John J. Michalik - Executive Director

John J. Michalik has been the Executive Director of ALA since April of 1995. Immediately prior to joining ALA, he had served for four years as Assistant Dean and Associate Professor of Law at the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle. He was also the Director of the Law School's Alumni Association and Executive Director of the Washington Law School Foundation.

From 1981-1990, he was the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the 18,000-member Washington State Bar Association. Under his leadership, the Washington State Bar originated nationally-recognized model programs in lawyer discipline and consumer protection; developed one of the first state-wide pro bono programs in the country; pioneered in developing a Lawyers Assistance Program to assist impaired lawyers; and won numerous national awards for its community service programs, including a law-related education mentor program that paired law firms and high school classes throughout Washington State. Before becoming the State Bar's Executive Director, John served as its Director of Continuing Legal Education from 1975-1981.

Prior to moving to Washington State, he worked for five years as Editor and Director of Editorial Training for the Lawyers Cooperative Publishing Company (now a part of the West Publishing Group) in Rochester, New York.

Mr. Michalik graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor's degree with honors in history and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1970.

In addition to being a frequent speaker on law-related and management topics, he has been active in a number of organizations, including the American Society of Association Executives, the American Bar Association, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He is a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management. John is currently a member of the Advisory Board for the University of Denver's Bachelor of Professional Studies Program and of the Board of Directors of Global Management Group, Inc. He also serves on the Board of Trustee of two non-profit foundations.

 

Wendy Rice-Isaacs, ALA President

Wendy Rice-Isaacs is Regional Administrative Director for the Akron and Cleveland, Ohio, offices of Vorys Sater Seymour and Pease LLP.

A legal administrator and ALA member since 1992, Rice-Isaacs has served as President, Vice President and Secretary of the Cleveland Chapter. Her Chapter involvement also includes serving as the Golf Committee Co-Chair, Vendor Relations Committee Co-Chair, Membership and Pictorial Directory Chairperson and the Newsletter Editor.

She has been a member of the Annual Conference Committee (ACC) and served as the Chair for ALA's 2007 Annual Conference. Previously serving as the Region 3 Communications Officer, Rice-Isaacs later served as the Region 3 Director. She has been an ALA Chapter Awards Judge and served on the Regional Nominating Committee for Region 3. Additionally, she has co-authored an article for the ALA Management Encyclopedia. Rice-Isaacs holds a bachelor's degree from Purdue University, and she is affiliated with the Cleveland Chapter.
 

Susan French Koran, ALA President-Elect

Susan French Koran is the Director of Administration at Fellers Snider Blankenship Bailey & Tippens, PC, with offices in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

A legal administrator for 11 years, Koran has been a member of ALA since 1998. On the international level, she served as the Region 4 Director from 2006-2008 and was a member of the Independent Member Task Force. On the regional level, she served as Region 4’s Education Officer and Communications Officer, and was on the Region 4 Nominating Committee. Koran has been a speaker at the Chapter Leadership Institute and numerous other ALA chapter retreats and luncheons. She served two terms as the OKC Chapter President, has held several leadership positions on the chapter level and served on the chapter’s Vendor Relations, Chapter Nominations, Community Challenge Weekend, Salary and Benefits Survey, and 30^th Anniversary Committees.

Koran earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Central Oklahoma. She is affiliated with ALA’s OKC Chapter.