schedule of sanctions and forfeitures pursuant to Section, 14.11
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Board Members
Christopher Meuler, Chair - Term Expires 02/28/2028 (Nominee: Milwaukee Bar Association)
Mr. Christopher Meuler is a graduate of Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin Law School. He is an attorney at Friebert, Finerty & St. John, S.C., where he maintains a general litigation practice with emphasis in the area of business litigation, eminent domain, insurance coverage, appellate work, contract disputes and bid protests. Mr. Meuler serves as local counsel for a number of national law firms when disputes arise in Wisconsin. In addition, Mr. Meuler pursues his interest in politics with a concentration in election law. He has worked on numerous election recounts and nomination paper challenges, and has advised both sides of the aisle on campaign finance and other issues.
After graduating from Marquette University, Mr. Meuler worked on the 1996 presidential campaign, followed by work in governmental affairs. He then served as a high school teacher before attending the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Mr. Meuler is a member of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin and American Bar Associations.
Elizabeth Lentini, Vice Chair - Term Expires 05/27/2029 (Nominee: League of Women Voters)
Elizabeth holds a bachelor's degree in government from Smith College and a J.D. from Boston College Law School. Originally from Colorado, she practiced in Denver at Davis, Graham & Stubbs and later joined Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells). In 1997 she joined the Law Department at Northwestern Mutual, where she worked on private investiment transactions and later became a compliance specialist. She served as Chief Compliance Officer for Northwestern Mutual Capital and was responsble for the implementation and enforcement of the company's Code of Ethics in the company's investment area. She retired in 2017 and as a member of the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County helps register Milwaukee County high school students and residents of the Milwaukee County Community Reintegration Center.
Clarence P. Nicholas - Term Expires 03/12/2026 (Nominee: NAACP)
A lifetime member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); 1st vice president of the Milwaukee Branch NAACP, once served as the education chair, assistant, and secretary of the Milwaukee Branch. Mr. Nicholas is a retired MPS teacher of 40 years (two years as principal), bachelor's and master's degrees in education, principal's license, completed doctoral coursework for superintendent/district superintendent license and a paralegal. He piloted and incorporated the former Cornerstone Achievement Academy, Inc. Partnership School - Milwaukee Public School District.
He is married to his wife Dr. Gloria Pitchford-Nicholas, former dean of MATC Pre-College Milwaukee. They have four daughters, four granddaughters and one grandson. He is deacon, church clerk and Sunday school superintendent of Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church. Mr. Nicholas also worked in the MATC School of Liberal Arts & Sciences for four years, and is currently a part-time teacher at MATC School of Pre-College (GED/Social Studies).
Richard Donner - Term Expires 04/30/2027 (Nominee: Wisconsin Policy Forum)
Richard W. Donner is a shareholder in the Real Estate Department at Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. where he focuses his practice on governmental relations, zoning, land use, property tax, eminent domain and other aspects of real estate development. Rick is co-author of the State Bar of Wisconsin publication Condemnation Law and Practice in Wisconsin and Chapter 7 of the State Bar of Wisconsin publication Commerical Real Estate Transactions, Title Insurance and Closing Protection Letters. He earned his B.A., with distinction, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. Rick lives in Shorewood, WI with his wife and two kids.
Dean Daniels - Term Expires 09/22/2028 - (Nominee: Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee)
Dean Daniels is a Roman Catholic liturgist and musician holding graduate degrees in both music and theology. He served forty years in Roman Catholic parish and diocesan positions, recently retiring after twenty years as the Director for the Office for Worship for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. After his retirement he assisted Auxiliary Bishop Haines for three years as an ecumenist and interfaith advocate.
Mr. Daniels is a member of the Governing Board of the Lux Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Franklin, WI. He is the nominee to the County Ethics Board from the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee where he also sits as a member of the Cabinet of the Interfaith Conference.
Vacant - (Nominee: Greater Milwaukee Committee)