A Welcome Message from the Chair
Government & Public Sector Members:
Welcome to a new Bar year! My name is Jennifer Jones, and I am honored to serve this year as the Chair of the Government & Public Sector Section for the 2020-2021 year.
Of course, this Bar year is shaping up to be unlike any other in the last 121 years of the history of the North Carolina Bar Association, or at least in any of our collective memories. We are living through historic times in multiple ways. We are facing a pandemic that feels endless at times. We are acknowledging our nation’s history of systemic racism, and trying to right the wrongs that Black, Indigenous, and people of color have faced for far too long. Additionally, we are living through a contentious election year that threatens to divide us, when we need to come together to fight both the pandemic and systemic racism.
Of course, the stress of living and working in a pandemic and navigating this new way of life takes a toll on all of us. Frankly, I am tired of hearing the term “the new normal,” but there seems to be no other way to describe what’s happening now. From teleworking, to finding childcare, to caring for aging parents, to schooling our children at least part time from home, 2020 has been a year of incredible challenges.
With all that is going on, I hope to find ways to unite us and to engage our members in both old and new ways. I have sunset our longstanding “Long Range Planning” committee and transitioned it to a Membership & Engagement Committee. Lead by Nicolette Fulton and Lucy Austin, this committee is off to a great start and will be sending out membership surveys soon. This Committee will also be looking into planning and scheduling “lunch and learns” open to the membership. There will be more information to come soon on this topic!
I would like to also show my appreciation to our officers and committee chairs this bar year: Greg Schwitzgebel, Vice Chair; Matthew Mason, Secretary; Lucy Austin, Treasurer. Our Committee Chairs this year include the following members: Communications: Amy Crout; Legislative: Jeffrey Gray & Sky David; Pro Bono: Benjamin Mount; and CLE: Ann Wall. These Committees would also welcome your ideas and input, as well as your service to their Committee. We are also recruiting for the following positions: Pro Bono Co-Chair; CLE Planners for Fall and Spring; and Ethics Committee. Please reach out if you or someone you know is interested!
Finally, a warm welcome to our newest Section Council Members: Claire Hunter Duff, Wake County Attorney’s Office; Matt Sommer, N.C. Department of Justice; Chris Welch, Town of Apex Attorney’s Office; Paige Worsham, N.C. Association of County Commissioners; Jasmine McGhee, N.C. Department of Justice. I look forward to working with you this year!
If you have any suggestions or ideas on anything our Section currently does, should be doing, or could do better, I welcome your ideas! Please feel free to email me at [email protected].