It takes no great skill to become president of the bar association. Good fortune, good timing and longevity seem to be the primary requirements. It does, however, take some talent to lead an association of 1400 members to a better place than you found it. John Nowicki deserves all of our gratitude as he leaves the association in excellent condition. John was very budget conscious and despite the appearance and reality of some great parties and good times, his spending came in under budget and his revenues came in over budget. In addition, under John’s watch we put together a much needed membership directory, firmed up the lawyer referral program, increased membership and are making strides on upgrading the association web site. Outstanding committee chairs worked hard to provide good programs, and the relationships among members of the bench and bar have seldom been stronger. John also has strong ties with the state bar association, and he will continue to assist the association greatly with his election to the MSBA Board of Governors. On a personal note John did all he could to make clear my path as he dealt with numerous constitutional and by-laws changes. He was always extremely supportive, and I am very grateful to him.

Every new president has taken the opportunity at the beginning of the term of office to list a number of initiatives. It is more often the case, however, that the initiatives are completed under a subsequent term of office. Every past president with whom I have spoken has talked of how the year passes far too quickly. Consequently, I am under no illusions about either my ability or my time in fulfilling initiatives. Rather, I would like to attend to a few pieces of unfinished business.

There are a couple of physical needs that still have to be addressed. We need a conference/meeting room. You can only cram, jam and stuff so many people into our current space, and it is now far too intimate an area. Volunteers have assisted Heather and Carole in making the room more attractive, but there is only so much we can do. I have every reason to believe that the court administration and the county executive’s office will work with us on this need for space in the court building.

We also need to finish work begun to make the web site interactive. Heather has been working hard on this, and soon we will be able to register for meetings, etc on line.
As the association has grown over the years, a real effort has been made to make the association more inclusive. We still have some distance to travel. It is important that attorneys consider this association to be “their own.” To that end we wish to encourage participation on various committees from all constituents of the association.

We want this to be a fun and profitable year for the members. In the last few years the membership surveys have indicated that the CLE programs administered either through the CLE committee or through the practice area committees are the most valued service of the association. Good speakers mean good programs and that in turn means more interest from the membership. There is excellent committee leadership this year, and we hope to have some excellent programs.

We also look forward to some good times. The Young Lawyer’s Committee under Rachel Letourneau has taken the initiative of adding a crab feast to the program, and it will be on September 18 at Oregon Ridge. In March in lieu of the Bull Roast there will be a Casino Night at Grey Rock mansion. A trip has been arranged to Kingsmill in early November to take advantage of the Willliamsburg setting and/or golfing opportunities. A CLE will be provided. We are also looking at additional opportunities for the calendar.
So hopefully there will be lots to do and enjoy. I can not tell you how much it means to me to be your president. This Association is only here to serve the members and thereby advance the profession. I thank you so much for the opportunity to serve.