Judge Michael F. Powers has been elected president of the Kansas District Judges Association. He is the chief judge in the 8th Judicial District composed of Geary, Dickinson, Morris, and Marion counties.

Powers has been a district court judge since 1991, and he has served as chief judge since 1994. Before his appointment to the bench, he served as Morris County attorney from 1980 to 1991. He also practiced law in Council Grove in the firm Bryant and Powers.

Powers is a graduate of Emporia State University, where he was president of the Student Government Association, and later president of the ESU Alumni Association. He graduated from the University of Kasas School of Law.

Powers is a member of the Kansas Bar Association, American Bar Association, and American Judicature Society. He has served on the executive committee of the Kansas District Judges Association since 2006.  He has received many awards for exemplary service from state and local organizations, and is active in the community. He and his wife, Judy, live in Marion, where he serves on multiple boards and is active in many local organizations.

Powers says his favorite local involvement is as play-by-play announcer for cable TV broadcasts of Marion High School football games, which he has done since 1994. He enjoys the energy and purity of high school sports and believes that staying connected to young people help him maintain his faith in the future.