HCBA Lawyer Magazine Vol. 30, No. 5 | Page 28

BAr LeAdership institute teAChes the importAnCe of Community engAgement Bar Leadership Institute Chairs: Anthony Bradlow – Office of the Attorney General; Amanda Keller – Phelps Dunbar LLP; Matthew Parrish – Office of the Attorney General; Alicia Whiting-Bozich – Sivyer, Barlow and Watson As lawyers, we have the opportunity and responsibility to better T the community around us. he Bar Leadership Institute’s winter modules — visits to Strategic Property Partners (SPP), the front office of the Tampa Bay Vipers, and Amalie Arena — all share a common theme: the importance of learning about, engaging in, and strengthening the community around you. The Bar Leadership Institute offers the chance for its members to do just that by providing monthly oppor tunities to get a behind-the-scenes look at local organizations, encouraging involvement in the Hillsborough County Bar Association, introducing its members to many leaders within the community (both lawyers and non-lawyers), and requiring its members to plan and complete a service project. Through my participation in this program, I have a better understanding are those that not only excel at their chosen profession, but also find the time to give back to their community. SPP, the Tampa Bay Vipers, and the Lightning Foundation each demonstrated their commitment to the community in different ways. For example, SPP is committed to wellness and sustainability: Water Street Tampa is the first neighborhood to be certified by the International WELL Building Institute as a community dedicated to promoting health and well-being. It was fascinating to learn about their centralized district cooling facility, a facility that has the capability of cooling the majority of the buildings in the neighbor hood while reducing energy consumption. This, in turn, enables SPP to provide more publicly accessible space throughout the neighborhood. Continued on page 27 The BLI class takes a behind the scenes tour of Amalie Arena. 26 M AY - J U N E 2 0 2 0 | HCBA LAWYER