SBAND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
SBAND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
SBAND : YOUR ASSOCIATION
TONY J . WEILER SBAND Executive Director
It ’ s been quite busy here at SBAND . With the conclusion of our Annual Meeting , the staff and I get a chance to catch up and reflect on the meeting , while beginning plans for next year ( hint : Fargo , June 14-16 , 2017 ). More than 275 members attended the meeting in Grand Forks and , from the response we received , those in attendance really enjoyed themselves and learned quite a bit in the process . Please see the wrap-up in this issue .
While looking forward to the 2017 Annual Meeting , we seek your input . If you have any ideas how we can make the experience better for everyone involved , please don ’ t hesitate to let me know . We appreciate our members ’ feedback on not only the CLE content we provide , but on the social experience as well . If you attend a conference with a dynamic speaker that others would benefit from hearing , provide us with their contact information and we will reach out to them for a future annual meeting or general CLE .
In each city in which the Annual Meeting is held , we face different possibilities and challenges with our new format , which includes more movement by attendees to not only CLEs , but for social events as well . This is a change from having each and every event in a hotel or conference center ( believe me , I know some of you still prefer going back to that format ). What works in downtown Fargo may not work as well in Bismarck or Grand Forks . We also recognize not everyone likes the new format , and we continue to look for ways to make the event as beneficial as possible to all who attend .
Soon we will introduce a new website . The new website will allow for greater interaction between members of the Bar and a better online process for CLE registration . The new website will be more functional and provide you with the ability to manage your own profile , update it more easily , and , overall , be more functional . In the future , it may also include section chat rooms or list serves and will be optimized for mobile applications , making it much more user friendly .
The new website will also allow us to use one integrated solution for managing our CLE and social events , expand our CLE programs to fit all member needs , enhance our career center and job board service , and allow members and prospects to connect in an online marketplace using web advertising solutions . We are excited for this new endeavor and hope it enhances the delivery of services to each of you .
I hope you also keep in mind all the member benefits SBAND provides , like Casemaker , the Lawyer Referral Service , ethics opinions , low cost and no cost CLEs , the Lawyer Assistance Program , and the Member Assistance Program , as well as many others . SBAND is your association , so I hope you take a minute to explore these benefits .
Another benefit to you , and the profession , is your involvement with SBAND . Please take a minute to read former Justice Mary Maring ’ s speech while accepting the Distinguished Service Award at this year ’ s Annual Meeting . Maring stresses the importance of service to the association , but importantly , how that service has enriched her practice and life . In the coming weeks , new SBAND President Charles DeMakis will be making appointments to each of SBAND ’ s standing committees . These include the CLE Committee , The Gavel Editorial Board , the Ethics Committee , the LRIS Committee , and the VLP Program Committee . If you have an interest in any of these , please let me know .
Finally , each summer brings new leadership to SBAND . As I mentioned above , Charles DeMakis is the new president of SBAND . He has served on the Board of Governors and as the president-elect and has some ideas on how we can serve each of you better . Darcie Einarson of Grafton is your president-elect , and Mike Hurley of Devils Lake is the new Board of Governors representative from the Northeast District , replacing Darcie .
SUMMER 2016 5