United States Attorney David Waterman Announces Southern District of Iowa Senior Leadership Team

DES MOINES, Iowa - U.S. Attorney David Waterman has announced appointment of the senior leadership team for the Southern District of Iowa:

• Andrew Kahl, First Assistant U.S. Attorney. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Kahl to continue his service as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, a role he has held since 2022. Kahl joined the Department of Justice 35 years ago and has served in the U.S. Attorney's Office since 1997. He has previously served as Criminal Chief, Appellate Chief, Senior Litigation Counsel, and as the district's Professional Responsibility Officer. Kahl is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association, where he serves on the Federal Practice Committee. Kahl is a graduate of New York University School of Law.

• Andrea Glasgow, Criminal Chief. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Glasgow to serve as the Criminal Chief. Glasgow also continues in her role as the supervisor and Branch Chief of the Davenport Office, a role in which she has served since 2024. Glasgow has 12 years of prosecution experience in both federal and state courts. Glasgow has served in the U.S. Attorney's Office since 2018. Glasgow has successfully led investigations and prosecutions into a broad range of federal offenses including drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and child exploitation. She has a recognized specialty in prosecuting overdose cases, including meaningfully contributing to the Southern District of Iowa's rank as second in the nation in overdose-related drug-trafficking prosecutions. Glasgow is a graduate of Marquette University Law School.

• Amy Jennings, Deputy Criminal Chief. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Jennings to continue her service as Deputy Criminal Chief, a role she has held since 2023. Jennings has served in the U.S. Attorney's Office since 2011. She has led successful investigations and prosecutions into a wide variety of federal crimes, including drug trafficking, firearms offenses, child exploitation, and sex trafficking. Jennings is a leading expert in federal prosecutions of sex trafficking, and significant contributor to the Southern District of Iowa's rank within the top five districts nationally for human-trafficking enforcement. Jennings is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law.

• Adam Kerndt, Deputy Criminal Chief. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Kerndt as Deputy Criminal Chief. Kerndt has served in the U.S. Attorney's Office since 2012. Kerndt has led successful investigations and prosecutions into an extensive range of federal crimes, including child exploitation, financial fraud, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses. Kerndt also has substantial experience in threat, terrorism, and national security matters, serving as the district's National Security and Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council coordinator since 2021. Kerndt is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law.

• Jason Griess, Branch Chief of Council Bluffs Office. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Griess to continue his service as Branch Chief of the Council Bluffs Office, a role in which he has served since 2023. Griess has served in the U.S. Attorney's Office since 2000. Prior to serving as Branch Chief of the Council Bluffs Office, Griess served as Deputy Criminal Chief and Criminal Chief. Griess is a graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Law.

• Kyle Hanson, Appellate Chief. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Hanson to serve as the Appellate Chief. Hanson joined DOJ in 2023, following his more than 15-year career with the Iowa Attorney General's Office. Hanson has handled more than 600 appeals in the Iowa Court of Appeals, Iowa Supreme Court, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and United States Supreme Court. Hanson is a graduate of Drake University Law School.

• Richard Westphal, Senior Litigation Counsel. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Westphal to serve as Senior Litigation Counsel. Westphal joined the U.S. Attorney's Office in 1997 and has previously served as Branch Chief of the Davenport Office, Criminal Chief, and U.S. Attorney. Westphal has extensive litigation experience and will serve as a district-wide resource and mentor on litigation matters, including pre- and post-conviction motions, contested hearings, and trials. Westphal is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law.

• Deb Harvey, Administrative Officer. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Harvey to continue her service as Administrative Officer, a role in which she has served since 2012 when she joined DOJ after a thirty-year career with the Army, both in uniform and as an Army contractor. She has extensive experience in the logistics management field and served as a resource manager for several Department of Defense components. Harvey previously served on the EARS audit team and routinely mentors other Administrative Officers. Harvey is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in psychology.

• Madison Lancaster, Supervisory Paralegal. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Lancaster to continue her service as Supervisory Paralegal, a role in which she has served since 2024. Lancaster has 17 years of federal service, including seven years at the U.S. Attorney's Office, following her service with the U.S. Probation Office and the U.S. District Court. Lancaster holds her master's in criminal justice from Simpson College.

• Charlotte Kovacs, Victim Witness Coordinator Supervisor. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Kovacs to continue her service as Victim Witness Coordinator Supervisor, a role she has held since 2019. Kovacs is also a Victim Advocate for the Department of Justice Sexual Misconduct Response Unit. Kovacs has 26 years of victim-centered service in a wide variety of cases, with a specialty in providing victim services in human trafficking and death cases. Kovacs excels at establishing rapport with victims, building trust, and connecting them to resources to aid in a successful prosecution and minimize re-victimization by the system. She is driven by a deep passion for empowering victims while ensuring their voices are heard in the criminal justice system. Kovacs is a graduate of Buena Vista University with a degree in sociology and criminal justice with an emphasis in psychology and human services.