Judge Sandra Ference Cicirelli is serving her second term in Westland’s 18th District Court. She was first elected to the bench in 2006 after serving five years as the full time Mayor of the City of Westland. Prior to that, she served on the Westland City Council for 12 years where she served as President of the Council for six of those years. Judge Ference Cicirelli is the only person to have served in all three branches of government in the city. She was one of the principal attorneys at the Westland law firm of Ference, Ference, & Cicirelli, P.C. from 1985 until 2002. She is also a former instructor at Schoolcraft Community College where she taught a business law class.
Judge Ference Cicirelli received a Bachelor of Arts in Education with High Distinction from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She received her Juris Doctorate Degree from Wayne State University Law School. After graduating from law school, she joined the Westland law firm with two of her brothers. She left the firm, now Ference & Ference, to serve as mayor.
A resident of the city for over 40 years, Judge Ference Cicirelli has been very active in numerous civic and charitable groups and organizations, including the Westland Goodfellows, the Women of Westland, and the Jaycees. She strongly believes that it is important to provide programs that help families and children. She helped implement the DARE program and she has worked to bring the Youth Assistance Program to the city.
Judge Ference Cicirelli is a past chairwoman of the Conference of Western Wayne and has served on the Smart Board of Directors, the Wayne Country Transit Authority Board of Directors, and on the Wayne Westland YMCA Board of Directors. She is a past member of the Youth Advisory Council for the Youth Assistance Program, and she previously served on the Alumni Board of Governors for the School of Education at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Until recently, Judge Ference Cicirelli served as an officer on the Detroit Wayne County Health Authority Board of Directors.
Judge Ference Cicirelli has received numerous awards in recognition of her service and commitment to the community and to various organizations. She is a recipient of the Athena Leadership Award, the YWCA Woman of Achievement Award, and the Professional Growth & Scholarship Award from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She was also named a Woman of Distinction by the Huron Valley Girl Scouts. Judge Ference Cicirelli was honored to be featured in an article and on the cover of an issue of the UM-D Legacy magazine recognizing her work.
Since being elected to serve in the Court, Judge Ference Cicirelli has implemented a new Teen Court program at John Glenn High School, and a new Sobriety Court. She is a member of the Michigan District Court Association and the Wayne Country District Judges Association.
Judge Ference Cicirelli has two children and two grandsons.