As an association executive, I spend a lot of early mornings before my workday starts catching up on articles about association membership and what associations need to prioritize in 2025. Recommendations include enhancing member value, increasing member engagement, adapting to members’ changing needs, embracing and leveraging technology, diversifying revenue streams, and staying ahead of industry shifts.

Summer is here, and as July begins, we close out our current membership year and start transitioning to working with new leaders across the King County Bar Association.

As I sat down to write this column, I found myself reflecting on my time at the King County Bar Association and, in particular, my very first responsibilities as Associate Executive Director. A glance through my archived emails revealed that one of my earliest assignments — dating all the way back to February 2007 — was to serve as the staff liaison to the KCBA Awards Committee. Nineteen years and a position change later, I’m still honored to support this dedicated group of volunteers, many of whom return year after year to thoughtfully select the recipients of the Association’s annual awards.
 

As spring arrives throughout the world, many countries celebrate May Day (May 1st) with a festival to celebrate the arrival of spring. Throughout history, May Day has marked a date halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice, a time when people came together to celebrate with traditions including maypole dancing, gathering wildflowers, bonfires, and crowning a May Queen.

In August 1957, the first Bar Bulletin was published and the paper’s first editors in chief were the Honorable Betty B. Fletcher and Louis H. Pepper. What began as an 8 ½” x 11” four-page publication has by now grown into a 28-page booklet/magazine style publication, with a set publication schedule that is established each year. 

Over the years that I have worked at the King County Bar Association, the Bar has continually refined its bylaws to strengthen governance and improve operational efficiency. Notable updates during this time have included increasing the number of trustees to 17, streamlining elections by removing the requirement for contested races, and eliminating the need for a separate canvass board when conducting electronic elections.

Each January, the King County Bar Association’s (KCBA) Public Policy Committee hosts its highly anticipated Lawyer Legislator Forum. This event serves as an opportunity for our lawyer-legislators to provide valuable insights into the upcoming legislative session and discuss the critical policy issues and bills on the horizon. This year’s forum was no exception, featuring thoughtful and engaging discussions from some of our state’s most dedicated public servants.

Life has a way of surprising us by bringing opportunities and experiences into our lives that will forever expand our knowledge and inspire us to learn more. 

After 18 years of serving as the Associate Executive Director and a recent stint as Interim Executive Director of the King County Bar Association (KCBA), I am honored to step into the role of Executive Director. This milestone is not just a reflection of my career journey but a testament to the unwavering support I’ve received from so many along the way.

As I create my last article for the Bar Bulletin as the Executive Director of the King County Bar Association, I am reminded of the excitement and genuine gratitude I felt to have been selected to lead the Association. Gratitude is an important element of leadership and an inherent part of Indigenous culture and teachings. I remain grateful to have had this opportunity and for the lessons, both personal and professional. As an Indigenous woman, I understand all things to be interwoven and connected and I will carry the experiences I have had, whether they reflect on successes or the deeply felt, and often painful, outcomes our members and community have experienced.