ALA Gateway: Message From the President - June 2026
Posted by admin on Jun. 22, 2026 / Subscribe 0
As the summer months speed by in 2026, the Gateway Chapter was proud to welcome the 2026–2027 Board of Directors and the energy, vision, and leadership they bring to the year ahead. With strong momentum and renewed excitement, this new leadership team is poised to advance our Chapter’s mission, build meaningful connections, and lead forward with purpose in the year to come.
Executive Board Transition
On March 18th, the Gateway Chapter Executive Board was sworn in by Elyssa A Goldstein, CLM, PHR, SHRM-CP.
From left to right: Allison Worley: Treasurer; Casie Galczynski: President, Jessie Fenton: Immediate Past President, Lora Wegman, Secretary, Amy Nevad: Vice President, and Elyssa A. Goldstein, Association of Legal Administrators President (National)
Board Retreat
Our retreat was a bit earlier this year with annual conference taking place in April and a group eager to get to work! On March 30th, during our Board Retreat, we officially launched the 2026–2027 year with a clear focus on our theme: Lead Forward. This theme reflects our commitment to leading with purpose, embracing new ideas, and moving our Chapter forward with intention, collaboration, and service. Throughout the year, Lead Forward will guide us as we strengthen connections, support one another’s growth, and create meaningful opportunities for our members and business partners. It is both a call to action and a reminder that leadership is not only about where we are going, but how we bring others with us along the way.
A special thank you to our leadership coach Katie Magoon & Destination St. Louis for leading us in our discussions that day. After a great session, we retreated to our networking reception, sponsored by Veritext and Konica Minolta.
Congratulations are in Order!!!!
Congratulations to Brenda Deertz, MBA!! Brenda’s unparalleled dedication to the ALA, at both the Chapter and International levels, was recognized during the ALA Annual Conference in National Harbor where she received an Outstanding Association Volunteer Award. We are so grateful to have Brenda as a part of the Chapter, and we are thrilled to be able to celebrate this with her.
And speaking of congratulatory messages….
Congratulations to the entire Gateway Chapter!! At the Annual Conference, ALA Gateway received the Member Experience Award. This prestigious honor is presented to recognize chapters that demonstrate outstanding commitment to engaging members, delivering exceptional programming, and building strong legal management communities
In 2025, the Gateway Chapter hosted an event called The Curated Connections: New Member Celebration. Participants collaborated to create unique charcuterie boards while sharing stories about their professional journeys and the benefits of ALA membership. This hands-on activity fostered creativity, networking and relationship-building in a relaxed, social setting. The event showcased how ALA supports professional development and provided a platform for members to exchange insights and resources.
To make the evening even more memorable, each new member received a logoed charcuterie board as a keepsake — a tangible reminder of the fun, connection and sense of belonging they experienced. A huge kudos to our Immediate Past President, Jessie Fenton, as well as our Membership Chairs for 2025, Julie Logan and Christina L Drzewucki, for their hard work to make this a special event for everyone.
Annual Conference – National Harbor, Maryland
On June 18th, Gateway joined our partners, Lexitas and JurisTemps, for an educational Mixology event where we learned to Decode Cocktails. There is a science to it after-all.
Ø Join ALA Gateway and ILTA for an engaging afternoon focused on redefining success, building meaningful professional visibility, and navigating the challenges that come with growth and leadership. Featuring author Jennifer Belmont Jennings, this session will also highlight the importance of recognizing the value of you work – even during times when it may not feel apparent. Click here to view more and register: Women who Lead in Law.
Information & Registrations coming soon for….
Business Partner Showcase on 9/16/2026
New Member Event on 10/8/2026
REMINDER: MEMBER BENEFITS AND ALA RESOURCES
Looking for ways to maximize your membership? Check out these additional benefits from ALA! A full listing can be found on our Resources page, but here are some highlights:
Ø Legal Management Magazine (LMM): Find topics covering ALA’s five knowledge areas - Legal Industry/Business Management; Human Resources Management; Financial Management; Communications and Organizational Management; and Operations Management.
Ø Online Community: Are you having an issue and want to know what the other law firms are doing? The ALA Online Community is a great resource to have all your questions answered. A “how to” for chatting with local Gateway Chapter members can be found at https://ala-gateway.org/ListServ.
Ø ALA’s Career Center contains articles regarding career advancement and maintains a Job Bank for Employers and Job Seekers.
Ø ALA’s Legal Marketplace is a directory of “top solution providers to the Legal Management Industry.” ALA encourages its members to support the Business Partners that support ALA. Search for an ALA Business Partner to address the needs of your firm and begin receiving exclusive member discounts through ALA’s Value in Partnership (VIP) program.
Ø ALA Gateway Business Partners: In addition to the Legal Marketplace, the Gateway Chapter has its own local Business Partners that support the Chapter. It’s because of the support of these Business Partners that we can provide top notch education and other community and social events to our Gateway members. Please familiarize yourself with our local Business Partners and reach out to them for any of your firm’s needs.
As we Lead Forward together this year, I hope to see you at an upcoming event. If I can ever be of service to you, please reach out to me at [email protected].
Casie Galczynski
2026-2027 ALA Gateway President
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