Message from the President
Posted by admin3 on Jul. 19, 2019 / Subscribe 0
It is officially summer, and as my favorite rapper and St. Louis native Nelly would say, “It’s getting hot in here!” Things are heating up in the Gateway Chapter, and I encourage you to take a moment to check out our summer activities and upcoming events.
At around the time that I was sworn in as Chapter President in April, we lost an ALA champion and former chapter member, Steve Wingert. Steve was the epitome of taking risks for better results, of making necessary changes for relevancy in both ALA and in his firms, and of enhancing ALA’s value. Many of you on Facebook and other social media likely perused all of the tributes to Steve. In many posts, I noticed the word courage used in descriptions related to Steve. It is because of him that I am a better leader.
Steve stepped forward to support the Association’s proposed rebranding when very few ALA past presidents would do so. He knew it was time for a change after serving numerous years on the board level. That required courage. When ALA experienced a period of time (close to a year) with no Executive Director, Steve stepped in to fill the gap as Executive Director while also serving as President of the Association. That required courage. Steve was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, yet lived his life to the fullest as he fought daily with the disease. He exhibited a positive outlook and maintained #strengthandsolidarity throughout the rest of his life. That required courage. As a tribute to Steve, my theme this year is Courageous Leadership. We have to change the way our firms are practicing and consider innovative concepts to move our firms upward. We have to change the way we conduct business in our chapter to enhance the value of our membership and connect with the next generation of leaders. That is going to require courage. I invite you to join me in practicing Courageous Leadership in the next year.
Walk with Stride
Save the Date for Sunday, September 15, at 9:00 AM to participate in PurpleStride – a walk to end pancreatic cancer.
Congratulations to Gateway Member Emily Spehar!
Emily was one of only two recipients selected for participation in the Susan L. French Emerging Leader Fellowship Program. This fellowship program is designed to assist members who have a strong desire to develop their personal and professional leadership skills. Emily received a full scholarship to the Chapter Leadership Institute taking place later this month and a personalized series of leadership-focused coaching sessions with Judy Hissong, a distinguished legal consultant.
Emily has advanced to the Office Manager position at Fox Galvin, LLC and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Gateway Chapter’s Membership Committee. We are proud of Emily’s accomplishments and look forward to witnessing her continued growth in the chapter and in ALA as a whole.
Legal Organizations Banded Together for Equality
On Sunday, June 30, nearly 50 Gateway chapter members, business partners, area law firms, bar associations, and other legal-related organizations joined efforts to march in this year’s St. Louis Pride Parade. We believe in a world where everyone is seen and heard, respected and valued, not for their appearance and privilege, but for the quality of their work and character. We band together for equality because we believe in a world where anyone, anywhere, has equal access to opportunities and resources to become the best person they can be.
ALA Gateway and ILTA: Women Who Lead in Law
On June 27, ILTA and ALA Gateway connected to bring an amazing event to St. Louis at SLU Law School – the Inaugural Women Who Lead in Law. The event consisted of a panel discussion featuring Debbie Weaver, owner and CEO at Alaris Litigation Services; Joan Newman, Certified Master Coach to Attorney and Executives; Amy Collignon Gunn, attorney at the Simon Law Firm; and Chrissy Teske, Sr. Attorney at Commerce Bancshares and current President of ACC. A workshop and networking reception followed. You will not want to miss this event next year!
ALA Resources
Do you struggle with your firm’s social media policy (or lack thereof)? Check out the latest issue of Legal Management magazine for advice. There are numerous HR-related articles and industry news that you may find valuable as well. https://www.legalmanagement.org/
Visit ALA’s Career Center as an employer seeking candidates or as a job seeker. Within the Career Center, numerous career resources and articles are available and included in your ALA membership! You also receive access to the ALA Job Description Toolkit at no cost as an ALA member, which may assist you in developing job descriptions in your organization. Check it out! https://www.alanet.org/career-center/hiring-a-legal-management-professional/job-description-toolkit
Who has an axe to grind?
Learn the art of axe-throwing with fellow chapter members at our next Social Connections event on July 16, 2019, sponsored by Acropolis Technology Group and milliCare Floor & Textile!
ALA Gateway and Business Partners are Better Together!
You will see some exciting, new changes at this year’s Annual Business Partner Expo on August 1, 2019. Registration is open! A networking reception will follow with prizes galore.
Get Your Education On
ALA provides various opportunities to enhance your professional development through events and conferences. If you are interested in furthering your leadership skills or require an overall knowledge of legal management, you will want to register for one of ALA’s Fall Conferences. Visit https://www.alanet.org/events to learn more about the specific content for each conference.
Upcoming Events
July 16, 2019, 5:30 PM-7:30 PM
Social Connections: Axe Throwing with Acropolis & Millicare
Lumberjack Saloon
720 N. 1st Street
St. Louis, MO 63102
https://ala-gateway.org/meet-reg1.php?id=295
August 1, 2019, 3:30 PM-6:30 PM
Annual Business Partner Expo and Networking Reception
Four Seasons St. Louis
999 N. 2nd Street
St. Louis, MO 63102
https://ala-gateway.org/meetinginfo.php?id=289&ts=1562366039
August 3, 2019, 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Twelfth Annual St. Louis Diversity Job Fair
St. Louis University School of Law
100 N. Tucker Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63101
https://ala-gateway.org/meetinginfo.php?id=291&ts=1562593167
August 23, 2019, 8:30 AM-9:30 AM
Community Connections: Let’s Start
Alaris Litigation
711 N. 11th Street
St. Louis, MO 63101
https://ala-gateway.org/meetinginfo.php?id=275&ts=1549924547
September 15, 2019, 9:00 AM-1:00 PM
Community Connections: PurpleStride Walk
Forest Park, Lower Muny Lot
1 Theatre Drive
St. Louis, MO 63112
https://ala-gateway.org/meetinginfo.php?id=294&ts=1560454496
Registration and attendance at any ALA Gateway event serves as consent for ALA Gateway as well as ALA International to capture and use your photo, image, and/or voice on the association websites, publications, social media channels, and any other media.
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