Meeting Minutes

Minutes of August 7, 2002
Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C.

Present were:

Chris Blake, Connecticut Bar Association
Cynthia Kuhn, The District of Columbia Bar
Carol Manning, Oklahoma Bar Association
Susan Andres, Alabama State Bar
Anne Fritz, Memphis Bar Association
Kelley Jones King, State Bar of Texas
Joe Conte, State Bar of Georgia
Sandy McKay, State Bar of New Mexico
Ken Brown, Ohio State Bar Association
Velma Gooding, Kansas Bar Association
Roger Parris, Bar Association of Erie County
Emily Eastin, Columbus Bar
Brad Carr, New York State Bar Association
Dan Cirucci, Philadelphia Bar Association
Mark Tarasiewicz, Philadelphia Bar Association
Elizabeth Derrico, ABA
Chris Cendagorta, Washoe County Bar Association
Janet Eveleth, Maryland State Bar Association
Patti Guin, Shreveport Bar Association
Katie Blaser, Chicago Bar Association
Sharon K. Nolan, Chicago Bar Association
Anne Scarle, Baton Rouge Bar Association

Chair Chris Blake called the meeting to order, and everyone introduced themselves.

Minutes - Susan Andres moved, Janet Eveleth seconded to approve the minutes from the January 30, 2002, meeting in Philadelphia. Motion passed.

Treasurer's Report - Treasurer Susan Andres reviewed the report and said the section had negative income last year as a result of the Danfuskie Island workshop cancellation; however, as of July 15, 2002, the section had $12,618.64 in its account.

Appointments to Open Council Seats - Chris Blake reported the Council ratified the appointment of Yvonne McGhee to a new two-year term expiring in 2004 and Colleen Buggy to Carol Manning's remaining at large one-year term expiring in 2003.

Program Committee - Chris Blake reported the section was sponsoring a program that afternoon. Christine Cendagorta reported that Marc Smiley from Portland, Oregon will be invited to speak at the Seattle meeting on getting boards and committees to work.

Luminary Awards - It was reported that entries continue to be down this year. A form to submit entry nominations was set up for the first time this year.

Electronic Services - Roger Parris announced he is stepping down as committee chair after serving for several years. He described the duties and encouraged others to think about serving.

Membership Committee - Chris Blake is recruiting a new person to over for former chair Carol Manning, who is now the secretary.

Richter and Anne Charles Award - Ginger Banks and Arlene Abady are working on soliciting award nominations. Deadline is August 16 for the Richter award an August 23 for the Charles award.

Alexandria Workshop - Chair Cynthia Kuhn reviewed the events planned for the September workshop. Joe Conte handled the graphics for the program, and Yvonne McGhee did sponsor recruitment.

St. Louis Workshop - The date will be October 15 - 19, 2003 and it will be chaired by Gary Toohey, former section chair.

Minneapolis-St. Paul Workshop - It was reported preliminary work for the September 2004 workshop is underway.

Leadership - Chris Cendagorta said she and Gary Toohey have been working on encouraging section members to get involved in leadership. She said a member questionnaire will be done to identify member strengths to create a resource guide.

Volunteer Recognition - Chris Cendagorta is accepting nominations of worthy recipients to receive the section's embroidered denim shirts at the Alexandria workshop.

Scholarships - Dennette Young at the Louisiana State Bar Association has followed to take over the committee for former chair Lori Ruello, who has left that bar association. The workshop scholarship is a waiver of registration fee and a $500 stipend.

Marketing - Matt Silverman, State Bar of Arizona, has agreed to chair the committee. The handbook needs updating.

Web Site - Improvement is needed for the NABE web site. A small working group will be appointed to make recommendations. NABE Vice President Anne Fritz suggested a NABE board member be added to the group and pledged support.

Division for Bar Services Report - Elizabeth Derrico reported the new bar activities inventory is hot off the press and a new financial publication is also available. She said two print ads have been developed for the ABA Standing Up for Justice Program to promote constitutional awareness and for public education. Copies of the ads were passed out. She said bar associations are encouraged to utilize them and to localize them by adding their logos. It was announced that section member Anne Scarle will be the NABE board liaison to the section.

Goal for the Coming Year - New Section Chair Chris Blake said it was his personal goal to emphasize outreach to new members and new member recruitment for the year ahead.

Appreciation for Past Leadership - Section Chair Chris Blake expressed appreciation on behalf of the entire section to outgoing Section Chair Christine Cendagorta, who served as chair for two years that included two Danfuskie Island workshops that never happened. She was given a hearty round of applause.

NABE Board - It was reported a three-year plan has been developed that includes an emphasis on branding NABE so that it is considered to be "the" organization for bar executives and leaders.

The meeting was adjourned. The next meeting will take place at the Alexandria workshop in September 2002.

Respectfully submitted,

Carol Manning
Oklahoma Bar Association
Communications Section Secretary