Mercedes Spotts is a retired Court Administrator for the 8th District Court of Appeals. She was the second woman in 65 years to be elected President of the Cuyahoga County Bar Association. During her term, she founded the Custody Mediation Program in Juvenile Court and also instituted a legal newspaper for children. She is the Founding President of the East Side Catholic Shelter for battered and homeless women and of Mental Health Services, a case management agency serving the homeless with severe mental health problems. She was also the President of the International Services Center and State President of the Polish Women’s Alliance. Spotts’ work has garnered her numerous awards, among them the President’s Award (twice) and a Personal Service Award from the Cuyahoga County Bar Association, the Polonia Foundation Award for personal and civic accomplishments, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for significant contributions to the United States, and a Meritorius Award from the Cleveland Municipal Court.