By Larry McGrew, LPI Legal Procedure Chair
I recall the early part of March in 2020. I was sitting at a bar in a restaurant after work for an early dinner. On the television was a pre-game commentary for the Utah Jazz vs. Oklahoma Thunder basketball game. The players were on the court warming up. Then came the interruption by an announcement, the game had been canceled. Almost immediately, my mobile phone began to explode with new alerts that the Utah Jazz Center, Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus. Within minutes, the NBA announced the suspension of its season. I knew right then at that moment, our world as we knew it would change.
In a matter of days, the rest of our world would follow in the same direction. After hearing on the news for months about how the coronavirus has affected the lives of many in China and Europe, I never thought it would happen in the U.S. Our employers sent us home out of fear of the unknown. For how long, we would not know but our fears of a global pandemic became our new reality.
Many local associations were preparing for membership meetings, elections, and other events, that would automatically come to a halt, along with everything else. We would wait and wonder, then eventually look to the leadership of LPI to advise us on what to do and how to conduct business so each of our local associations could stay active and provide what we would now consider essential programs to our members.
In the darkness came a light that would lead us through what I would consider, one of the worst of times that anyone could endure during our lifetime. We learned about virtual hosting platforms. We converted our homes to workspaces, and we learned how to re-connect to one another through Zoom. Not too long thereafter, we were provided with emergency instructions on how to update our bylaws to allow virtual meetings and how to vote on issues virtually. Before we knew it, we were attending virtual happy hours, game show events, and hybrid conferences. Who do we thank for being our guiding light through the darkness?
The leadership team of LPI did a PHENOMENAL job this past fiscal year. From the Executive Committee to the chairpersons, to those local associations. Although we did start the 2020-2021 fiscal year a little late, we ended with a bang. I mean if you were not in attendance at the 87th Annual Board of Governor’s Meeting either in person or virtually, you missed the most electrifying conference probably in the history of our organization. Kudos to our President, Lynne Prescott, CCLS, and the rest of the officers of our great organization. The event was AMAZING. There was so much energy not only in the conference room in Sacramento, but we heard that same energy was felt to those who attended the two-day event virtually.
I am honored to not only part of this wonderful team of volunteers but I am also honored to be a member of this super fantastic organization. What was accomplished in a short period of time was truly amazing. It provided the much-needed means to get us all through such a dark time, I am sure many of our members are as thankful as I am for not only elevating the programs of LPI during such a difficult time but by providing what I would consider essential events that allowed us to focus on something other than the darkness that COVID-19 would bring to the world.
And now as things begin to return to normalcy due to the number of people getting the vaccinations and following the safety guidelines provided by the Center of Disease Control (CDC), we can now look forward to the return of in-person events once we all get the green light from each of our local city governments that it is now safe to do so. I would like to thank Lynne Prescott, CCLS, Rod Cardinale, Jr., Donna Day, CCLS, Bettina Jacobson, CCLS, Heather Edwards, and Jennifer Page, CCLS for elevating LPI through their valuable leadership. I would also like to acknowledge the rest of the LPI Team as well as Kim Oreno for their contributions. I am proud to be a member of this wonderful organization. We had a truly remarkable year during a very historic time. A time in which many other organizations were paralyzed, yet LPI elevated to new heights.
Congratulations to everyone that contributed, and we look forward to our next conference that will be hosted in person by Santa Clara County Legal Professionals Association at the Santa Clara Marriott, in San Jose on August 27-29, 2021. Visit the LPI website at www.legalprofessionals.org – events page, to learn more about this upcoming event.
Categorized in: General
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