The Atlanta Lawyer January/February 2013 | Page 14

farewell How Fast Time Flies! By Diane O’Steen Atlanta Bar Association, Retired H ow fast time flies! It has been 48 years this February 5, 2013, since I found my way to the Fulton County Courthouse and the tiny office of the Atlanta Bar Association on the 7th floor to help the Assistant to the Executive Director for two days while the Director, Peggy Lindsey, was attending the National Association of Bar Executives mid-year meeting. New to Atlanta I was between interviews with the C&S Bank on Mitchell Street (Mary Shotwell Little was one of the bank employees who helped me with the day-long interviews. Everyone who is too young to recognize the name can find her story on Google.) After my second day at the Bar I received the call from C&S offering me a position as credit investigator. The young lady I was helping at the Bar knew she was leaving Atlanta in the next few months, so she called Mrs. Lindsey and suggested she might want to offer me her position – after all I had two days experience. So began my lifetime of serving and loving the Atlanta Bar Association. [email protected] the Atlanta Bar Association, who are listed on page 16. The names in blue are those who also served as presidents of the State Bar of Georgia. It has been my honor to have been able to help support 47 of these leaders and to also work with many of those who served before 1965. You will not find a more impressive group of people anywhere. Recognition is also due to the hardworking, talented and dedicated staff members who also love the Atlanta Bar Association and who have been by my side through the years. Nita Wilson joined the staff in 1975 and just recently retired. Mary Lynn McInnis joined us in 1986 as the first full-time CLE Director and is retiring with me this January. Michele Adams came on board in 1996; Tanya Windham in 1998; Byron Lomas in 2000; Carla Brown in 2002; Amber Johnson in 2003; Brantly Watts in 2007, Denisha Wise in 2008, Mariana Pannell in 2008, Lucia Keller in 2008, Joe Madden in 2010, Kari DeLoach in 2012, Elaine Maragh in 2012; Suzanne Hatcher in 2012, and now in 2013 we have Jessica Galusha as the new CLE Director and Terri Beck as the new Executive Director. Sally Hogsette became the first dedicated Executive Director of the Atlanta Bar Foundation in 2009. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your loyalty and support as we accomplished many wonderful things together. Diane O’Steen, Executive Director (1965-2013) Mary Lynne McInnis, CLE Director (1986-2013) Nothing could have fulfilled me more than working with the wonderful lawyers, judges, staff and other representatives of the legal communities in Atlanta, Georgia and across America. Such great people who do great things. What a privilege to have had a small part in helping with these efforts during these almost five decades. My true “ambition” was to personify Donna Reed by driving a station wagon and taking care of the home and family. That ambition was altered somewhat but I do have a station wagon and have spent many, many hours driving it while serving as the den mother for thousands of Atlanta Bar Association’s members and staff members as we all helped accomplish the activities and programs of the Bar and the Atlanta Bar Foundation. And, while doing so I also had time to raise my daughter, who was three when I joined the Atlanta Bar Association family, and now I have my son-in-law Tim and grandchildren Heather, David, April and Christopher. The station wagon really comes in handy. I want to recognize and thank the most wonderful lawyers (some are now also judges) in the world, the presidents of 14 THE ATLANTA LAWYER January/February 2013 The Atlanta Bar Association has many friends in the non-legal business community who help support the programs, too, and I would like to publicly offer my appreciation to just a few: Bill Bass, president and CEO of Insurance Specialists, Inc. has provided members with insurance needs for as long as I can remember and has been a very generous financial sponsor since at least 1995; Steve Allen, Andrew Crais and many others with SunTrust have not only provided financial support but also banking services and advice since 2006; Hal Blackman, CEO of IST, Inc. has been my friend and supporter of the Atlanta Bar Association since even before he founded IST Management Solutions in 1997; Dave Poston of Poston Communications has served as an inkind sponsor by providing PR support since 2009; Forest The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association