Message from the President (ALA Gateway Chapter) September 2022
Posted by admin1 on Sep. 21, 2022 / Subscribe 0
Jill M. O'Connell, SHRM-SCP, SPHR
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“And all at once, summer collapsed into fall.” – Oscar Wilde I started drafting this in early July, and then I blinked. Oh! Hello, mid-September! ALA Gateway has had a lot going on since I last messaged you! But before I get into that, I want to be sure you’re aware of a few upcoming events you won’t want to miss. The next ALA Gateway Community Connection – Service Project is a much-needed room beautification project benefiting the Keyway: Center for Diversion & Reentry, formerly Center for Women in Transition. This organization assists women that have been incarcerated transition to life on the outside. They are doing incredible work, which I encourage you to learn more about. We need you! Register now to help paint, or consider making a donation in the form of gift cards to Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart, etc. The Chapter Law Firm Leader Event will be held on October 19. More information on this event will be coming soon. Estlund Associates will be sponsoring a candle making event at Urban Candle on November 10. Space is limited for this fun and creative event, so be on the lookout for registration information this week. We hope you will join us for ALA Gateway’s Holiday Party, which will be held on December 5 at the St. Louis Science Center, McDonnell Planetarium. Registration is now open! As I mentioned, ALA Gateway has had a lot going on. In case you missed it, here are some highlights:
Did you know… ...that the “BOLD” in “BOLD Bites” stands for “Business of Law Discussions,” which is the name of an ALA weekly newsletter and the inspiration for BOLD Bites talks during ALA events? ...that “LMA” stands for Legal Marketing Association; “STLPA” stands for St. Louis Paralegal Association; “ILTA” stands for International Legal Technology Association; and “BAMSL” stands for Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis? Speaking of our Business Partners, I wanted to share with you a testimonial we recently received from Kim Oleniacz of IST, which really gets to the heart of the Business Partner experience we try to foster at ALA Gateway. “The connections, experiences, and knowledge gained through IST Management’s partnership with ALAs’s Gateway Chapter are irreplaceable. Post-pandemic, the value of in-person conferences and fundraising events is more apparent than ever. “Twenty-eight years ago, I first connected with ALA Gateway. The aspects that interested me are two-fold: sales and education. Firstly, I have built relationships with prospective clients while understanding and learning from decision-makers in the industry. Every step of the way has been a productive, family-like community environment for legal professionals to connect and grow. Secondly, ALA Gateway represents a valuable educational environment where partners can gain new industry perspectives and recognize essential ideas and interests of law firms. Building lasting relationships through shared interests such as social issues, community service, and the legal world provides an excellent path to growing your success. "ALA Gateway social gatherings and events have always been great experiences. The annual Bunny Hop and Purple Stride Walk are two events I am grateful to support through this chapter. My favorite ALA Gateway event memories include themed parties, street performers, costumes, and animals. "The role of a business partner requires an active commitment to bettering your team and organization, which can go much further than traditional business networking. Values such as friendship, service, and hard work are at the core of this organization. ALA Gateway is a community full of passionate and intelligent professionals. For professionals interested in joining, I would highlight the opportunity to showcase your product and to learn from and advance your career amongst peers within your industry.” --Kim Oleniacz We truly appreciate Kim’s comments, and the relationship she has forged with ALA Gateway over the years. Our Business Partners make it possible for us to do what we do, and we could not be more grateful. For those of you that are interested in becoming a Business Partner with ALA Gateway, or who know someone that might be interested, take a look at the Business Partner Area of our website to learn more. For members that are interested in deepening their connection to the ALA Gateway and its members, a good place to start is the Member Responsibility page of our website. If you still feel you’re only scratching the surface, please don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our Membership Team Co-Chairs, Casie Galczynski ([email protected]) or Jessie Fenton ([email protected]). They would be happy to provide you with information about a variety of opportunities to engage, including connecting you with a mentor, to help you and your organization get the most out of your membership with ALA Gateway. In addition to the many benefits of being an ALA Gateway member, don’t forget all the terrific resources available through our parent organization, ALA. Speaking of ALA, in case you missed it, Eryn Carter will become the next Executive Director of ALA effective October 11! In addition, ALA recently appointed its Nominating Committee to fill upcoming vacancies on the ALA Board of Directors and the Chapter Resource Team. ALA Gateway is very proud that two of our members were selected to serve in this capacity, Julie Logan and Emily Spehar. Having been the beneficiaries of their tireless work for the ALA Gateway Chapter, we know firsthand how fortunate the ALA is to have them serve on this important committee. If you are interested in serving on a committee at the national level in 2023-2024, submit your application for consideration by October 12. A detailed list of volunteer opportunities can be found on the ALA Volunteer Opportunities page. The ALA Intellectual Property Conference for Legal Management Professionals, the premier IP-focused forum for administrators working a legal practice setting, is being held October 13-14 in Washington, DC. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to participate in the Mental Health First Aid Certification Program this fall. The MHFA is a public education program that introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health challenges, builds understanding of their impact and provides an overview of appropriate supports. You will learn to identify, understand and appropriately respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders. ALA’s Legal Management Fundamentals, Navigating Your First Five Years will be held November 4-5 in Denver, Colorado. This is a must-attend program for those of you in the first five years of your legal management career. You will have an opportunity to join like-minded peers from across the country for engaging and dynamic sessions led by industry veterans—including, we are proud to say, Gateway’s own Allison Worley, who will be speaking on the topic of Legal Trends and Operations Management. You will come away with invaluable advice and practical tools and skills that you can apply immediately, as well as a new network of colleagues! ALA’s 2022 Virtual Conference: Trending Topics in Legal Administration is taking place on November 2-3, 2022, which will cover applicable knowledge to fine-tune your professional skillset in the following categories: information technology, human resources skills, legal industry trends and business ethics. In addition, there are a number of resources and benefits available to you via the ALA website. Here’s just a sampling of things to check out!
Business Partners interested in expanding their reach should also check out the Business Partners page of the ALA website for more information about partnering with the ALA at that level. That’s all for now. Enjoy the cooler weather, be safe, and remember: It’s harvest time. Don’t forget to fill your bucket! I look forward to seeing you very soon. Jill M. O’Connell, SHRM-SCP, SPHR |
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