The Hon. Kevin R. Huennekens recently announced his intention to retire after nearly 20 years of dedicated service as a Judge of this Court, creating a vacancy effective January 10, 2025. The process for filling a vacant bankruptcy judgeship is governed by regulations that are dependent on a case weighting formula that is unfavorable to the District given the current metrics. As a result, the Court will not presently request that the Judicial Council fill the impending vacancy. In light of the very gracious extended notice that Judge Huennekens has provided, the Court has the opportunity to consider how best to utilize all available options and resources to ensure that service to the public is maintained at the highest level.