From The President

Twelve months seems like forever in theory, but, in reality, blink, and it’s done. That’s how it feels as I close out my time as President of the Nashville Bar Association. I opened the year talking about my connection to this organization and the relationships it helps us create and strengthen. Looking back over the year, I am gratified to know the reasons why I joined and renew my membership with the NBA are strong.

We had a rollercoaster of a ride this year, filled with great highs and unexpected lows. We searched for and hired a new Executive Director, and we added new staff members to supplement and support the ongoing work of our dedicated NBA staff. We brainstormed ways to provide new and better services to our members. We continued the work of the previous Board by updating our bylaws to streamline and improve how we nominated and selected Board Members. We continued to provide substantive and relevant programming, happy hours, and CLEs. We also turned to our membership for support, guidance, and assistance. And you all showed up. You offered advice and counsel, a friendly shoulder, or a kind word.

You were also there in October when the sudden loss of our friend and longtime staff member, Vicki Shoulders, left us bereft. Vicki was the voice who greeted members when they called the NBA office, and the first person members saw when they visited. Her love and dedication to the organization were part of everything she did. She was a constant presence, and we will miss her greatly.

While this year turned out to be more a resetting and rebuilding period, I believe we have a solid foundation to support what the future holds. We have put together a Strategic Planning Committee made up of Board and NBA members, who will help us do the work of determining where we want to go and how we want to get there. And we will be counting on you to help us by providing your candid feedback and ideas. We have dynamic staff members who are excited to try new things and to help push us into new directions – without letting us forget who we are as an organization. We have fantastic and dedicated leadership at each level of the organization from our Executive Director to the Boards of the NBA, the Nashville Bar Foundation, and the Young Lawyers Division. We are about to begin a dynamic era, and I am excited to see where that leads us.

Thank you to the NBA staff for your patience, encouragement, and steadfastness. Thank you to the Board of Directors for your engagement (I know we had some long meetings!), thoughtfulness, and service. Thank you to the Committee and Section Chairs and members who produced events, CLEs, the Nashville Bar Journal, and so much more. Finally, thank you, the members of the NBA, who have continued to show me why the NBA offers value to both attorneys and the greater Nashville community.

The opportunity to serve as President is one I won’t soon forget. I am honored and grateful to have been your President.