The 34th Annual Charlotte E. Ray Award Ceremony Program Booklet

THE GREATER WASHINGTON AREA CHAPTER, WOMEN LAWYERS DIVISION OF THE NATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION AND THE GWAC FOUNDATION PRESENT:

THE 34TH ANNUAL

Charlotte E. Ray Award Ceremony

Program.............................................................................................................................................................2 About GWAC...................................................................................................................................................3 About GWAC Foundation, Inc.................................................................................................................3 History of the Charlotte E. Ray Award..................................................................................................4 Past Award Recipients.................................................................................................................................5 34th Annual Charlotte E. Ray Award Recipient: Past President Norma B. Hutcheson.....8 Congratulatory Advertisements.............................................................................................................10 GWAC Foundation, Inc. Scholarship Recipients............................................................................23 Acknowledgements....................................................................................................................................24

Welcome Remarks..........................................................Renee Mims, GWAC President

Welcome Remarks...........................................................Ashley McFarland, GWAC Foundation Chair

Greetings...............................................................................Henry E. Floyd, Jr., National Bar Association Vice President of Regions and Affiliates Lift Every Voice and Sing.................................................*Recording*

Acknowledgement of Prior Award Recipients........Jeanine Howard, Charlotte E. Ray Chair

Presentation of Award.......................................................Renee Mims, GWAC President

Award Recipient Remarks...............................................Past President Norma B. Hutcheson

Acknowledgments and Closing Remarks..................Bayliss Fiddiman, GWAC President-Elect

2

The Greater Washington Area Chapter, Women Lawyers Division, National Bar Association (GWAC) is a network of African-American women attorneys dedicated to the professional development of its members. We are committed to improving the quality of life in the Greater Washington D.C. area through a variety of activities, including educational programs and community service projects. For the 2021-2022 Bar Year, GWAC's theme is "living our mission, empowering our community, building our legacy."

In 1993, GWAC established a charitable arm - the GWAC Foundation, Inc. ("the Foundation"). The Foundation received its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service in 1995. That same year, GWAC provided the Foundation with its original endowment, which it has more than tripled in the past five years. The work of the Foundation is performed entirely by volunteers with no paid staff. In addition to community service endeavors, the Foundation also provides financial assistance to law students and law school graduates by means of book scholarships, bar scholarships and more recently, a Covid-19 Impacted Employment Assistance Award.

3

Since 1989, the GWAC Bar Association and the GWAC Foundation have recognized an outstanding African-American woman from the local bar in honor of Charlotte E. Ray, the first woman admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and the first AfricanAmerican woman certified as a lawyer in the United States. In keeping with the mission of GWAC and the trailblazing spirit of Charlotte E. Ray, awardees demonstrate a strong commitment to community involvement, mentorship, advocacy, and excellence in the Metropolitan Washington community.

4

1989 The Honorable Judith W. Rogers

1990 The Honorable Julia Cooper Mack

1991 Mabel Haden

1992 Brenda Girton Mitchell

1993 The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton

1994 Judith Winston

1995 Dovey J. Roundtree

1996 The Honorable Inez Smith Reid

1997 The Honorable Annice Wagner

1999 Pauline A. Schneider

1998 Sandra H. Robinson

2000 The Honorable Zinora Mitchell-Rankin

5

2001 Wilma A. Lewis

2003 Michele A. Roberts

2005 Patricia M. Worthy

2007 The Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston

2002 Barbara R. Arnwine

2004 Loretta Collins Argrett

2006 The Honorable Kim Kendrick

2008 The Honorable Anita Josey-Herring

2009 The Honorable Norma Holloway-Johnson

2010 Kim Michele Keenan

2011 Grace E. Speights

2012 Natalie O. Ludaway

6

2013 The Honorable Zoe Bush

2014 The Honorable Anna Blackburne-Rigsby

2015 Kirra L. Jarratt

2016 The Honorable Fern Flanagan Saddler

2017 The Honorable Tara J. Fentress

2018 The Honorable Sherri Beatty-Arthur

2019 Karen E. Evans

2020 The Honorable Phyllis D. Thompson

2021 Angela J. Davis

7

Norma B. Hutcheson retired from the position of Deputy Managing Counsel for the Capital Metro Law Office of the United States Postal Service Law Department, effective January 3, 2016, after 36 years of service in the federal government, 35 of which were with the Postal Service. She served as liaison and legal counsel to senior postal management and represented the Postal Service in unique cases of significant organizational impact. She managed, litigated and trained in the areas of labor and employment law, ethics, and revenue protection. Starting her legal career at the United States Postal Service in 1980, she also held other positions as acting manager and attorney/advisor at Postal Service Headquarters (where she practiced with the Rates and Classification Group) and its Eastern Regional and Mid-Atlantic Field Law Offices.

