Essentials of Chapter Leadership: Speaker Bios

Friday, March 13

Daniel P. Atcheson currently serves on ALA’s Board of Directors and previously served as the Chair of the Professional Development Advisory Committee. In addition, he has held many other leadership roles with the Raleigh-Durham Chapter of ALA, where he has been a member since 2002. Dan is a seasoned administrator with over 20 years of experience across law firms of various sizes and practice areas. He holds an undergraduate degree from East Carolina University and a law degree from the University of Maryland. 

Mark Bridgeman CLM (Ret.), CRM, MBA – bio coming soon

Frederick J. Esposito, Jr., MBA, CLM, is the Chief Operating Officer at Rivkin Radler LLP. With over 30 years of experience in law and accounting, he has been a Certified Legal Manager (CLM)® since 2006. Fred specializes in financial, organizational, and behavioral management and has collaborated with many law firms in both consulting and managerial roles, both domestically and internationally. Fred was the first CLM on Long Island and served as Chair of the ALA’s Certification Committee from 2013 to 2016. He is currently a Trustee and Officer for the Foundation of ALA and became Vice-President/President-Elect in May 2025.

Lisa R. Ford is the Office Administrator at Holland & Knight LLP, in Los Angeles, California. She has been a member of ALA’s Greater Los Angeles Chapter for the past 11 years, serving in multiple leadership roles.  At the international level, she currently serves on the Chapter Connections Committee.  Lisa has served as a mentor to several future leaders in the legal community and volunteers with other non-profit organizations, such as the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

Elyssa A. Goldstein, CLM, PHR, SHRM-CP, is the Chief Operating Officer of Rebenack Aronow & Mascolo, LLP, with three offices located in Central New Jersey. She served on the Board of Trustees of ALA’s New Jersey Chapter for eight years, including one year as President. At the Association level, Elyssa has served as Chair of the Membership Development Committee, as well as on the Certification Committee and the 2021 Annual Conference & Expo Planning Committee. She currently is ALA's President-Elect. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music from Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York.

Lori Hughes is the Information Security Officer at Miller Nash LLP and has been a member of ALA for over 20 years. Lori is currently the Chair of ALA’s Membership Ambassador Committee, and is a past ALA board member, Oregon chapter member and past president of the chapter on two occasions. She co-presented at the 2025 Chapter Leadership Institute and regularly facilitates ALA’s virtual idea exchanges. 

Rose A. Jaworecki is the Legal Office Administrator at Thompson Hine LLP’s New York office. She is also the Co-Manager of the Firm’s National Resource Group. Rose has more than 30 years of managerial and leadership experience at small to large firms in New York. She served on ALA’s New York City Chapter Board for five years, including one year as President. At the Association level, she served on the 2018 Annual Conference & Expo Planning Committee and on the Chapter Resource Team. She is currently serving on ALA's Board of Directors. 

Michael E. Keatts is a Regional Office Administrator for Bowman and Brooke LLP, where he manages branch offices in Richmond, Virginia; Baltimore, Maryland; New Brunswick, New Jersey; and New York City. Michael has almost 30 years of law firm experience and has been a member of ALA for 20 years along with being an active member of the Richmond Chapter, where he has served in various roles, including President for two years, Business Partner Liaison for two years, and the Chair of the Virginia ALA Statewide Retreat Committee for 14 consecutive years. At the international level, Michael has served as a member of the Chapter Resource Team and is currently the Vice Chair of the Chapter Connections Committee of which he will assume the role of Chair in April 2026. 

LaDonna L. Luu is the Seattle Office Administrator for Wilson Elser, responsible for all aspects of business management and day-to-day administrative operations. She works closely with the Regional Managing Partner to support the implementation of firm-wide initiatives and maintains consistency with best practices of the local office. LaDonna has a strong background in law firm management and has been called “the relationship builder.” This comes from her experience working as a Legal Assistant and Paralegal and her thoughtful approach to bridging gaps among departments.  LaDonna currently serves on the Chapter Connections Committee.

Elena Lopez Lane, PHR, is a Regional Office Administrator at the Atlanta and Washington offices of Parker, Poe, Adams & Bernstein, LLP, which she joined in 2019. Elena joined the Atlanta chapter in 2006 and is a Past President of the AALA Board of Directors, former ALA Chapter Resource Team member and a current Chapter Connections Committee member.  

Kelli Taylor Sanders, CLM, MSLA, is the Chief Operating Officer of Barnwell Whaley Patterson & Helms, LLC, in Charleston, South Carolina. With over 25 years of experience, she is directly responsible for managing the financial, human resources and operational aspects of a 20-attorney law firm. She has completed several certifications through ALA, including Finance, Human Resources, and Legal Project Management Specialist, as well as obtaining the Certified Legal Manager (CLM)® credential. Kelli is a member of ALA’s Cyber Chapter and Mile High Chapter.  She is the immediate Past President of the Cyber Chapter, having previously served as the Secretary, Vice President, and President of the chapter. She is currently a member of ALA’s Board of Directors. 

