Porter County Judge Mary DeBoer is the newest member of the Indiana Court of Appeals.

Gov. Eric Holcomb announced his appointment of DeBoer Wednesday — the seventh judge he’s named to the state’s appellate bench.

Before serving as a county judge, DeBoer was a deputy prosecutor and in private practice.

Holcomb praised DeBoer as an “intellectual force.”

“Someone who contributes, someone who values the team around here, someone who values modernizing efforts to better serve her neighbors,” Holcomb said.

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DeBoer said she and the other appellate judges appointed by Holcomb bring “fresh eyes and a burst of energy.”

“Which dovetails well with the institutional knowledge and experience of our more seasoned judges,” DeBoer said. “This combination allows us to do good work and accomplish great things.”

DeBoer said she hopes to take a leadership role on the court in addressing truancy — work she’s been doing at the local level.

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.