A Youngstown native and the current Seventh District Court of Appeals judge has been appointed to the State Supreme Court by Governor John Kasich. 

Governor John Kasich announced Thursday that he has selected Judge Mary DeGenaro to replace Ohio Supreme Court Justice William O'Neill, who previously announced that he will retire on January 26. 

O'Neill has served on the Supreme Court of Ohio since 2013 and his term expires on January 1, 2019. 

"Judge DeGenaro is a distinguished legal thinker and I am proud to appoint her to the Supreme Court.  She is an accomplished judge with a record of working constructively with colleagues and she has served with distinction as a visiting justice to the Supreme Court on several occasions. Her command of the law is strong and she brings a conservative philosophy to the court that is evident in her 17-year record on the appellate bench.  Ohioans are fortunate to have committed judges like her and I am glad that her skills and ability will now be put to work on our state's highest court," said Kasich.

According to her biography, DeGenaro currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County and the Mahoning Valley Historical Society. 

DeGenaro must run in Nov. 2018 to retain the seat.

The full text of her biography, as shown on the Seventh District Court of Appeals site can be read here: 

JUDGE MARY DeGENARO

Judge Mary DeGenaro earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Youngstown State University in June, 1983 and a Juris Doctor from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in May, 1986; her 3L year she served an internship with U.S. District Judge George White.  She was admitted to the Ohio bar November, 1986, and is also admitted to practice in the federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Judge DeGenaro was first elected to the Seventh District Court of Appeals in 2000; prior to joining the court, she served on Poland Village Council.  During her tenure on the Court, she has sat by assignment with the Ohio Supreme Court and multiple Appellate Districts.  She also was an adjunct faculty member in YSU’s Political Science Department.

Judge DeGenaro's professional service includes membership in national, state and local bar associations, as well as the Ohio Women’s Bar Association and currently serves as Secretary.  Also active in the Ohio Judicial Conference, Judge DeGenaro has been serving as the co-chair of the Judicial Ethics & Professionalism Committee since 2013, which duties include serving on the OJC Executive Committee and the Moyer Civility Group. 

In 2002-2003, Judge DeGenaro was appointed by former Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer to serve as a member of the Voter Education & Public Funding Working Group to further the Chief Justice's policy initiative Judicial Impartiality: The Next Step Forum, to address multiple issues involving judicial races and preserving the integrity of Ohio’s judiciary.  This working group’s effort resulted in an annual voter’s guide for Ohio Supreme Court races prepared by the Ohio League of Women Voters.

In 2005 Judge DeGenaro began her service on the OSBA Appellate Practice Specialty Certification Board as a founding member, which administers the specialty bar examination, and approves the applications of attorneys seeking and maintaining this certification in Ohio.

Involved in a variety of community organizations, Judge DeGenaro's current service includes the Board of Trustees of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County and the Mahoning Valley Historical Society.  Her past service includes the External Advisory Committees for the Ohio Center for the Advancement of Women in Public Service at Cleveland State University, and Youngstown State University’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.