PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
To my Fellow Atlanta
Bar Association Members
“
By Jacquelyn H. Saylor
The Saylor Law Firm LLP
“The Bar’s community-wide
impact does not occur by
happenstance, but through the
tireless efforts of the board and
the thousands of dedicated
members who go above and
beyond the call of duty.”
-Nekia Hackworth Jones
T
hree months ago I made a speech at The Atlanta
Bar Association Annual Meeting after I was sworn
in as President. The title of the speech was “The
Risks of Leadership and Engagement” and I talked about
the initiatives I wish to pursue: establish an Atlanta Bar
Leadership Development Institute and a Managing Partners
Roundtable. Another important element of the overall bar
leadership is the Bar Association board retreat. The last
board retreat was in 2008 under the leadership of then
President Shayna Steinfeld, and I felt strongly that it
was time for another. Many of the board members were
not acquainted with each other and I felt it was a perfect
opportunity to establish board camaraderie, train members
on the basics of board and bar operations, to review present
programs, and to discuss new ideas and initiatives for the
upcoming year.
We gathered together for the weekend, a short distance from
4 THE ATLANTA LAWYER
August/September 2014
Atlanta, in a relaxing atmosphere, away from our families
and offices, so we could concentrate with few distractions.
Participants such as Vice-President/President-Elect Harold
Franklin, past President and current Foundation President
Wade Malone and board member Lisa Liang offered valuable
direction and advice regarding ways to contribute when in a
leadership capacity. We reviewed basics such as Roberts
Rules of Order and the Atlanta Bar By-Laws; significant hours
were spent discussing staffing issues and important initiatives
for the coming year. Assistant US Attorney Nekia Hackworth
Jones reported on proposed future Bar programs pertaining
to problems associated with sex trafficking, in our area.
The retreat was a great success due to the outstanding
participation of our board members, many of whom gave
up work and family obligations to instead focus on what
our organization could do this coming year to provide a
more vibrant, cohesive and relevant association for the
The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association