Outgoing President’s Message
GIVING BACK
By PAUL C. TROY, ESQ., MBA President
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s I write this article, I have just returned from a couple of days in Harrisburg at the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Committee and Section Day and House of Delegates meeting. This year has really afforded me an opportunity to take the time to notice and appreciate the many great things done by MBA members. That was again apparent in the last two days. On Thursday, one couldn’t help but bump into our members at Committee and Section Day as many either lead PBA Committee and Sections,
or are very active in them. At a dinner Thursday night honoring retiring PBA Sections Relation Coordinator Michael Shatto, three of the five speakers were from Montgomery County. Mark B. Dischell and Mary Cushing Doherty spoke as Past Chairs of the PBA Family Law Section. Robert C. Gerhard, III spoke as a Past Chair of the Elder Law Section.
In fact, there are many Montgomery Bar Association Members presently serving as either Chair or Vice Chair of numerous PBA Committees and Sections. They need to be recognized. They are as follows: Daniel J. Clifford is the Chair of the Family Law Section; Frank A. Mazzeo is Vice-Chair of the Intellectual Property Law Section and John L. Purcell, III is Secretary of that Section; Alan W. Flenner is Chair of the Municipal Law Section; Marshal S. Granor is Secretary of the Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section; Kenneth P. Milner is Chair of the Solo and Small Firm Practice Section and Jennifer Ellis is Secretary of that Section; Immediate Past MBA President Donald J. Martin is Chair of the Bylaws Committee and the Senior Lawyers Committee; Gerald L. Shoemaker, Jr. is Vice-Chair of the GLBT Rights Committee; Wendy Castor Hess is Co-Chair of the Immigration Law Committee; John P. Gregory is Chair of the InHouse Counsel Committee; Past MBA President Robert F. Morris is ViceChair of the Judicial Evaluation Commission; Kevan F. Hirsch is Chair of the Lawyers Assistance Committee; Mary C. Pugh is Co-Vice Chair of the Legal Services to the Public Committee; Past MBA President Samuel D. Miller, III is Chair of the Membership Development Committee; Marisa Harris Lattimore is Co-Vice Chair of the Minority Bar Committee and Sireen Ivielle Tucker is Secretary of that Committee; I am Co-Vice Chair of the PBA Leadership Recruitment and Development Committee; Past MBA President and current PBA Vice-President William H. Pugh, V is Chair of the Planning Committee; As you can see, members of the Montgomery Bar Association are thoroughly involved in PBA leadership. In SIDEBAR
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WINTER 2013
2015 William H. Pugh, V will become President of the PBA. C. Dale McClain recently served as PBA President. I am the immediate Past President of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, and Mark A. Kearney is currently Vice-President of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, and will be President of the PBI in 2014. Statewide leadership also occurs with our judges. Hon. Carolyn Tornetta Carluccio, Hon. Arthur R. Tilson, and Hon. Kelly C. Wall have either served or are currently serving as Members of the PBA House of Delegates. Hon. Thomas M. Del Ricci recently served as President of the State Conference of Trial Judges. I am sure that in naming names, I have missed a few. Countless others have held leadership positions over the last several years. What I hope is clear is that leadership in our Bar Association is not limited to the officers or directors. There are a whole lot of Montgomery County attorneys giving back to the profession through their state bar involvement. There are many others who were or are active in the American Bar Association. Keith B. McLennan is one example. Several of our family lawyers have been leaders in state and national associations. Our Family Law Section is really incredible. One could not list all the lawyers who have served, or count the hours they have given to state and national organizations. Looking at this list, however incomplete it may be, should make all of us proud to be Montgomery County lawyers.
Elections Another reaction you may have looking at the list above is to perhaps be inspired to step forward yourself and volunteer for a position with the MBA. It doesn’t have to be big or time consuming. Start with something small,