Happy summer! Here we are at the end of the fiscal year for the PCBA, and I cannot believe how fast this year has flown by. This month I will be passing the gavel to Mike Fleming, incoming President, and I am so excited to see what is next for the Bar Association! The Bar Association has been an important part of my practice of law and involvement in the legal community since I moved to Peoria in 2009. I am so fortunate that my employers encouraged me, as a new attorney, to join the PCBA and get involved. The benefits of membership, for me, have been many:
- Through the Young Lawyers Committee, I met many other attorneys when I was new to Peoria and am lucky enough to have made some good friends in those early days.
- I continue to meet new colleagues and make new friends through the PCBA!
- Through work with the Young Lawyers Committee, I was able to meet our local judges and talk to them outside of the courtroom.
- Being a member of the CLE committee and presenting at CLEs gave me the opportunity to work on public speaking and presentation skills.
- Chairing committees gave me leadership experience and an appreciation for efficient meetings.
Peoria is a wonderful city in which to practice law, and in my opinion, it is because we have such a strong, collegial Bar Association and dedicated members. I hope that as your practices change and grow, you will continue to encourage your colleagues, new and not-so-new, to be active members of the Bar.
As mentioned above, Mike Fleming will be taking over the helm this month, and you are in capable hands! Mike has been an experienced voice on the executive board, and I have appreciated his counsel. He and his executive board members, Aliesha Graves, and Josh Herman have already been meeting to discuss ways in which to continue the great tradition of our Bar Association. And, at the July Annual meeting, we will be voting to add David Wiest to the team as Secretary/Treasurer. The future for the PCBA is very bright, and I look forward to continuing to work with the Board. Thank you, PCBA members, for your support this year!
Last, but certainly not least, thank you to Stephanie Bitner who keeps all things PCBA running on track. We would not be as successful as we are without her dedication, patience, and ingenuity. She is an asset to our legal community!
PCBA President,
Emily H. Wilburn