State & Local News Vol. 22, No. 4, Summer 1999 Chair’s Message By Larry C. Ethridge This is the time of the ABA year when most Section Chairs bid their farewells and express thanks to everyone in sight for a successful year and to some extent reflect on the glory of events over the last twelve months. Other than thanks to the Almighty for fair weather in Bermuda, I'm going to depart from that approach and devote the bulk of my last "Chair's Message" to an individual who is responsible for a great deal of the success we have enjoyed as a group over the years. When I was approached by then-Chair John Witt as to my interest in a leadership role in the Section, I first went to this person to extract a pledge that she would still be on board during my tenure as Chair. As soon as Jackie Baker said that she would sign on for "four more years," my decision to accept John's kind invitation was easily made. Many of you know our staff director personally, and for those of you who don't, let me assure you that Jackie has been a formidable part of the glue that has held this organization together for many years. She is well known within ABA staff circles for having trained many exceptional ABA talents, the most recent example being Sharon Tindall, who is now a major player on the staff of the Commission on Minorities. Kim Gordon, our new administrative assistant, certainly appears to be another star on the rise after her sterling performance during the Bermuda meeting. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jackie personally for all the time she has spent on the phone listening to me carp about the amount of mail one receives as Chair of a Section, as well as a host of other matters, and for her unswerving allegiance to the Section and all of its various constituencies and activities. No matter the time of day or location (my apologies to Joe Baker for all the calls to their home!), Jackie is always ready, willing, and able to discuss Section business and find ways to move the interests of our group forward. If you have not had the chance to meet Jackie Baker, I hope you will do so in Atlanta or at some other ABA meeting in the future. She is a good friend, a tremendous asset to our Section, and I hope she agrees to stay on for a long time to come. Thank you, Jackie B.! Notwithstanding the caveat issued at the outset, I would now like to thank all of the dedicated officers and members who have so ably and loyally supported the far-flung activities of our Section this past year. First, my sincere thanks to Fred Leonhardt and the many past Chairs who were such good mentors and role models. Next, I would like to thank incoming Chair Sholem Friedman for all of his hard work and attention to detail over the years which has kept me out of a lot of trouble, and to acknowledge Pat Arey for his outstanding work on our membership matters, the upcoming London 2000 meeting, and the now famous "Pay to Play" issue. Dan Curtin (even though he did not receive his plaque in Amelia Island!) has been a valuable asset to this Section for many years, and he will indeed make an outstanding Chair and ambassador for the Section to many affiliated entities. To all of our faithful Council members and committee chairs, I can only say that we consider all of you as family, and I cannot thank you enough for all of your hard work during the past year. With the above leadership team in place, and the excellent cadre of future leaders on board, the Section can only grow and prosper in the future. Stick around for the action, and if you haven't been actively involved in the life of the Section before-please consider this as your personal invitation to join us in Kansas City, Dallas, Scottsdale, New York, or London in the exciting year ahead! Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to have played a role in the progress of this great Section. Larry C. Ethridge is Chair of the Section and practices law with Ackerson, Mosley & Yann in Louisville, Kentucky. State & Local Law News home page | Table of Contents