From left, President and Dean Camille M. Davidson, Trustee Emeritus Frank Harris ’75, Board Chair Brian Batzli ’85, and Gregory L. Buck ’87, outgoing chair
Mitchell Hamline School of Law is privileged to welcome new leadership and recognize the impact of alumni leaders on our Board of Trustees, which serves as the governing body of our independent law school. On July 1, 2026, Brian Batzli ’85 took over as chair of the board, replacing Gregory L. Buck ’87, who has served in the role with tireless dedication for the past two years.
Buck is the president of Productivity, an Upper Midwest distributor of CNC machine tools and robotics headquartered in Plymouth, Minn. He joined Productivity in 1981 and was named vice president in 1987 and president in 2001. Buck has been a trustee since 2016 and previously served as the board’s treasurer. Mitchell Hamline is grateful for his service leading the Board of Trustees during his tenure as chair.
Batzli is a partner and chairman emeritus of Merchant & Gould. He served as the firm’s CEO, managing director, and chairman of the board from 2011 through 2018. He has been with the firm for over thirty years practicing in all areas of intellectual property. Batzli has been a trustee since 2018, and he takes over as chair after serving as the immediate past vice chair.
Frank Harris ’75 receives his award of trustee emeritus status from Dean Davidson.
The Board of Trustees also awarded trustee emeritus status to Frank Harris ’75, in recognition of his influential leadership and commitment to the improvement and best interests of the law school, its students, and the community.
Harris, retired executive director of Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, completed his nine years of service to the board in 2024, which included serving in leadership positions as chair and vice chair.