TYLA Annual Meeting Recap

TYLA Annual Meeting Recap
By: Baili B. Rhodes

In the blink of an eye, my year as TYLA president came to an end at the TYLA Annual Meeting on June 22, 2018.  At that event, I had the privilege of wrapping up my presidency, welcoming new leadership, and awarding those who have gone above and beyond during the 2017-2018 bar year. The following includes the highlights from the Annual Meeting:

New Leadership & Directors

John Shaw of Fort Worth, the 2017-2018 chair of the board, passed the gavel to Aaron Burke, of Dallas.  Sally Pretorius was sworn in as president and shared her vision for the 2018-2019 bar year.  We are excited to welcome four new at-large directors to the board this year: Michael Ritter of San Antonio, Reina Cisneros of Big Spring, Abdul Farukhi of Richmond, and Eduardo Marquez of Houston. Additionally, the 2018-2019 new directors were introduced and welcomed to the TYLA Board of Directors.

Bylaw Amendments

The TYLA membership voted to amend its bylaws concerning the appointment of “at-large directors.”  The new language ensures that the TYLA appointment process follows the one already in place for appointment of “at-large directors” by the State Bar of Texas. 

Awards

The following individuals were recognized for their contributions to TYLA, members of the State Bar of Texas, and the general public of Texas:

Texas Young Lawyers Association President’s Award
Nicole Soussan Caplan, Senior Associate, Reed Smith (Houston)
Joel T. Towner, Associate, Beck Redden (Houston)

The President’s Award is given at the discretion of the Texas Young Lawyers Association’s president based on outstanding service to TYLA by TYLA directors, committee chairs, committee members, or other individuals who have played a vital role in furthering the objectives of the association. 

Joseph M. Pritchard Inn Outstanding Director Award
Tim Newman, Litigation Partner, Haynes and Boone, LLP (Dallas)

The Joseph M. Pritchard Inn of former and current officers and directors of the Texas Young Lawyers Association was established in 1979 in honor of the late Joseph M. Pritchard, a former TYLA director and active civic leader. The Inn is pledged to support the programs and objectives of TYLA and annually presents the Joseph M. Pritchard Inn Outstanding Director Award to the TYLA director who has shown outstanding leadership and exemplary efforts to further the projects and purposes of the Texas Young Lawyers Association.

Texas Young Lawyers Association Keith L. Krueger Award
Donald Delgado, Litigation Associate, West, Webb, Allbritton & Gentry (College Station)

The Keith L. Krueger Leadership Award is named in honor of the late Keith L. Krueger, a former secretary of the Texas Young Lawyers Association, who passed away on July 14, 2012. During his tenure on the TYLA board, Keith selflessly and tirelessly worked to further the objectives of the association. This award is given at the discretion of the Texas Young Lawyers Association’s president and director of administration to a TYLA board member who exhibits the same leadership skills as Keith: (1) leads by example; (2) exhibits the highest integrity; (3) demonstrates a commitment and passion for public service; and (4) earns the respect and trust of the board through hard work and fun.

Texas Young Lawyers Association Outstanding First Year Director Award
Meagan Harding, Staff Attorney, Texas Civil Rights Project (Austin)

The Outstanding First Year Director Award is given at the discretion of the president of the Texas Young Lawyers Association based on outstanding service by a director during his or her first year on the TYLA board.

Legacy of Service Award
Sara Anne Giddings, Attorney, Giddings Firm (San Angelo)

The legacy of service award is given at the discretion of the president of the Texas Young Lawyers Association to a director who has repeatedly demonstrated significant dedication to service during his or her time on the TYLA board.

President’s Award of Merit

The President’s Award of Merit is awarded at the discretion of the TYLA president to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the furtherance of the goals and objectives of TYLA, or who have performed above and beyond the call of duty while conducting the business of TYLA.  This year’s awards were presented to individuals who put forth exceptional efforts on behalf of TYLA through their committee service. This year’s recipients were: Lowell Brown, Kimberly C. Clark, M. Kaylan Dunn, John Ellis, Susan Giddings, Matthew L. Harris, Britney Harrison, Ashley Hymel, Rebecca Patterson Linehan, Courtney Barksdale Perez, Dr. Rey Romero, Lauren R. Sepulveda, and Tim Williams.

Ignited & United

It was truly a privilege to serve as TYLA’s president this year.  In 2017-2018, it was our goal to ignite a passion for service in young lawyers across the state, and to unite them in their desire to serve others. This vision was realized only with the help of the TYLA Board of Directors and other young lawyer volunteers, who worked tirelessly over this year to complete a number of projects that will serve lawyers and the public across Texas.  The 2018-2019 directors are already hard at work on projects to impact the lawyers and public of Texas. I look forward to another successful and impactful year.

Views and opinions expressed in eNews are those of their authors and not necessarily those of the Texas Young Lawyers Association or the State Bar of Texas.