Three…Two…One…Engage

Looking towards a fantastic 2016, the Board is cocked, locked, and ready to rock!

2016 February

2016 is off to an amazing start! Last month, our board headed down-range to the contemporary and hip Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, to plot, plan and strategize for the upcoming year. It was a fantastic two days of team building and camaraderie as we formulated our mission objectives for the upcoming year and the ways we intended to execute. We all left Sin City inspired and fully energized; ready to begin the work of making our organization stronger and making our members better attorneys: Mission First, People Always.

We took the momentum created during our board retreat into our first major event of the year, our 2016 OCTLA Gala (Installation of Officers and Awards Dinner)! The Island Hotel located in the jewel of Southern California, Newport Beach, was the site of this signature event. Judges, politicians, and attorneys and friends from all over California, and as far away as Florida, attended this exclusive affair. The Honorable Lon Hurwitz, an OCTLA past president, swore in our officers and board of directors. Outgoing President Ted Wacker presented the Honorable Peter J. Wilson with the OCTLA Judge of the Year Award. Outgoing President Wacker also awarded Janice M. Vinci with the coveted Board Member of the Year Award for her hard work and dedication to the board during her 2015 term of service and he also awarded Lindsey Aitken Campbell the OCTLA Member of the Year Award for the dozens of hours she spent organizing the hundreds of depositions we received for our new member benefit, the online Depo-Bank.

We ended the night at Newport Beach’s premier late night rendezvous spot, Aqua Lounge! Colleagues and friends had the opportunity to mix, mingle and bond with one another over imaginative handcrafted cocktails while listening to the mixes of the live DJ or they had the opportunity to lounge on the stylish open wooden deck with views of the fireside terrace and pool. A great time was had by all. Events like these are only made possible because of our generous sponsors, so for their generosity and support, the 2016 OCTLA Board of Directors and I want to thank each of our sponsors.

In addition to the fun we had that evening, I tried to emphasis to our members that during my presidency I want to focus on continuing and growing our organizations’ relationships with three very important groups of people. First, I want to focus on continuing and growing our strong relationship with our judiciary. In Orange County, we have been fortunate to have a very good relationship with our fantastic judges. You can see evidence of this good relationship in our joint efforts in recent years in working together to keep access to justice open to our clients during the recent California economic crisis, but also it is evident during the social events in the civil interactions between our members and the judiciary. I want to focus on and strengthen this relationship during my presidency.

Second, I want to reach out to and get our past presidents more involved in our organization. As I have mentioned, our organization was built, in part, by the strong leadership of some very dynamic past presidents. Although each of them has served their time, there is no reason why this organization could not benefit from their advice and counsel. I have already started meeting with past presidents and will continue to do so throughout my presidency to get their input and to ask for their continued support of our organization.

Last, I want our organization to reach out to our local legislators to let them know more about our organization and the issues and concerns that affect us and our clients and to let them know that we are here for them if they need us.

I am truly humbled and honored to lead this organization for 2016. I grew up in this organization. Its members took me in and taught me how to be a lawyer. Giving back by serving on the board and now as president is the very least I can do. The women and men of this organization are certainly my friends and in some cases my family. I will do my best to make this organization proud. The OCTLA board is going into the new year with our chin up, head down, and one round in the chamber in case we stick the bayonet (translation for non-vets: prepared, alert, and ready for anything). Here is to a fantastic 2016. Our board is cocked, locked, and ready to rock! 3…2…1…Engage!