Spring Is in the Air!
By I am starting to see signs of spring, and it brings a smile to my face. The blooming daffodils, budding trees, and green grass are harbingers of warmer weather and more opportunities to get to leave our desks and enjoy some time outdoors.
Before skipping straight into the spring and the upcoming opportunities it will bring, I wanted to take a moment to quickly reflect on the Workers’ Compensation Section’s CLE and Annual Meeting, which was held on February 6 and 7 at the Grandover Resort.
As anyone who was able to attend can confirm, the two days of CLE were well-attended, and the presentations were across-the-board informative and educational. We had a total of 262 attendees, which is more than have attended in the past two years . . . it was literally standing room only on Thursday morning! A great deal of thanks is owed to Sarah Blair and Cameron Simmons and all the speakers, who took their time to plan, prepare and present at the CLE. Also, I want to thank the folks at the Bar Association who handled the bulk of the logistics for the program.
As part of the Annual Meeting, we voted to approve the next class of Section Council Members, including: Vice Chair Myra L. Griffin, J. Jack Hardison, Eloise Morgan, Valerie Johnson, Gerald Liska, Susan Briggs, and Joel Turner. We also approved Heather Baker to serve as the Section Council Secretary and Brian Elston to serve as Treasurer. Thank you to each of these attorneys for agreeing to serve. We look forward to your contribution next year!
In addition to the educational and networking opportunities that come with the CLE and Annual Meeting, in my opinion, one of the best things we as a Section do during those two days is help raise money to support Kids’ Chance of North Carolina. I am proud to report that our Section raised $4,900 for Kids’ Chance during the CLE. Thank you to everyone who donated raffle items and/or purchased raffle tickets. Events like this remind us that no matter which side of the “v.” we fall on, we can come together to support worthy causes and enjoy one another in professional and social settings.
Speaking of socials and turning back to the excitement of warmer weather and longer days . . . with spring just around the corner, I want to remind you that the Workers’ Compensation Section is hosting an event on Thursday, April 23, 2020 at the Greensboro Grasshoppers baseball game at First National Bank Field in Greensboro. If you have not already, you can RSVP here. Bring your family, folks from work, and/or potential Workers’ Compensation Section members. We hope you will come and join us!
Finally, I want to renew my prior invitations for you to become involved in our Section by joining a Committee and/or submitting an article for our Section’s blog. Article submissions can be sent directly to Kyla Block and Stase Vonsiatsky, and you can email me directly to volunteer for a Committee.
We are more than half-way through with this Bar Year, and I am looking forward to a successful next few months!
Eleasa Harris Allen
NCBA Workers’ Compensation Chair 2019-2020