PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
A Time for Gratitude and Thanks
Jessica Callow
2019-20 PBCBA President
As I write this President’s Message, I
am in my fifth week of working from
home. When we began remote working
due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I truly
did not believe it would last as long as
it has. With no definitive end in sight,
I alternate between gratitude that my
family and friends are healthy and
an intense longing for life to return to
normal.
While I am eager to return to my office
and socialize with colleagues, friends
and family in person, I am grateful
for the little things that bring a sense
of normalcy to my days. Daily video
conference calls with my colleagues,
online board meetings with my fellow
Palm Beach County Bar Association
(“PBCBA”) Directors, PBCBA CLE
webinars, virtual happy hours and
check-ins with loved ones, and family
time with my husband, Matt, make
me feel grounded and calm.
In an unexpected turn of events, I’ve
also gained appreciation for my daily
commute from Jupiter to Boca Raton,
which was a source of headaches and
frustration before the pandemic. Now
I miss that opportunity to ease into
and out of my work day by catching up
with family and friends or listening to
audio books during my drive.
My hope for all of our PBCBA mem-
bers is that you have newfound grat-
itude for the little things in life and
are able to find a silver lining in these
unprecedented circumstances. The
PBCBA Board of Directors and staff
also hope you’re doing well and stay-
ing safe during this health crisis.
Whether you are working from home
or social distancing in other ways,
we want to know how you’re doing,
what you’re grateful for, and how
you’re spending your days to keep
mentally and physically well. Please
share your stories and pictures with
us on the PBCBA Facebook page and
include #PBCBAStayWell (www.face-
book.com/pbcba1922/).
As mentioned earlier, attending
PBCBA CLE webinars makes me feel
connected to our legal community.
The PBCBA has an amazing webinar
scheduled for May 1, 2020 from 12pm-
1:30pm, which features the keynote
speaker that was going to present at our
annual Law Day Luncheon. During the
webinar, Bruce Hennes will discuss
crisis management for lawyers and
their clients. I was privileged to hear
Bruce speak at the American Bar
Association’s 2019 Bar Leadership
Institute, and his insight on crisis
management and communication
was entertaining, fascinating and,
at times, counterintuitive to how
most lawyers approach a crisis. The
lessons I learned from his damage
control playbook still resonate with
me today.
Before signing off on this President’s
Message, I want to highlight outgoing
PBCBA Director, Lee McElroy, and his
contributions to the PBCBA. Lee is a
past president of the PBCBA Young
Lawyers Section and has served as
a Director of the PBCBA since 2013.
Lee is a partner with the Downey
| McElroy firm and a fellow of the
American College of Trust and Estate
PBCBA BAR BULLETIN
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Counsel who practices in the areas of
probate and trust litigation, trust and
estate administration, guardianship
law, and fiduciary litigation. Lee
received his law degree from the
University of Tennessee and then
served in the United States Navy
Judge Advocate General’s Corps for
three years. Despite Lee’s status as a
diehard Volunteer fan, I consider Lee
a friend! When he terms off in June, I
can say with certainty that our Board
will not be the same without him. Lee
has been a calm voice of reason as
the PBCBA and our legal community
navigated ups and downs over the last
seven years. We are eternally grateful
for his service so next time you see
Lee at a PBCBA event, please join me
and the Board in thanking him for a
job well done.
Don’t forget to check the PBCBA
website (www.palmbeachbar.org)
frequently for updates pertaining
to the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit and
our legal community. These updates,
as well as updates to postponed or
rescheduled events, can be found
under Latest News and Upcoming
Events.
As always, I encourage you to
reach out to me and the rest of the
Board with any ideas, comments
or concerns. We can be reached
at [email protected].
PBCBA member highlight submis-
sions for yourself or others should
be sent to memberhighlights@
palmbeachbar.org.
Until we get to see one another again,
please stay well and continue to take
care of yourself, your family and your
friends.