The King County Bar Association’s Leadership Development & Nominations Committee is pleased to announce the following slate of KCBA members for open positions on the Board of Trustees, effective July 1, 2024. Additional candidates may run for any of these offices through the petition process prescribed in the bylaws. If no petitions are received by April 10, the slate will be deemed elected. For more information, contact KCBA Executive Director Christina Coad by email (christinac@kcba.org) or phone (206.267.7061). Further details are online at www.kcba.org/board. The King County Bar Association expresses its gratitude to the 2023–2024 Leadership Development & Nominations Committee for its work in recruiting this slate of candidates: Cynthia Jones, Chair (Jones Legal Group, LLC), Jennifer Payseno (McKinley Irvin), Stew Cogan (Stew Cogan Arbitrator – Mediator), Paris Kallas (Judicial Dispute Resolution), Eric Lansverk (Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson P. S.), Robert Flennaugh II (The Law Office of Robert Flennaugh II, PLLC), and Shashi Vijay (VJ Law Firm).
ERIN OVERBEY / Candidate for President, King County Sheriff’s Office
For those of you I have not met, I come to this position with two rounds of Board service at the KCBA and with a 30-year career in public service. I am currently General Counsel for the King County Sheriff’s Office and a member of the King County Prosecutor’s Office. Before that, I represented the City of Seattle in the City Attorney’s Civil Division. While I have had the opportunity to work with some fantastic people, both at the City and the County, my work with the KCBA has really enhanced my experience as an attorney in our community.
My vision for the coming year is that we continue to focus on inclusivity for all members of our community. I look forward to plans and events that will strengthen our community and present many options for people to support access to justice. We are fortunate to be in a community that supports our mission and we benefit from the exceptional staff that supports the work of our bar association. I am hopeful that more of you will join us. No matter what your area of practice, or level of experience, the KCBA is here to support you and enhance your experience as a legal professional.
I look forward to getting to know more of you and to continuing the legacy of the KCBA in our community.
SIDNEY TRIBE / Candidate for First Vice-President, Carney Badley Spellman
I am thrilled and humbled to be nominated to be a member of the leadership team of the KCBA Board of Trustees. Good stewardship of this organization is critical to members, employees and volunteers, those who benefit from its public services and public policy advocacy, and the broader legal community.
I was admitted to practice in 2003. I had the good fortune to serve as a law clerk for the Honorable William Baker at Division One of the Washington Court of Appeals, and since then I have been a civil-side appellate advocate in private practice, first as an associate and later as a partner at Talmadge/Fitzpatrick, and most recently as a shareholder with Carney Badley Spellman’s Appellate Group. I have had the privilege of serving KCBA in numerous capacities, including as a Trustee, as Chair of the Appellate Practice Section, and as Chair of Nominations. I have also served on Member Services and the Executive Director Search Committee. Last but not least, for the last decade I have co-chaired (along with currently serving Trustee and fellow appellate advocate Cynthia Jones) the KCBA Appellate Practice Section’s Annual Reception with Division One.
KCBA is one of the best organizations of its kind in the country. I thank each and every member, donor, volunteer, staff member, and citizen who supports and advances its excellent work.
MARY S.W. SAKAGUCHI / Candidate for Second Vice-President, Sakaguchi Felbeck Story & Reese, PLLC
I am honored to be nominated as 2nd Vice-President of the KCBA Board of Trustees. I am a partner in a boutique family law firm located in downtown Kirkland, focusing my practice primarily on non-litigated pathways to resolving conflict. I live on the east side and am passionate about access to justice, diversity and equity, and supporting new attorneys.
For over a decade, I served the public through various volunteer opportunities, for victims of domestic violence and low-income clients. I am an active volunteer and current Board member of ELAP, and I annually support the KCBF by attending the Breakfast with Champions and ELAP through its annual Breakfast for Justice.
I am active in our legal community as well, as a former KCBA Trustee (2013–2017), representing east King County, current chair of KCBA Anti-Racism and Equity Committee, past co-chair of the KCBA Collaborative Law Section, and past member of the KCBA Membership Committee.
