JUNE 2023 BAR BULLETIN JUNE 2023 | Page 3

PRESIDENT ’ S MESSAGE

PRESIDENT ’ S MESSAGE

Scott B . Smith 2022-23 PBCBA President
Beginning this President ’ s Message for our Bulletin is a bit bittersweet . One part of me cannot believe that our 100th Anniversary year is coming to an end , while another part of me is so excited for the incredibly bright and exciting future of the Palm Beach County Bar Association . Although there are still a few weeks remaining until our PBCBA Annual Installation Gala , this is my final President ’ s Message . As a result , I ’ d like to take this opportunity to reflect on the great Centennial year it was and thank as many people as possible in this message ’ s allotted word count .
First , please allow me to say thank you to all of you ! It has been an absolute honor and privilege to serve as your association ’ s President . As I have said a few times before , my PBCBA title may have been President these past 12 months , but my primary job was to serve as the steward of our great voluntary bar association . As the 100th individual to hold that position , I felt an even greater sense of responsibility , and I cannot thank all of you enough for entrusting me with that duty . Although I will soon be an immediate past-President , I will never forget this wonderful experience and opportunity that you and our association were so gracious to afford me .
I would be incredibly remiss if I didn ’ t also thank all past Presidents and past Board members of the PBCBA . Without their vision , leadership and commitment there is no possible way that the PBCBA would be so successful . In particular , thank you greatly to Dean Xenick and Julia Wyda , both past- Presidents of the PBCBA , who steered the PBCBA through the difficult and challenging times presented by the pandemic and the ensuing quarantine period . Their Herculean efforts ensured that our association would not only persevere during those different times , but actually allowed for the association to be even stronger .
Please also allow me to say thank you to and give a big shout out to our staff of champions at the PBCBA . We are simply blessed to have such tremendous people working for the PBCBA . Our Executive Director , Carla Tharp Brown , is instrumental and critical in managing and overseeing our day-to-day operations . Often , I do not know how she keeps it all in her head and the PBCBA train moving so steadfastly forward . Thank you Carla ! A huge thank you as well to Lynne Poirier , Kathy Clark , Derek Loiseau , Jeanne Brander , Jessica Gonzalez , Dee Meyens , and Nicole Nelson for all that they do for the PBCBA . Every one of them professionally and diligently fulfills their role and does so with a huge smile .
Please further allow me to say thank you to your current Board of Directors . It is truly a great , intelligent , thorough , energetic , diverse , and committed group . Your Board this past year has very fortunately consisted of President- Elect Grasford Smith , Immediate Past- President Julia Wyda , Andrea Lewis , Lindsay Demmery , Laura Johnson , Jean Marie Middleton , Scott B . Perry , Jack Rice , Nichole J . Segal , Lawonda Warren , NCS President Barry Balmuth , and YLS President Michael Kranz . All of them were hard-working and conscientious throughout this entire year . I cannot thank all of them enough for their dedication and support . The management and leadership of this extraordinary association undoubtedly requires a total team effort .
I ’ m starting to run low on remaining words for this President ’ s Message , so please allow me to offer thanks to other great people who made this past year so special . Thank you to retired Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente for so kindly attending last year ’ s Installation Gala and swearingin your current Board of Directors . Thank you to current Florida Supreme Court Justice Jorge Labarga for giving the keynote address at this year ’ s PBCBA Bench-Bar Conference . Justice Labarga was outstanding and his words of reminding all of us that we are warriors against inclinations for injustice were inspiring . Thank you to PBC Chief Judge Glenn Kelley for providing his annual State of the Court address at Bench-Bar and for always being so supportive of the PBCBA .
Thank you as well to all other members of the judiciary who somehow found the time to participate in so many of our meetings , conferences and seminars . Your presence and input makes such events that much more informative and successful . Lastly , thank you to all committee chairs and co-chairs of the many PBCBA Committees . Holy mackerel we couldn ’ t do this without you !
In closing , I think it appropriate to finish with the same words I concluded with at last year ’ s 100th Anniversary Gala by respectfully reminding everyone of how fortunate we all are to call Palm Beach County home and how blessed we are to serve the citizens of PBC and the State of Florida as members of The Florida Bar . Let the word be known and spread out aloud that we lawyers of Palm Beach County and members of the PBCBA are second to none and committed to another 100 years of productive , beneficial , and committed service ! Thank you so much , may God continue to bless all of us , the PBCBA , the United States of America , and our incredible planet Earth !
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