Our team of paralegals, legal secretaries, and support staff are:

Carol J. Culley

Carol is a paralegal in the estate, trust and guardianship administration and the medicaid planning and applications practice areas.  She received her Master in Business Administration from Case Western Reserve University and her Bachelor of Arts from Ursuline College.  Carol worked for over ten years developing and delivering financial education courses for persons with disabilities and their families while employed at John P. Culley and Associates, Inc.  She also did personal financial counseling. Carol previously worked at Lutheran Hospital holding the positions of Social Worker, Director of Social Services and Vice President responsible for the hospital’s risk management and quality assurance programs.  Carol joined Hickman & Lowder in 2006.

CCulley@Hickman-Lowder.com

Carol B. Luff

Carol is a paralegal in the Social Security practice area. Prior to her promotion in 2005, Carol was a legal secretary for seven years with Hickman & Lowder. Carol has a Bachelor's degree in English from Kent State University. Carol worked primarily in the areas of Special Education and Social Security Disability before accepting the position of paralegal with the firm. She previously worked as the administrative assistant to the Senior Director of Organization Development at the Greater Cleveland Growth Association.

CLuff@Hickman-Lowder.com

Bonnie R. Tomko

Bonnie is a paralegal in the Estate, Trust and Guardianship Administration. She received her Associate Degree of Applied Business in Paralegal Studies from Cuyahoga Community College and Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Cleveland State University. Bonnie previously worked as a paralegal handling Estate Administration and Social Security Disability Benefits at Gibson, Brelo, Ziccarelli and Martello. She has over ten years of experience in Probate matters.

BTomko@Hickman-Lowder.com

Carmen M. Verhosek

Carmen is a paralegal in the estate, trust and guardianship administration and the medicaid planning and applications practice areas. She received her Bachelor of Science in Paralegal Studies on an academic scholarship from David L. Myers College in June 1999. While in school, Carmen was a member of two student organizations: Hispanics in Action and the International Administrative Assistants Association. She is also a voting member of the Cleveland Association of Paralegals (CAP). Carmen joined Hickman & Lowder in 2000.

CVerhosek@Hickman-Lowder.com

Christy Zeyer

Christy is a Paralegal in the Estate, Trust and Guardianship Administration practice areas.  She received her paralegal certificate from Notre Dame College of Ohio and her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Bowling Green State University.  She has worked as a Paralegal for over eight years, including employment in the states of Florida and Ohio.  Prior to her work as a Paralegal, Christy was a Caseworker/Coordinator for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Northwestern Ohio and a Deputy Clerk with the Lake County Common Pleas Clerk of Courts.  She is an Alumnae of Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Psi Chapter Alumnae, and a member the Ursuline College Paralegal Alumnae Mentoring Board, the Cleveland Association of Paralegals (CAP), and Paralegal Associate Member of the Ohio State Bar Association.

CZeyer@Hickman-Lowder.com

Monica Finley

Monica joined Hickman & Lowder in October 2006 as part of the merger with Attorney Dave Myers, and continues as a legal secretary in the Lorain County office. She has an Associate of Applied Business degree from Lorain County Community College, and has worked in legal and medical offices since 1993. She recently retired from the U.S. Navy Reserves after twenty years of service.

Jill Fowler

Jill joined Hickman & Lowder as the Human Resources/Office Manager in May 2007.  She is a Certified Senior Professional in Human Resources and brings a strong background in management and personnel to the Firm.  Jill received a Master of Nonprofit Organizations from Case Western Reserve University, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Management Specialization from Myers University, and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration from Case Western Reserve University.

Marcy Fuchs

Marcy joined Hickman & Lowder in October 2006 as part of the merger with Attorney Dave Myers, and continues as a legal assistant in the Lorain County office. With 25 years of prior bookkeeping and management experience, she began as an assistant in nursing home and Medicaid matters in 2001. Marcy brings to her work a passion for helping people, hands-on experience in caring for the ill and the elderly, and a lifetime of community involvement.

Deborah Kaupe

Debbie joined Hickman & Lowder in November 2003 as a Legal Assistant working primarily in the estate planning area and is currently the Document Services Specialist. She earned an Associate's Degree in Word Processing from Dyke College. Debbie has previously worked as a legal secretary for 18 years.

Ursula Knipper

Ursula has been a legal secretary with the firm since 1985, working primarily in the estate planning area.  Prior to joining Hickman & Lowder, Ursula worked as a domestic engineer in Strongsville and Parma, and prior to that was employed at Ohio Bell in downtown Cleveland.

Richard Luff

Dick joined Hickman & Lowder in January 2002 as Information Systems coordinator, and was designated as Director of Information Technology Services in 2004.  In addition to his many years of experience in the computer industry, Dick is a Certified Public Accountant with an undergraduate degree in Finance and an MBA degree from Miami University (Ohio).  After graduating from Miami, Dick spent seven years in the Cleveland office of KPMG (formerly Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co.) as an auditor and a Computer Audit Specialist.  Prior to joining Hickman & Lowder, Dick was an independent information systems consultant to small businesses in the Cleveland area.

Alicia McKnight

Alicia joined the firm as Receptionist in 2006 and is currently the New Client Services Specialist. Formerly a licensed insurance agent at Progressive Insurance, Alicia also worked as a secretary at Reliable Builders, Inc. for three years. She graduated from Maple Heights High School where her major area of study was Vocational Business Education. 

Mellody Porter

Mellody joined Hickman & Lowder in November 2005 as a bookkeeper.  Mellody brings nearly 20 years of accounting and bookkeeping experience to the Firm.  She attended Oberlin College and Vision Christian University.  Prior to joining Hickman & Lowder, Mellody worked at Lodging Industry in Elyria, Ohio, and Family Life Counseling Services in Strongsville, Ohio.

Morgen Rutledge

Morgen became Hickman & Lowder's Receptionist in 2008. She graduated with a B.A. in Communications from Walsh University in 2007 and brings four years of administrative experience to the firm. Morgen previously worked as a Loaned Executive for both the United Way of Greater Cleveland and Geauga County, and as a Front Desk Attendant for the Minerva Area YMCA.

Linda Sponseller

Linda joined Hickman & Lowder in October 2005 as a legal secretary. Linda has nearly 20 years of legal secretarial/legal assistant experience. Prior to joining Hickman & Lowder, Linda worked at Moore & Maynard, Attorneys at Law, and the Law Office of Cynthia Singletary and of Wheatland, Inc. in Elizabethtown, North Carolina.

Kari Walton

Kari joined Hickman & Lowder as a legal secretary in 2005. Prior to joining the firm, Kari worked as a Legal Administrative Assistant for Tone, Grubbe, McGory & Vermeeren, Ltd., for over four years. She graduated from Perkins High School in Sandusky, Ohio, where she focused on office, computer and business courses.