I am proud to be a member of KCBA, where public service is the cornerstone of its mission. I am inspired and excited by the work that the Anti-Racism and Equity Committee undertakes to proactively address systemic racism and support efforts to increase diversity in our profession. I invite you to share your ideas — let’s talk about how this bar association can be a critical piece in your practice.
NEAL DEAN LIN BLACK / Candidate for Treasurer, Adkins Black LLP
I’m excited about the opportunity to rejoin the leadership team at the King County Bar Association in the role of Treasurer and be a contributor to the Executive Committee. I rejoined the KCBA as a member about 15 years ago, mainly for the membership benefits, but I quickly fell in love with the work we do for equal access to justice, a fair and effective judiciary, diversity of the bar and bench, civil legal aid, and public policy advocacy. I’ve been proud to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees, Chair of the Public Policy Committee, a member of the Executive Search Committee, and more.
COLIN MIELING / Candidate for Trustee - Central, Schroeter Goldmark & Bender
I am honored to be nominated to serve on the King County Bar Association Board of Trustees. The opportunity to play a part in advancing the KCBA’s mission of “promoting and supports a diverse and collegial membership; working with the judiciary to achieve excellence, equity, and accessibility in the administration of justice; and benefiting the community through public service and engagement in public policy,” while addressing the unique challenges facing our legal system is exciting.
I am an attorney at Schroeter Goldmark & Bender where I have the privilege of representing plaintiffs in a variety of personal injury matters. I have actively practiced in King County since becoming a lawyer.
The KCBA has been central to my professional development, and I have volunteered for the organization in numerous capacities for more than a decade. Within days of becoming a licensed attorney, I joined several committees and began volunteering at one of KCBA’s Neighborhood Legal Clinic. KCBA committee work has been a central part of my professional involvement in the legal community. I currently serve as a Co-Chair of the KCBA Judiciary & Litigation Committee and the KCBA Judicial Candidate Evaluation Committee. Through my work with the KCBA, I have had the chance to interact with talented and dedicated members of the legal community who are all invested in furthering the KCBA’s mission.
I am committed to the KCBA’s mission and want the organization to remain vital to our members and to the community we serve. I look forward to supporting the KCBA and advancing its missions and goals through my future service.
LISA ANN SHARPE / Candidate for Trustee - Central, Lasher Holzapfel Sperry & Ebberson
Having dedicated over 30 years to practicing family law in Seattle, I am honored to join the King County Bar Association’s board, a milestone that reflects my deep-rooted commitment to our local community and its legal system. This opportunity aligns closely with my personal commitment to family law and my dedication to advocating for fairness and accessibility in the King County legal system, and to contribute to the KCBA’s history of excellence, equity, and community service. I am eager to offer my experience and perspective to help advance the KCBA’s mission.
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TOMMY TOBIN / Candidate for Trustee - Central, Perkins Coie
I am Counsel at Perkins Coie LLP and an Affiliate Instructor at the University of Washington. I’m excited to serve on the KCBA Board. As a member of the Board, I would seek out ways for KCBA to further add value to members’ practices by promoting civility, facilitating knowledge-sharing between the bench and the bar, and delivering programming for KCBA members that would aid them with CLE compliance and their work. The KCBA is a fantastic resource for lawyers, and I look forward to working with KCBA members to add value to their practice and professional development.
THERESA WANG / Candidate for Trustee - Central, Stokes Lawrence
I am honored to be asked to assist with KCBA’s missions by serving on the Board of Trustees. Over the course of my career, I have had the privilege to work with the KCBA in various capacities, most recently as Treasurer, and as a Past Chair of the Intellectual Property Section. I have always enjoyed the camaraderie and networking while attending KCBA-sponsored events and am consistently impressed with the organization as a whole.
Aside from my involvement with the wider legal community, I am a shareholder at the law firm of Stokes Lawrence with a litigation practice focused on intellectual property. Our firm is a proud sponsor of KCBA events, and many of our lawyers serve or volunteer with non-profits and legal programs providing access to justice. As a majority-women-owned law firm, Stokes Lawrence has a unique perspective on the importance of diversity and inclusion, a view I hope to bring with me to the Board of Trustees. I look forward to serving the KCBA as it evolves alongside its members and would appreciate your support to serve.