Past President Hutcheson has served on the National Bar Association (NBA) Board of Directors as Regional Director for Region XII. She is also a past chair of the GWAC Foundation, Inc. Past President Hutcheson has been an active participant in the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law/NBA Election Protection Project. She served as Secretary to the Board of the Women’s Bar Association Foundation and as a board member of the Women’s Bar Association of DC. She also has served as Vice President for Programming and Treasurer for the Potomac Chapter (VA) of The Links, Inc. and historian and Chair of the Social Justice and Human Rights Committee for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Theta Omega Omega Chapter. She was on the Board and was treasurer for Ivy Vine Charities, Inc. until December 2015. She has been a Loaned Executive to the Combined Federal Campaign for the National Capital Area.

8

Past President Hutcheson currently is chair of the Issues and Resolutions Committee for the NBA and has served in this position since 2004. She is Health and Human Services Chair for the Eastern Area of The Links, Inc. She chairs the Family Strengthening Committee for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Theta Omega Omega Chapter. Past President Hutcheson also sits on the Board of the YMCA for Metropolitan Washington. She is a deacon at Zion Baptist Church in northwest Washington, DC and secretary to Zion’s Board of Church Administration. Past President Hutcheson is also a member of Leadership Greater Washington – Class of 2000.

A native Washingtonian, Past President Hutcheson is a graduate of Bucknell University (B.A. in History and Political Science) and the University of Pennsylvania Law School (J.D.). She is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia (active) and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (inactive).

9

! s n o i t a l u t a r g n o C

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

Sydney Chapman, 2022 Book Scholarship

Imani Brooks 2022 Book Scholarship

Daraja Carroll, 2021 Barbara E. Whiting-Wright Bar Assistance Award

Billi Wilkerson, 2020 Barbara E. Whiting-Wright Bar Assistance Award

Janae Staicer, 2020 Barbara E. Whiting-Wright Bar Assistance Award

Dionne Dillard, 2020 Book Scholarship

Megan Moffett, 2020 Covid-19 Impacted Employment Grant

Lourdes S. Eliacin Mars, 2019 Book Scholarship

Joy Applewhite, 2019 Book Scholarship

23

GWAC and the GWAC Foundation would like to give a special thank you to Morgan, Lewis & Brockius LLP for serving once again as this year's sponsor. We would also like to give a big thank you to our past Charlotte E. Ray Award recipients in attendance along with GWAC Past Presidents who have joined us. Thank you to those who purchased advertisements as well, Proceeds received from your ad purchases will support the work of the GWAC Foundation to continue awarding deserving law students and law school graduates with scholarships and bar assistance awards. It is because of your support, engagement and leadership that both GWAC and the GWAC Foundation are able to successfully fulfill its respective missions and continue doing great work within the legal profession and in the community.

24

President, Renee Mims President-Elect, Bayliss Fiddiman Immediate Past President, Erinn D. Martin Recording Secretary, Keela Seales Corresponding Secretary, Dr. Tracey G. Jackson Treasurer, Natasha Hudgins Historian, Alicia M. McNeal Judicial Liaison, The Honorable Tanya M. Jones Bosier Law Firm & Corporate Counsel Chair, Bianca M. Pinnock Judicial and Executive Appointments Chair, Dr. Tracey G. Jackson Community Outreach Chair, Knia Tanner Membership Chair, Patricia-Joy Mpasi Employment & Professional Development Chair, Cadene Russell Brooks Charlotte E. Ray Chair, Jeanine Howard Law Student Affairs Chair, Lucille Blackburn Legislative Affairs Chair, Angela S. Robinson

LinkedIn: GWAC BAR Association

Instagram: @gwacbar

Facebook: GWAC

Twitter: @GWACBAR

Learn more about GWAC and the GWAC Foundation at:

www.gwacbar.org www.gwacdc.org