Kathleen Ann Feeney was born in 1962 in Detroit, Michigan. The Feeney family lived in Farmington Hills, Michigan. She attended Michigan State University. Kathleen participated in the Spartan Marching Band. In 1984 she graduated from the Honors College with High Honors earning a bachelors degree in Communications Arts and Sciences. Kathleen continued her education at the University of Illinois College of Law. The Illini honored her as a Harno Scholar and as the Outstanding Woman Law Graduate for the Class of 1987. After finishing law school Kathleen returned to Lansing and commenced work for the law firm of Foster Swift Collins and Smith. During the spring of 1990, Kathleen moved to Grand Rapids and joined the firm of Mika Meyers Beckett & Jones. Shortly thereafter Kathleen was retained by the Honorable Jane E. Markey to serve as Judge Markey’s judicial counsel on the Court of Appeals. While serving Judge Markey, Kathleen was selected by the State Bar of Michigan to receive the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award for 1995. She was appointed by Governor Engler to her first term as judge in 1999. She has served as a Kent County Judge for the last 20 years.

Since 2000 it has been my privilege to serve on the 17th Circuit Court in the Family Division. You have on four occasions elected me to this position and I ask you to support me once again so that I can continue the work of protecting children and helping families in trouble.