Carrie Valenzuela, MBA, is the Branch Office Manager for Meagher & Geer, P.L.L.P. in Scottsdale, Arizona, where she manages the daily operations of a busy and dynamic office. She has more than 15 years of experience in the legal industry, with experience in all aspects of law firm management and operations. Carrie is an active member of the Arizona Chapter, serving in various roles, including Chapter President. She has served as a volunteer on the Chapter Resource Team and currently serves on the Board of Directors. 

Lisa Waligorski, CLM, PHRca, SPHR, is the Executive Director at Newmeyer & Dillion, LLP. With over 25 years of leadership experience in law firm management, she has held key roles as an Executive Director and Director of Finance/Controller. Lisa began her career as a legal assistant and paralegal, gaining firsthand insight into law firm operations before transitioning into executive leadership. She is a recognized speaker on law firm accounting and human resources and has spent the past decade as an instructor for ALA’s web-based courses. A dedicated member of the legal management community, Lisa has been actively involved in ALA’s Gateway and Orange County Chapters, serving in multiple leadership roles, including Chapter President. She currently serves on ALA’s Board of Directors. 

Friday, March 20

Angelina Angelov, CLM, MBA, is a legal management professional with over 20 years of experience in compliance, strategy, and leadership. Angelina has been an ALA member since 2010 and has previously served in various committee roles and currently serves on ALA’s Board of Directors. She is the Treasury, Office, and Compliance Manager at Russin Vecchi & Heredia Bonetti, a law firm in the Dominican Republic. She holds the Certified Legal Manager (CLM)® credential, a magna cum laude bachelor's degree and an MBA from UNIBE. She also teaches at the International MBA in Law Firm Management at Facultad Baiana de Direito e Gestao, Brasil.

Travis C. Armstrong, CLM, CPA, is the Chief Operating Officer for English, Lucas, Priest & Owsley, LLP (ELPO Law), a regional firm with three offices and 32 attorneys, headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He has been a member of ALA since 2005, when he first accepted a position in the legal management profession. He immediately joined ALA and became a member of the Middle Tennessee Chapter, where he served as Treasurer for six years, before becoming Vice President and President. In addition to his local chapter service, he served two years as a Regional Representative before becoming a member of the 2017 and 2018 Annual Conference Planning Committees. He then served as Chair of the 2019 Annual Conference Planning Committee, followed by two years on the Certification Committee. He currently serves as the President of ALA. Travis holds his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license, as well as the CLM designation.   

Brenda Deertz, MBA, is Director of Executive Services at Bi-State Development in St. Louis, Missouri, and a dedicated leader within ALA. She has served in multiple officer roles with the Gateway Chapter, including President, and has contributed at the international level as a Member Ambassador, member of the Job Description Toolkit Project Team, and participant on the 2025 Annual Conference & Expo Committee. Since 2023, Brenda has been an active member of the Member Experience Committee and currently serves as Chair. 

Stacie Hedrick, CLM, has been an active member of ALA since 2005. Over the years, she has contributed to the Mile High Chapter in multiple capacities, including roles on the Professional Development, Business Partnering and Education Committees. Her dedication to ALA led her to pursue an international opportunity, where she served a two-year term on the Chapter Resource Team from 2022 to 2024, plus a bonus year in 2025.  She is currently the chair of the Chapter Connections Committee.

Ken Koehn, CLM, CPA, CMA, currently is the Chief Operating Officer of Gould & Ratner LLP in Chicago, Illinois. Ken transitioned into his role as COO after serving as Gould & Ratner’s Chief Financial Officer for several years. His experience includes over 25 years in senior financial executive positions for Chicago law firms and other firms in the professional services and trading industries. He is currently on the ALA Chicago Chapter’s Board of Directors and has served in multiple leadership positions within the chapter. At the international level, he has served on the ALA Certification Committee, the Nominating Committee and currently serves on ALA’s Board of Directors. 

Amanda Koplos, CLM, CPA, is the Immediate Past President of ALA. She is the Chief Operating Officer for Shuffield, Lowman, and Wilson, P.A. Shuffield Lowman is a mid-size firm with over 50 attorneys across five locations. She is also proud to hold the Certified Legal Manager (CLM)® credential. Legal management isn’t just a career for Amanda; it’s a passion. In support of that passion, Amanda has been active in ALA since 2005. Amanda is also a frequent speaker on legal management topics, having given or moderated sessions on DEIA, budgeting and accounting, facilities and office moves, technology, cyber security, and social media.  

Terri D. Moore-Natal, SPHR, is the Director of Administration at Holzer Patel Drennan, a boutique intellectual property and business law firm in Denver, Colorado. Terri is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and has served on the Board of Directors for the Mile High Chapter as President. She has served as a volunteer on the Membership Ambassador Committee and Chapter Resource Team. Terri currently serves on ALA’s Board of Directors. 

Jessica L. VanTroost is McGlinchey Stafford PLLC’s Strategic Operations Administrator. With more than 16 years of experience in various legal roles, she has worked in both small and large firms across multiple states. Jessica has been an active member of ALA since 2008 and is affiliated with the Jacksonville, South Florida, Middle Tennessee and Boston Chapters. She has held various board positions over the years and is a Past President of the Jacksonville Chapter. On the international stage, she has contributed to ALA by serving on the Nominating Committee and the Membership Development Committee. Jessica is currently a member of ALA’s Board of Directors and is the 2026 President-Elect.