Hon. Maria Ladas Hoopes was appointed by Gov. Granholm in 2006, and was the first female to serve as a full-time judge in the history of Muskegon County. She started one of the first Mental Health Courts in West Michigan in 2008 and continues to preside over Muskegon County's Adult Mental Health Court docket. Appointed Chief Judge by the Michigan Supreme Court in 2012, and reappointed in 2014, she continues to serve the district court as Chief Judge Pro Tempore. She has also served as the Region 5 Director of the Michigan District Judges Association (MDJA) since 2013 and has been on the MDJA Rules Committee since 2011.