The following are highlights from the KCBA Board of Trustees meeting held on April 19, convened by KCBA President Tahmina Watson.
President Watson thanked everyone for their hard work and dedication. She also reminded them to attend the June 13 meeting. The Board then approved the March minutes by voice vote.
New Lawyers Division Chair Ben Byers presented highlights from the Spring Soirée, which honored mentors and raised $2,000 for the Pro Bono Emergency fund. Chair Byers thanked KCBA staff for helping the New Lawyer’s Division. ABA Liaison Kathleen Hopkins gave a shout out to Byers and the NLD volunteers for putting together annual care kits.
Treasurer Theresa Wang provided a quick update that budget numbers were on track and membership numbers exceeded the goals for the year.
Trustee Ian Warner updated the Board on the executive director search. The position has been posted and is being shared on multiple platforms. President Watson thanked the search committee for their time and effort. She also recognized Byers for the New Admittee Swearing-In Ceremony.
Interim Executive Director Kathleen Jensen noted KCBA had its first membership engagement event of the year, which was an outing at a Mariners’ game. More, the Breakfast with Champions would occur soon, and Ms. Jensen urged the members to register and help spread the word.
Judiciary and Litigation Committee Chair Robert Wayne asked the Board to endorse a letter to file in the Supreme Court in support of proposed amendments to Civil Rule 26. After lengthy discussion, the Board decided not to vote on the letter. The Board thanked Mr. Wayne and his committee for their hard work and dedication to KCBA.
The Board discussed a proposed change to the Bylaws to clarify that the management of KCBA would be vested in a board of up to 17 trustees. The Board adopted the revision.
The Board has an open position for next fiscal year because a trustee had been appointed to the U.S. District Court for Western Washington. The Board unanimously approved President Watson’s proposal that Secretary Paul Crisalli be appointed to serve the one-year term on the 2023–2024 Board of Trustees.
Member Services Director Bridget Schuster briefed the Board on staff changes and reassignments. The team is working on a marketing campaign for Lawyer Referral Service. She also asked the Board for feedback regarding KCBA’s new website.
After Secretary Crisalli informed the Board that the Housing Justice Project Subcommittee would meet later in the month, the Board went into executive session.
