Mile High Madness!
Aloha!
The May edition of Mile High Madness is running a little late this month. While my body might be back in Colorado, my mind remains somewhere in the islands. We had a great ALA Annual Conference in Honolulu. Although tempted to ditch classes, the daily rain showers kept us inside the Hawaii Convention Center. We had some great speakers. Jennifer Tate and I have agreed to collaborate on an article discussing our Annual Conference adventures. Stay tuned…
Lets recap the Month of April.
April ALA Webinar:
On April 18, 2012, Welborn Sullivan Meck and Tooley, PC hosted the ALA’s monthly webinar. The title of the webinar was Opportunities & Challenges for Legal Administrators in Legal Project Management. Presented by Pamela Woldow, Esq. of Edge International. The session covered how trends in the marketplace are forcing firms to better manage their cases from beginning to end using Law Practice Management or “LPM.” LPM is defined as a systematic approach for scoping, planning and managing legal work within an agreed time, budget, and mandatory performance requirements. This is definitely a trend worth watching as our clients become more savvy and demanding.
April Educational Luncheon:
The April luncheon was held on April 19, 2012 at the Downtown Marriott Courtyard. The featured speaker was Troy R. Rackham, Esq. of Fennmore Craig, P.C. The title of the presentation was A Brave New World for Litigation of Business Cases--the Colorado Access Pilot Project (“CAPP”). This program covered a wealth of material relating to CAPP and the coming revolution in litigating cases in Colorado.
2012 Annual Conference:
The ALA Annual Conference was held April 23-26, 2012, in Honolulu, Hawaii at the Hawaiian Convention Center in Waikiki. Twenty-three members from the Mile High Chapter were in attendance. Prior to the official conference activities, Jerry McPeake and Stacie Hedrick represented the Mile High Chapter at the Chapter Leaders Idea Exchange and at the Regional Council Meeting. At the Regional Council Meeting, they presented a video that highlighted all that Denver has to offer as we prepare to host the 2012 Region 4 Conference on October 4-6, 2012.
During the meeting, Region 4 Director, Greg Madden, rolled out the official theme for the Conference - Change Your Altitude: Lead Strategically. Greg provided us with “Change Your Altitude” buttons that were worn by Region 4 representatives and all Mile High Chapter members in attendance throughout the week. Outgoing Region 4 Director, Toni Beasley, once again marching to the beat of her own drum, altered her button to read “Change or Die”, showing that there is more than one way to get a point across!
Congratulations to Toni for becoming one of ALA’s newest At-Large Directors!
A special THANK YOU goes out to our own Linda Taylor for representing the Mile High Chapter on the 2012 Annual Conference Committee. This is not the first time that Linda has represented us at the national level and we hope she continues to be a presence on the international stage!
Congratulations to MHC Past-President and David Award winner Lorri Salyards for being selected to serve on the 2013 Annual Conference Committee. I’m sure that Lorri will proudly represent both of her Chapters, the Mile High Chapter and the Tulsa Chapter, as she helps plan our next annual conference.
2012 Annual Conference Awards:
The Mile High Chapter once again brought home awards and recognition for our hard work and efforts throughout the year.
1st Place Overall - Education Excellence - Financial Management
1st Place - Large Chapters - Publicity - Bar Relations
3rd Place - Large Chapters - Business Partner Relations
Gold Level Chapter - President's Award of Excellence
Honorable Mention - Visibility - Partner Appreciation Event
Honorable Mention - Recruitment and Retention
Honorable Mention - Education Excellence - General Management
Honorable Mention - Education Excellence - Human Resources
Honorable Mention - Education Excellence - Legal Industry
Honorable Mention - Education Excellence - Office Operations
May Events:
5/16/2012 – ALA Webinar – Safe Stress – by Judy Hissong
Yes, there really is “safe stress” and Judy Hissong can help you find it. You’re a legal administrator. You manage innumerable projects – both professional and personal – that combine to create stress in your life! Yet, your work continues – budgeting, managing staff, and more. Join the ALA May Webinar to learn some techniques to cope effectively with your stress.
5/17/2012 - Educational Luncheon – Substance Abuse by Barbara Ezyk, Executive Director, Colorado Lawyer Assistance Program
The presentation on substance abuse will include:
1. An overview of substance use in Colorado and specifically with lawyers;
2. Signs and symptoms of substance abuse and the importance of early recognition; and
3. How to obtain confidential assistance for the impaired lawyer.
Important Future Dates:
6/5/2012 – Mile High Chapter Business Partner EXPO – Hyatt Denver Convention Center – Join us as we celebrate the 1950s, happy days and good times!
10/4-6/2012 – ALA Region 4 Conference – Denver, CO (Sheraton Hotel Downtown Denver f/k/a Adam’s Mark) – Change Your Altitude: Lead Strategically
Future ALA Annual Conferences (pay special attention to 2017):
April 15-18, 2013
Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center
National Harbor, Maryland (Washington, D.C. area)
May 19-22, 2014
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
May 17-20, 2015
Music City Center
Nashville, TN
May 22-25, 2016
Los Angeles Convention Center
Los Angeles, CA
April 2-5, 2017
Colorado Convention Center
Denver, CO
ENJOY THE MADNESS!
Jerry G. McPeake, MSLA
President
Mile High Chapter, ALA
