Ohio judge named to chair National Review Board

Published: 2007-05-30

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Judge Michael R. Merz of Dayton, Ohio, has been named chairman of the National Review Board. The board oversees the U.S. bishops' compliance with the national sexual abuse and child protection policies they adopted in June 2002. Merz has been a magistrate judge of the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Ohio since 1984 and the district's chief magistrate judge since 2004. A member of the review board since October 2004, as chairman he succeeds Patricia O'Donnell Ewers, head of the board since June 2005. Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, Wash., president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, announced Merz's appointment and named four new board members May 29. The new members are Dr. Emmet M. Kenney Jr. of Fargo, N.D.; Diane M. Knight of Milwaukee; Judge Robert C. Kohm of New York; and Susan Steibe-Pasalich of Notre Dame, Ind. The appointments take effect June 1.

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