PRESIDENT ’ S MESSAGE
PRESIDENT ’ S MESSAGE
Grasford W . Smith 2023-24 PBCBA President
During Legal Aid Society ’ s recent 75th Anniversary event , a PBCBA member thanked me for having a successful year as President of the Bar . While I appreciate these sentiments from our constituents , I recognize that our success is the direct result of a true team effort led by our dedicated Board of Directors and our amazing Bar Staff .
All good things must come to an end . As we prepare for new leadership next month under my successor Andrea Lewis , I want to use the remainder of this message to reflect on some aspects of my year as President .
My Presidency started almost a year ago during the June Installation event of 2023 . I was humbled by the support of the Bar and all the well wishes from our members . I was also extremely proud to share the moment with friends and family who travelled from near and far . I also made a promise during the Installation event that I would focus on quality-of-life issues for our members .
One of my first acts as President was to hold a Committee Chair meeting for the committee chairs I selected for my term . Committees represent the backbone of what we do as a Bar . I was impressed by the plans that our committee chairs had for the upcoming Bar Year . I am pleased to say that these committee chairs made good on their plans and our Bar members were the direct beneficiaries .
To fulfill my promise to focus on the quality-of-life issues of our members , I charged the Membership Committee to implement my vision . I started the " Quality of Life is the Key to Happiness Initiative ." As part of this Initiative , the Bar held programming focused on the housing crisis and health ( physical , mental , and financial ). Not only did we bring subject matter experts to the Bar to discuss these topics , but we also provided free resources to our members through our website . My hope is that future Presidents will continue this vision of focusing on the holistic well-being of our members .
One of my proudest moments as President was witnessing the planning and execution of the Bench Bar Conference . Our members expect the Bench Bar Conference to be informative and to have invaluable networking opportunities . The Bench Bar Conference involves many moving parts and significant attention to detail . Our Bar Staff and Bench Bar Conference Co-chairs worked hard to ensure the success of the event . One highlight for me was our keynote speaker Justice Renatha Francis referencing the Bar ’ s Quality of Life Initiative during her keynote speech . Her remarks centered on the importance of well-being and its impact on the profession .
I also appreciate the hardworking Committee for Diversity and Inclusion for planning the Diversity
Summit . Our Bar ’ s mission includes " serving its members " and in that regard the Diversity Committee did an incredible job assembling experts to discuss trends and recent developments in law and policy .
Most recently , our Bar hosted our Law Day Luncheon which was headlined by the US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe . He and I had a great " fireside chat " and Mark shared his perspective on a wide range of topics in criminal and civil law . Mark was very transparent about his upbringing and the importance of resilience to his success .
As President of the Bar , I was also given opportunities to speak at the Fourth District Court of Appeal to newly inducted attorneys and their families . We , as more seasoned lawyers , have a responsibility to ensure that the next generation of lawyers are able to prosper while serving the community .
These are but some of the memories I will take with me from my experience serving as the 101st President of the Palm Beach County Bar Association . I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that our Board of Directors addressed some challenging topics this year . Through it all , our Board of Directors demonstrated that its singular focus is to serve our Bar members by upholding the mission of the Bar . I am eternally grateful for their service .
As I embark on my next chapters of service , including my impending installation on the Florida Bar Board of Governors in June , I will take with me all these invaluable memories and lessons . I will remain a servant of this Bar and I look forward to its elevation to greater heights under new leadership .
PBCBA BAR BULLETIN 3