ALA’s Annual Conference & Expo Planning Committee (ACC) consists of one representative from each of the six ALA committees determined to have natural involvement with planning necessities. The chair has been selected from the overall membership.
Please welcome the new committee, which will work on this premier event’s educational content, member experience and marketing efforts:
Arthur P. Bernstein Tucker Ellis LLP, Cleveland, Ohio
Art Bernstein is the Chief Operating Officer of Tucker Ellis LLP, a general practice firm of over 200 attorneys with offices in Cleveland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, St. Louis and Columbus. Previously, Art was the Executive Director of Hopkins & Carley in the Silicon Valley. Prior posts include stints at the State Bar of California (Budget Director) and Pillsbury Winthrop (Facilities Director). Art is a Boy Scout leader and a passionate numismatist. He served on the ALA’s Annual Conference Planning Committee back in 2009 when it was held in New Orleans.
Angelina Angelov Russin Vecchi & Heredia Bonetti, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Representing the Product and Service Review Committee
Angelina Angelov, CLM, MBA is the Office and Compliance Manager at Russin Vecchi & Heredia Bonetti in the Dominican Republic. She has been in the business of law for almost 20 years. She concentrates on strategy, operations, knowledge management, systems information and innovation. She also hold a bachelor´s degree in business administration (magna cum laude) and an MBA from Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE). An ALA member since 2010, Angelina was the first international ALA member to become a Certified Legal Manager (CLM)® in November 2019. She currently serves as the Vice Chair for ALA’s Product and Service Review Committee. She previously served on the Business Partner Relations Project Team and the International Relations Committee. She is also a member of the Legal Marketing Association (LMA) and recently became a member of the Strategic Intelligence platform of the World Economic Forum. Angelina is an Adjunct Professor in the postgraduate business program at Universidad APEC.
Denise Gaskin, PhD, M.S. RavenWork Consulting & Executive Coaching, West Linn, Oregon Representing the Professional Development Advisory Committee
Denise Gaskin, PhD, MS, provides coaching so leaders can take their training and skills to the next level. She specializes in working with professionals who want to develop an encore career, either at their current firm or in another industry. Developing an encore career includes a look through both a cultural and design lens. Denise brings this cultural analysis and design thinking framework to the coaching experience. She holds a PhD in educational psychology from the University of Tennessee. She has a master’s in counseling psychology from Indiana University and a bachelor’s in exercise science and wellness from Ball State University. Denise is a former law firm chief operating officer and before that worked for a multicounty behavioral health organization. Her formative professional years were spent developing and implementing health promotion programs in several industries, including health care, manufacturing and for-profit businesses.
Frederick O’Malley Carlton Fields, Miami, Florida Representing the Large Firm Administrators Caucus Steering Committee
Frederick O’Malley is Carlton Fields’ Chief Operating Officer and oversees the core business functions of the firm, including financial management and administrative functions. Fred has more than 25 years of executive legal management experience, previously serving as chief operating officer, executive director, chief financial officer, and combinations of those roles at medium- to large-sized law firms in the Miami and Washington, D.C./Baltimore areas. He has been recognized as the top COO in Miami-Dade by South Florida Business & Wealth. He is a Distinguished Member of ALA and has held various leadership positions within the organization. He also is a member of the Large Firm Administrators Caucus of ALA and currently serves as Chair of its Steering Committee. In addition, Fred serves as Chair of the Florida COO Networking Group. He often presents on various matters related to legal administrative and financial operations. Most recently, he spoke at the Thomson Reuters Annual Law Firm COO & CFO Forum in New York.
Gail Semonian, CLM, MBA, PHR Littler Mendelson, PC, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Representing the Certification Committee
Gail Semonian is an Office Administrator at Littler Mendelson. Gail is responsible for the Pittsburgh, Kansas City, and Charleston, WV offices. Gail has been an ALA member since 1996, and a CLM since 2011. Gail has received the 25-Year Distinguished Member designation for 25 years of continuous membership in ALA. Gail currently serves on ALA's CLM Certification Committee, and is currently the President of the Pittsburgh Chapter. Gail has served in various capacities at the chapter level: Education Committee Chair, Education Conference Chair, Treasurer, Business Partner Relations Committee, and Communications Committee Chair. In 2019, Gail received the Outstanding Service Award for her commitment and service to the Pittsburgh Chapter. Gail is also a member of SHRM, and has had her SHRM-CP certification and HRCI's PHR certification since 2006.
Missy Hirst, MSLA Altitude Community Law PC, Lakewood, Colorado Representing the Membership Development Committee
Missy Hirst, MSLA, is the Chief Operating Officer for Altitude Community Law PC, which specializes in Colorado community associations. Missy is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and works to facilitate the firm’s daily operations. She also handles HR; supervises accounting and billing, IT, liability and risk, facilities and equipment; and is responsible for implementing the firm’s strategic planning initiatives. Missy has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Robert Morris University Illinois and a master’s in legal administration from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. She has managed law practices for over 25 years. A longtime member of ALA, Missy serves on the Mile High Chapter’s Board of Directors and is a former chapter president. At the international level, she is currently the Vice Chair of the Membership Development Committee, which focuses on developing management professionals new to the legal industry and supporting the ongoing engagement of the more legacy legal management professionals.
Tiffany Ho-Rivera Rogoway Law Group, San Francisco, California Representing the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Committee
Tiffany Ho-Rivera joined the legal industry in 2012 at a multinational law firm with offices in the United States and Asia. Since joining Rogoway Law Group’s San Francisco office in 2017, she has overseen the firm’s human resources, finance, administrative operations and marketing functionality as the Director of Operations. She works closely with the Managing Partner as a strategic partner on business planning and practice management. Tiffany is the Vice Chair of ALA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Committee. Before entering the legal industry, Tiffany worked with children and families with special needs. She remains a strong advocate to amplify voices that have been silenced and to empower those without power. Tiffany can be spotted volunteering at events throughout her local community. In her leisure time, she enjoys traveling, upcycling furniture and outdoor time with her fiancé and 12-year-old dog.