SEPTEMBER 2025 | 95 THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL Ms. Bonano has experience in medical liability and health care law and spent the first three years of her career defending medical professionals, hospitals, doctors, nursing homes, retirement communities and surgery centers in medical negligence litigation. Her practice now includes representing individuals and companies in the areas of general civil litigation, including auto negligence, premises liability, contracts and bad faith. Ms. Bonano is an active member of the Oklahoma County Bar Association, serving as vice chair on the Young Lawyers Division Board of Directors. District 3; At-Large Thomas Grossnicklaus Thomas Grossnicklaus was born in Oklahoma City and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps after graduating from Piedmont High School. He was assigned to the Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team, which was created under President Reagan after the Iranian hostage crisis. Mr. Grossnicklaus deployed with his unit to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and then to Bahrain, where they served as a quick response force to the Middle East region and as a protection crew (Raven Crew) to C-130 airplanes and highly important cargo and individuals around the region. During this deployment, he was the section leader for the Designated Marksman Unit. After the Middle East erupted following the killing of Christopher Stevens in Benghazi, Libya, his unit was activated and sent on an eight-month mission. The bulk of that time was spent recapturing and securing the American Embassy in Yemen. After this long and difficult deployment, he returned to Oklahoma and dedicated himself to serving his home state and community. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science from OCU and worked for Congressman Steve Russell in his district office and on a successful reelection campaign. While earning his J.D. from the OCU School of Law, Mr. Grossnicklaus worked in Gov. Mary Fallin’s office as an aide and liaison to general counsel. He then served as a clerk for Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice James Winchester. Currently, Mr. Grossnicklaus serves as an assistant attorney general in the Legal Counsel Unit. He prosecutes for the Oklahoma Funeral Board and the Workers’ Compensation Commission Compliance Department. He is also general counsel for the secretary of state, the Oklahoma Historical Society, the Oklahoma State Fire Marshal and the Oklahoma State Board of Examiners for Long Term Care Administrators. He is in the Leadership Certificate Program at the Harvard Kennedy School and plans on using these hours toward receiving a master’s degree in public administration. He is a graduate of the Leadership Oklahoma City LOYAL program, a NextGen Under 30 recipient and a member of the Oklahoma City Downtown Rotary. He also sits on multiple boards or advisory boards and is always looking to serve on other nonprofit boards. District 3; At-Large Bryan Goodpasture Bryan Goodpasture graduated from OSU in 2015 and the OU College of Law in 2019 (Go Pokes). He is currently an associate attorney at Durbin Larimore Bialick, representing clients in a wide variety of civil litigation matters. Mr. Goodpasture has the good fortune to be practicing at the firm that made him realize his interest in the legal profession through an internship during his first year of undergraduate studies. He is now looking for opportunities to get more involved with and give back to the legal community. Outside of work, you will find him golfing, watching any and all OSU sports or just hanging out with his soonto-be wife, family or friends. You will also be sure to find him at the local piano bar, no matter what city he may be in (although none have topped Shady Keys in Tulsa). District 5; At-Large; At-Large Rural Liz Stevens Liz Stevens was born and raised in Norman. She received a bachelor’s degree in history from OU. Before attending law school, she spent several years teaching English as a second language in Russia and Rwanda. Ms. Stevens graduated from the OU College of Law in 2019. In law school, she served as an editor for the American Indian Law Review and was the director of judge recruitment for the Board of Advocates. She received the Masterson Award for her work on the American Indian Law Review, as well as the Class of 2019 Pro Bono Award. She also received the Cindy Foley Award for her work with the OU Legal Clinic and was an Oklahoma Bar Foundation Fellow. While pursuing her J.D., she served as a judicial intern for
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