Thank You and a Fond Farewell

Celebrating a year of gratitude, pride, and a longed-for return to normalcy.

Serving as your 145th president of the ISBA has been one of the most rewarding roles of my career. As I look back on the 2021-22 bar year, I’m filled with a sense of enormous gratitude. When my year commenced, we were still in the darkest days of the pandemic. So much has changed since then! As my presidential year ends, I am filled with hope as things return to normal. I can’t express the joy it brings as I anticipate seeing many of you face to face this month in Lake Geneva for our first in-person ISBA Annual Meeting in three years. In my final President’s Page, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped make this a successful year.

First, I’d like to thank you—the members of the ISBA. Throughout the tumultuous past two years, you’ve maintained your membership and helped to strengthen our association. We’ve all provided indispensable service to our clients while they, along with us, have worked to move our society beyond the pandemic. We are stronger together; and together, we all make the ISBA the preeminent bar association in Illinois.

I’d also like to thank the top-notch bar leaders throughout our association who have worked tirelessly to make the past year a success. From our Board of Governors and Assembly members to the appointed leadership of sections and committees, everyone made the best of the hands they were dealt. While we all longed to meet in person throughout the year, we all recognized that proceeding remotely kept us safe rather than sorry. But now we can rejoice as the ISBA calendar once again fills up with in-person events and meetings.

To the ISBA’s incomparable staff, it’s not possible to express my gratitude for all that you do. As anyone who has been involved in the work and activities of the association can attest, we simply could not accomplish what we do without the dedication and hard work of the ISBA staff. From Bob Craghead’s expert leadership to the members of his team who work countless hours behind the scenes, each and every one of you is indispensable to the important work of the ISBA. We simply could not do all that we do without you.

Finally, I could not have accomplished all that we did without the love and support of my family. My husband, Eric, has been my rock throughout my term and has been my constant companion throughout my years of ISBA involvement. And last, but certainly not least, my darling baby Lily brought so much joy to my presidential year. While she might have babbled her “objections” during a few too many Zoom meetings, maybe that’s because she’s a future ISBA member.

Thanks to those mentioned above, we’ve accomplished great things in the past year. We adopted the ISBA’s first Code of Conduct for members attending association events and provided the COVID-19 Dues Credit for loyal members who maintained uninterrupted membership throughout the pandemic. We celebrated the ISBA’s 145th anniversary and enjoyed a successful Member Appreciation Month in May. We launched the ISBA Business Institute series of CLE programs and provided poignant programming on microaggressions, pandemic-related stress, parenting in the pandemic, and navigating ISBA elections. Most importantly, we completed the first phase of the ISBA’s diversity, equity, and inclusion assessment, which will help us develop strategies for creating a more-welcoming ISBA. Finally, in relation to something near and dear to my heart, we held a successful “Celebrating Women Bar Leaders” program that brought together inspirational women from all corners of the state.

As I look forward to passing the gavel to my good friend Rory Weiler, I want to assure you that you will be in good hands. Rory and our other fellow ISBA officers are the definition of strong bar leaders. They will diligently work to continue to strengthen the ISBA. Until we meet again—hopefully in Lake Geneva in a few weeks—I bid you all an extremely fond farewell!