Traveling across the country for board meetings, events, conferences and to numerous chapter events has been an incredible experience that I will cherish forever. Serving in this role has given me opportunities to speak with and meet so many of our members and provided a platform for me to share all the great work being done by our volunteers, headquarters staff and the Board of Directors.
I’m often asked, “What has been the most fun thing about being President?” or, “What has been the most rewarding part of your year as President?” Those are really hard questions to answer. I’ve honestly enjoyed every moment — the fun times, the early morning and red-eye flights required to get to meetings or events, participating in chapter social events, attending statewide education retreats and expositions, the hours of preparation required for our board meetings, and even making very difficult decisions when there simply isn’t a popular or easy choice available.
When I boil it all down, I find three common themes that best summarize the work and accomplishments I’m most proud of during the past year.
The Launch of Our New Volunteer Structure
Previous boards began reviewing our volunteer structure nearly five years ago. They spent three years reviewing, analyzing and brainstorming around the structure as it existed, then looked at our strategic direction to see which groups the Association needed to best move our strategic direction forward. The result was a new structure made up of volunteer committees, advisory councils and project teams, each with a newly defined charter, composition and terms of service. Once approved, the Board of Directors and headquarters staff spent the next year defining the rollout and communication plan around the new structure.
Finally, in May of last year, we welcomed over 120 volunteers to the newly created volunteer structure, and they began work immediately. While our current Board has made some minor adjustments, our volunteers have been working hard this past year and had tremendous success in their work. We are all benefiting from those results.
Rollout of Our New Law Firm Strategy: The ALA Effect
In January of this year, we officially rolled out our Law Firm Strategy in Los Angeles, California. The strategy involves going into law firms and sitting down with leadership to understand what issues firm leaders are facing and how ALA can best work to address those needs. We don’t go in trying to sell memberships or event registrations; rather, we go in with the goal of listening to firm leaders share their biggest challenges and what keeps them awake at night. We listen intently and take copious notes. We have held meetings with five firms in Los Angeles and Chicago.
We don’t go in trying to sell memberships or event registrations; rather, we go in with the goal of listening to firm leaders share their biggest challenges and what keeps them awake at night.
After only five visits, I’m happy to report that we are already identifying some common issues facing our member firms. The Board and our team at headquarters have already begun taking steps to address these prevalent issues, and you can expect to see more about this initiative and ALA’s response in the near future.
Meeting Members and Attending Chapter Events
Over the past year, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to visit chapters across the country and participate with them as they celebrated milestones, raised funds for community projects, executed statewide educational retreats with excellence and provided meaningful networking opportunities for members and business partners. Simply chatting with so many of you and learning about your personal journeys in legal management and ALA while offering support and encouragement has been personally rewarding. I sincerely thank you for the opportunities and the warm welcome each of you provided.
As my journey as President comes to a close, I’ll leave you where I started a year ago when I announced my “Climb Higher” theme for this year. These two quotes have inspired me during my time in leadership, and I hope they will do the same for you: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu, and, “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out, it’s the grain of sand in your shoe.” – Unknown.
Sometimes, we need to get out of our own way to move forward on this journey. I encourage you to think about that and consider taking that next step. The past year has provided me with immeasurable growth on my journey. I thank you for entrusting me to lead this awesome organization.
