Marilyn Seymann, Associate Dean of External Affairs at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, has been appointed to the Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance. The appointment was made by Ruth V. McGregor, Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, for a term to be served through December 2008. The 30-member panel sets standards for judges on the Arizona Supreme Court, the state’s appellate courts and its superior courts, decides whether they meet those standards and reports its findings to voters. “Arizona’s merit selection system depends for its vitality upon our ability to accurately evaluate the performance of our judges,” McGregor said. “Marilyn’s experience, gained from her participation in many civic, charitable and business capacities, will allow her to fairly and impartially consider whether a judge has met judicial performance standards. “I am grateful for her commitment to ensure that judges appointed through merit selection are held to the highest standard through the retention process.” As director of development at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Seymann has led the creation of many programs, including the Council of 100, which lends private support of the College’s distinguished faculty scholarship, research and innovative programs, and the Arizona Women Lawyers Honoring Justice O’Connor, a new fund to recognize the retired U.S. Supreme Court justice’s legacy of judicial and community leadership. Seymann, who has a Bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University, a Master’s degree from Columbia University and a Ph.D. from California Western University, is a highly-regarded business leader and a leading author and speaker on governance issues. In addition to her role as president and chief executive at M ONE, Inc., a Phoenix-based consulting firm, she serves on the boards of MAXIMUS and State Farm Bank, is a founding partner of The Directors’ Council and is the founder of the Arizona Foundation for Women. Seymann also is a member of the faculty and Blue Ribbon Commission at the National Association of Corporate Directors and frequently conducts briefings and training sessions for corporations, boards and associations. Seymann replaces Margaret Kenski, a Tucson-based opinion researcher who resigned from the commission for family reasons. Seymann will serve with 17 other public members, comprising educators, psychologists, engineers, community volunteers and others, and 12 professional members, six attorneys and six judges. “This is a tremendous honor, and I want to thank Ruth for entrusting this important job to me,” Seymann said. “I look forward to working with the other members of this esteemed commission to carry out its dual mission of informing voters about the performance of our judges, so that they can make educated decisions at the polls, and assisting judges in the self-improvement process.”