Born: July 15, 1945 and lived in Annandale, Virginia until graduation from high school. Resided in Marquette, Michigan since August, 1973.
Personal: Married from 1966 to 1977 to J. Randolph Burnham; married to Lou W. Chappell (U.P. native, general manager, TV6; owner, Stereo 100 and WDMJ radio stations; employed by Department of Corrections from 1988 to 1998, now retired) since 1982. Mother-by-marriage to two sons and grandmother-by-marriage to a grandson and granddaughter.
Post-high school: Attended Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana from 1963-1966; transferred to Purdue University: BA, secondary education, 1968; MA, 1969; Yale Law School, JD, 1973.
Employment history: Worked as a camp counselor/girls unit leader during summers throughout high school and college, at Girl Scout camps and College Settlement Farm Camp outside Philadelphia, PA.
Undergraduate Academic Advisor, Purdue University.
Associate with law firm of Jason and Jason, Marquette, MI 1974 to 1978.
Solo practice in Marquette from 1979 to 1982.
Partner in Finkbeiner & Burnham, P.C. from 1983 to 1999.
Solo practice in Marquette from 1999 to present.
Admitted to practice of law by State of Connecticut in 1973, Michigan in 1974.
Professional associations, activities: Member, State Bar of Michigan.
(Current member: Family Law Section; Character and Fitness Committee; Upper Michigan Legal Institute Committee; past membership on 21st Century Courts Committee;), Marquette County Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, Western District (Federal Trial Skills Committee and Northern Michigan Trial Skills Workshop Committee since 1980).
Former adjunct instructor, NMU (Departments of political science, criminal justice)
Currently: MAISD internship advisor/mentor.
Community activities: Past chair, member, Marquette City Board of Zoning Appeals; past board member of Jantzen House, Marquette County Humane Society; Women’s Center; Peninsula Waters Girl Scouts; Marquette-Alger Planned Parenthood; Student Leadership and student mentoring programs, Marquette Area Schools and NMU.
Areas of Practice: Trial attorney, handling defense of civil and criminal cases and workers compensation matters around the Upper Peninsula, 1974-1978. From 1978 to present: general practice, including family law, representing people in civil (non-criminal) cases, such as accidents and injuries, employment-related matters, and land disputes; 1997 to present: concentration on family practice areas, such as divorce, custody, support, paternity matters, and non-marital dissolutions.
