October 2022 President's Letter

Dear NAWJ Colleagues and Friends,
 
What a year it has been for NAWJ. After enduring physical separation during the pandemic, we gathered. In Nashville last October and celebrated in person, mindful to remain cautious. The silver lining  was apparent, the virtual world we had experienced had somehow brought us closer together. We recognized faces, not just names!
 
When I was sworn in as your President, I asked us to effect change by drawing from our past in order to embrace our future.  Our past is storied, from the vision of brave women judges in 1979 who founded our organization in order to increase diversity on the bench and provide much needed support to one another. Thankfully, diversity is now the order of the day in judicial selection and the ranks of women and minorities have swelled. We owe that to you and the many people who have fought for our rights. There are challenges ahead and NAWJ stands ready to meet those challenges through outreach, education, and the enrichment we gain from being part of this organization
 
I am thankful for the friendship and support of the NAWJ board, committee chairs and the former presidents who advised me in the past year. Our districts and committees have worked tirelessly to further our goals. I look forward to telling you more and celebrating their many accomplishments. in my final address in Detroit.
 
The year could not have been a success without our Executive Director, Laurie Denham who has been my right and often left hand as I’ve led the organization. We made great strides towards achieving organizational excellence – one of the pillars of our Strategic Plan. Our Director of Development, Francie Teer, has helped to lead us to greater financial stability, despite the challenges of the economy. Thanks also to Brian Gorg and Janelle Mihoc for their tremendous support throughout the year. Another special thanks to all of our  Resource Board members, who have continuously and generously supported our mission.
 
Thank you to Judge Michelle Rick and Zenell Brown and their dedicated Conference Planning Committee for what promises to be the event of the year. A record number of International Judges will be joining us. I hope to see you all there as well.  You still have time to register. 
 
In closing, I’d like to thank in-coming President Judge Toni Clarke for her support this year and offer my congratulations and best wishes for an amazing 2022-2023.
 
Warmest regards,
 
Elizabeth