ALA Faces Member and Chapter News
Congratulations to the 2024-2025 ALA Board of Directors and Chapter Resource Team
In November, the 2023 Nominating Committee convened in Chicago to determine the 2024–2025 ALA Board of Directors and the Chapter Resource Team (CRT).
These volunteer roles are vital to our Association. The ALA Board of Directors is responsible for establishing the vision, mission and goals of the Association as well as setting its strategic direction. Members of the CRT assist in the development of creative strategies that promote and educate members on the policies, programs and initiatives of ALA, including providing support and resources to chapters and their leaders. In addition to serving as mentors to chapters, team members serve as subject matter experts and are interested in the further development of their own leadership skills.
The members that make up these groups are held in the highest regard and have been entrusted to guide ALA and the legal management profession into the future. Please join us in congratulating this extraordinary group of legal management professionals! These individuals will officially take office in May in Aurora, Colorado at the Annual Conference & Expo. Read the full list here.
Members on the Move
Kimberly Bernal, a member of the Houston Chapter, is now Director of HR at Patterson + Sheridan LLP in Houston, Texas.
Tara C. Mundy, a member of the Arizona Chapter, is now Firm Administrator at Struck Love Bojanowski & Acedo, PLC, in Chandler, Arizona.
Ryan M. Thebarge, a member of the Downeast Chapter, is now Director of Legal Operations at Unum Law in Portland, Maine.
Kudos to the Fall 2023 CLM Recipients!
Congratulations are in order for the 14 administrators who passed this fall’s CLM exam and are now Certified Legal Managers:
- Amber Kulig, CLM, of Goodell DeVries Leech & Dann, LLP, in Baltimore, Maryland
- Curtis Glenn Hanna, CLM, of Austin & Pethick Law Firm, PC, in Aiken, South Carolina
- Dana L. Holsomback, CLM, of Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart, PC, in Nashville, Tennessee
- Darryl Blanton, CLM, SHRM-SCP, of Davis Cedillo & Mendoza, Inc., in San Antonio, Texas
- David Montiel, CLM, of Fox Swibel Levin & Carroll, LLP, in Chicago, Illinois
- Heather Bowen, CLM, of HMB Legal Counsel in Chicago, Illinois
- Kristi Seaton, CLM, of Hodges Loizzi Eisenhammer Rodick & Kohn LLP in Itasca, Illinois
- Marissa A. Wills, CLM, of Shepherd Elder Law Group, LLC, in Overland Park, Kansas
- Michelle M. Sheppard, CLM, of Hartline Barger LLP in Dallas, Texas
- Robin W. Owens, CLM, of Morton & Gettys, LLC, in Rock Hill, South Carolina
- Sharen Nocella, CLM, of Maron Marvel Bradley Anderson & Tardy, LLC, in Wilmington, Delaware
- Stefanie N. Raph, CLM, with the Town of Castle Rock in Morrison, Colorado
- Timothy Barker, CLM, of Bryant Miller Olive PA in Tampa, Florida
- Veronica M. Hurless, CLM, of Orloff Lowenbach Stifelman & Siegel, PA, in Morristown, New Jersey
ALA Member Interviewed About Memoir
Writer’s Digest recently offered an opportunity to 80,000+ writers to submit a published or unpublished story to a competition hosted by Atmosphere Press. Only 50 writers were selected for an interview to be published in their Atmosphere Press Presents author interview series, and ALA member Nadean Stone, CLM (Ret.), MBA was one of those!
You can read the full interview here and more about her memoir, No Stone Unturned: A Remarkable Journey to Identity here. Congrats, Nadean!
Sending Our Condolences
ALA is saddened by the passing in December of two former Presidents of the Beverly Hills Chapter, Louise Caplan and Carol Leemon. Both were active in the ALA and legal communities. Louise was Beverly Hills Chapter President from 1994–1995 and served as an administrator at the law firms Bryan Cave and Jacoby & Myers. In her later years, she volunteered with AARP to help seniors file their tax returns. Carol was chapter President from 1993–1994 and was an administrator for two law firms in the Los Angeles area before becoming a consultant. ALA sends its condolences to Louise’s and Carol’s families, friends and colleagues.
ALA is also saddened by the death of Gail Roupp, former President of the Philadelphia Chapter who was a member of ALA for 20+ years. “Gail's unwavering dedication to our chapter was unparalleled — always the first to step up and volunteer, whether it was lending a hand at events, extending a warm welcome to members over lunch, or contributing ideas to propel our chapter forward,” the Philadelphia Chapter said. Read more of the chapter’s touching tribute to Gail here. To honor her legacy and work for the legal community, her family requests that donations be made to the Foundation of ALA. ALA sends its heartfelt condolences to Gail’s family, friends and colleagues.