The following are highlights from the KCBA Board of Trustees meeting held on May 17, convened by KCBA President Tahmina Watson.
President Watson welcomed everyone and the April minutes were approved by voice vote before New Lawyers Division Chair Ben Byers reported incoming NLD Chair Alyssa Nevala would be attending the next board meeting. NLD is putting together an ad hoc committee to develop a proposal to address a membership status gap caused when a law student has graduated but not yet passed the bar examination. Chair Byers announced that Aaron Paker was selected as the Outstanding New Lawyer Award recipient.
President Watson remarked Breakfast With Champions was a great success, and she was planning on attending Justice James Anderson’s memorial on May 31.
Interim Executive Director Jensen referenced her memorandum for the update and reminded the Board to register for the Annual Awards Reception. KCBA’s office lease expires in August 2024, so Ms. Jensen has started the search process for potential office space which would meet KCBA’s overall needs.
Second Vice President and Awards Committee Chair Overbey presented the slate of nominees for the Annual Awards, which the Board approved by voice vote with one abstention. The awardees are Russell M. Aoki (Outstanding Lawyer Award), the Honorable Judith H. Ramseyer (Outstanding Judge Award), the SCOTUS Resolution Team (Friend of the Legal Profession Award), and Michael B. Goldenkranz (Individual Pro Bono Award).
Ms. Jensen and Jessica Adair presented the Fiscal Year 2024 budget to the Board. Ms. Adair informed the Board that there was a significant surplus from FY2023 that will support a projected deficit in FY2024. The largest percentage of the budget (80%) comprises wages and benefits. Ms. Jensen added that the KCBF Board will approve the discretionary funds portion at their next meeting. The KCBA Board will vote on the FY2024 budget at its June 21 meeting. Ms. Jensen explained there was no collective bargaining agreement, so it is not included in the budget, but they are collaborating with staff to address their needs.
Membership Director Bridget Schuster presented the highlights from the recent KCBA events and thanked all involved. Ms. Schuster shared details on developing a KCBA version of Law Day after attending Snohomish’s event. She reported the Member Services Committee recommended increasing regular dues to $280, while new admittees will remain at $50. Membership and Lawyer Referral Services will be featured in the next Bar Bulletin to promote those services.
The Strategic Planning Committee is back on track after a short break. Ms. Jensen connected Crux Consultants with the firm in charge of the Executive Director search process to ensure the information used for an organizational assessment is added to the strategic plan. The next steps include developing vision and value statements and finalizing the high-level actions across five priority areas: Awareness, Pro Bono, People & Culture, Operations, and Membership.
The Board then went into executive session.
