PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

An Introduction and an Ask

Well this should be interesting! Here I am writing my first President’s Message for NATA less than two years after writing my last “Young Lawyer” article for the organization. I look at the list of past NATA presidents and it is easy to immediately say “well I don’t measure up to those litigators.” In my time moving through the chairs, I have watched first hand the work done by Jason Ausman, Brock Wurl, Todd Bennett, and Jon Urbom. Again, the bar is set high. I am particularly thankful for the leadership Jon Urbom provided in shepherding NATA through the transition from Stella to Deborah. NATA truly has been in great hands for a very long time.

I will surely end with a sense of failure at the end of this year if I try to measure myself against the heavyweights that have come before me. Instead, my approach is simply – do the work. Whatever the organization needs from me, I will be ready and willing to roll my sleeves up and do the work. My aim is to be accessible and receptive to all NATA members. Is there something NATA is involved in that you think misses the mark? Is there something NATA is not involved in that you think we should be? My email inbox is always open and my phone is always on. 

I’m blessed to have the support of an unbelievably talented and invested executive committee. Jennifer Turco Meyer, Elizabeth Govaerts, Cameron Guenzel, Jon Urbom, Matt Lathrop, and Pete Wegman constitute a team of leaders that truly accomplish the goal of surrounding myself with people smarter than me. From a day-to-day standpoint, NATA is in the terrific hands of new executive director, Deborah Neary. I can’t predict how the next year will go for NATA, but I can confidently say we have a team in place to take any challenge head-on.

In one sense, my goal for the upcoming year is simply to not mess up a good thing. This is not an organization in need of massive overhaul or even a pivot from our past and current goals and efforts. NATA has never shifted from its primary purpose to preserve the justice system and defend the Constitutional right to trial by jury. As long as that mission remains at NATA’s core, we will be in good shape.

That is not to say NATA is a static, unchanging monolith of an organization. Like every other strong organization, evolution over time is key. We must adapt to the changing world around us when necessary. In my years with NATA, we have had numerous discussions regarding how we maintain our membership numbers, the best services we can provide to our members, and how NATA can most effectively accomplish its mission of defending the civil justice system in Nebraska.

Elizabeth Govaerts (Powers Law and NATA’s current Secretary) recently approached me about scheduling a NATA meeting exclusively focused on analyzing our current strategies and services and evaluating where and how we can improve. Elizabeth hit the bullseye with this recommendation. 

This leads me to my first significant ask as NATA’s president – please consider attending next year’s NATA Summer Meetings.

2025 NATA Summer MeetingsChicago

July 9 – 12, 2025

Chicago Athletic Club

Mostly through Deborah Neary’s efforts, we have sketched out a convenient, family-friendly summer meeting program. We are returning to Chicago for the first time in over a decade. Being in Chicago hopefully means short, direct, affordable flights (or you can pack up the family in the car like us make the reasonable eight-hour drive!)

We will be staying and meeting at the Chicago Athletic Club. The hotel itself is amazing, with multiple restaurants, a gaming area, and golf simulators right on the property, not to mention an old-school basketball court where our daily meetings will be held.

The hotel is directly across the street from Millennium Park and the famous “Bean.” The Navy Pier is less than two miles away. The hotel is on Michigan Avenue, three blocks from the Chicago River and the Magnificent Mile shopping district (Macy’s is also right around the corner). Unfortunately, the Cubs are not in town that weekend, but we are planning to reserve a patio spot for a White Sox vs. Guardians game on the Northside. 

How have I done so far in my sales pitch? This is not a pitch without a purpose. We are extending the summer meeting for an additional day, asking participants to arrive Wednesday evening for meetings Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, primarily in the morning. Two of those meetings will be focused on regular NATA business and the NATA PAC. One of the meetings, however, will be a guided discussion on evaluating and improving NATA. 

This will not be a pat-ourselves-on-the-back session. This also will not be an airing-of-grievances opportunity. We will stay focused on substantive ways to improve NATA and ensure we are the best version of ourselves moving forward. Organizations do not continue to prosper without their members providing valuable, real feedback.

So, again, my ask is simple: Please go to your work calendar right now and block off Wednesday, July 9 through Saturday, July 12. When the registration for the summer meeting opens, sign up as soon as you can. If you can’t get there Wednesday evening, plan on coming out Thursday. We are reserving 25 rooms at the hotel and we’d love to see every one of them filled. I can promise you two things will happen at the 2025 NATA Summer Meetings in Chicago. First, you will be a part of genuine conversations that will make NATA stronger. Second, you (and your family) will have a lot of fun! 

I am honored to be given the opportunity to lead NATA for the next year. While one goal is to simply not screw things up, my slightly more ambitious goal is to find a way to leave NATA in a stronger position when my term ends. The only way to accomplish that goal is together.

Mark Richardson, President