CBA Record May-June 2023

PRESIDENT’S PAGE BY TIMOTHY S. TOMASIK Navigating the CBA Out of the Pandemic: Live and Back in Action

The Chicago Bar Association www.chicagobar.org President Timothy S. Tomasik First Vice President Ray J. Koenig III Second Vice President John C. Sciaccotta OFFICERS

those challenges together with all of you. Working closely with our members, our skilled leadership, and the wonderful CBA staff to find solutions to new and tough issues has been critical to guiding the CBA past this difficult period. I can’t express the depth of my sincere appreciation for all the amazing support I received throughout the year in that effort from CBA Executive Director Beth McMeen, CBA Controller Mark Cellini, CBA CLE Director Jenni fer Byrne, the Executive Committee, the Board of Managers, and the CBA staff. I would especially like to thank my law partners, associates, and the staff at Toma sik Kotin Kasserman. Dan, Shawn, Bob, Pat, Phil, Heather, Jim, Katie, Loren, and Eddie have been patient, helpful, and sup portive while I balanced the responsibili ties of the CBA presidency with being an effective partner and advocate for our cli ents. My paralegal, Ashley, and office coor dinator, Raquel, have also been incredible in helping me manage a pressing schedule. Of course, I have so much love and thanks for the unwavering support I received from my wonderful wife (and CBA Sustaining Member), Jennifer. Throughout this busy year my two daughters, McKenzie and Maeve, have made me extremely proud as they excelled in school and accomplished so many great things, with many more to come. I could not have served as President of the CBA without the love and support of my family. Looking Back at a Phenomenal Year Endings are a time for reflection, and in doing so I’d like to take a moment to note some of the highlights of this last bar year: • The CBA’s annual award events, all of which sold out: The Vanguard Awards; Justice John Paul Stevens Awards; Earl

Secretary Kathryn Carso Liss

Treasurer Nina Fain

Immediate Past President E. Lynn Grayson

W hen we scheduled the CBA’s Annual Meeting last June, CBA Executive Director Beth McMeen and I were uncertain how many people would attend. Covid was still, quite reasonably, on everyone’s minds. Would we have 75 members RSVP? Would we even have 50? We didn’t know. As it hap pened, the event quickly oversold. It was clear from that point on that our mem bership was ready to be back together. It was incredibly satisfying to see our mem bers return to the CBA building over the months that followed. We hosted dozens of receptions, live and in-person programs, committee meetings, and Board of Man agers meetings. The consensus seemed to be that, in most instances, there’s just no substitute for being together. Serving as the 146th President has been an absolute privilege and the cherished highpoint of my legal career. I’ve appreci ated every moment, embraced every chal lenge, and done all I could to live up to the trust our members placed in me. The challenges of holding this position, at this time, haven’t always been easy to over come. But it has been a pleasure facing

Executive Director Beth McMeen

BOARD OF MANAGERS Michael Alkaraki Louis G. Apostol Octavio Duran

Naderh Elrabadi Anthony F. Fata Robert W. Fioretti

Cynthia S. Grandfield Malcolm “Skip” Harsch Risa R. Lanier Patricia L. McCarthy Judge James M. McGing Jeffrey Moskowitz Judge Mary Rowland Eirene N. Salvi Kevin Thompson Judge Allen P. Walker Matthew P. Walsh II Sandra S. Yamate

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