Adria Kester, 47, district associate judge in Judicial District 2B who offices in Greene County, has been appointed by Gov Kim Reynolds as district court judge in the same judicial district. The appointment was announced June 29.
Kester will fill the judicial seat formerly held by Judge Gary L. McMinimee. With the appointment, Kester will be the first female district court judge in the history of Judical District 2B.
Kester, of Ogden has served in district associate judge since 2013. She received her law degree from Drake University in 1998 and her undergraduate degree from Iowa State University.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be selected. It’s a big honor,” Kester said Thursday.
She explained that eight or nine candidates were interviewed by the judicial nominating commission and two were presented to Gov Reynolds as possible appointees.
Judicial District 2B includes Greene, Boone, Calhoun, Carroll, Greene, Hamilton, Hardin, Humboldt, Pocahontas, Sac, Story, Webster and Wright Counties.
Kester’s office has been in Greene County since her appointment as associate judge. “If I have my choice, I’d like to keep officing here. Greene County has been wonderfully accommodating and made nice improvements to the office while I’ve been here. Not every courthouse has office space for a judge,” Kester said.
As associate judge she has nine case loads in six counties, including Greene and Carroll Counties. Transition plans have not been made yet, but it’s expected to take a minimum of six weeks for another associate judge to be appointed.
Kester practiced criminal law in Ames and Boone until becoming Boone County’s first assistant county attorney in 2005. She was appointed Boone County attorney to fill a vacancy in August 2012 and was elected to the position that November. She was appointed as district associate judge soon after being sworn in as Boone County attorney.
She still recalls telling her parents when she was in third grade that she wanted to be a judge when she grew up. Achieving that goal is another example of a graduate of a small high school realizing her dreams. She graduated from Minburn High School in a class of 14.
