Greetings TBPA members!

Summer is almost upon us and as expected your TBPA Board has been hard at work lining up speakers and subjects for the monthly CLE luncheons as well as for the upcoming Annual Seminar & 20th Anniversary Celebration!  Here are a few important announcements:

VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING LUNCHEONS:

BE ON THE LOOKOUT:  The Tampa Club has informed us that they will be increasing the rates for our luncheons beginning in July 2019.  Once we are advised of the amount of the increase, we will let you know what our new luncheon rate will be for both members and non-members.  The rate increase will not take place immediately as TBPA will absorb the price increase for two months so as to not take anyone by surprise.  Check your email for future announcements regarding the increased luncheon prices.

NALA CONVENTION:

Did you know that the NALA Conference is scheduled for July 11, 2019 to July 13, 2019 in Scottsdale, AZ.  TBPA will have a display table at the Affiliate Showcase on Thursday, July 11, 2019, so if you're going to be there stop by and visit us!  Please contact our NALA Liaison at NALALiaison@tbpa.org to let us know that you'll be there… we don't want to miss you!

New in 2019, all voting will be done electronically prior to conference. There will be no option to vote at conference. There will be a 3-week window from June 19 to July 10 to cast your vote. If you are unable to cast your vote during that time you can fill out the Designation of Proxy Online Form. Results will be announced at the Annual Meeting.

Lastly, but certainly very important news! We are pleased to announce that Dana Martinez-Jones, ACP was nominated for and is now, posthumously, the recipient of the 2019 NALA Affiliate Award.  This is a special award to recognize individuals for their contributions and service to their NALA affiliated association.  I will be present to accept the award on Dana's behalf.  Also, she will be considered for the “Affiliated Associations’ Outstanding Contribution Award.”  This award will recognize exceptional achievement among the recipients of the Affiliate Award.  The Award(s) will be presented at the NALA Annual Convention. Congratulations, Dana, we are so proud of you and miss you so very much!

BOARD MEETINGS: 

Did you know that all TBPA members are welcome to attnd the monthly Board meetings?  If you are interested in joining us on any second Monday of the month, our meetings start at 5:45 p.m., and are currently held at the offices of Quarles & Brady, LLP.  Please email president@tbpa.org if you are interested in attending as you will need access into the building.

SAVE THE DATE:

TBPA's Annual Seminar will be held on Friday, November 1, 2019 at the Hilton at CarillonPark.  This year's theme is "2019 Legal Symposium - 20 Years of Paralegal Excellence & Counting!"  You won't want to miss this Seminar so be sure to save the date on your calendar and register prior to August 15, 2019 to get the early bird pricing!

CERTIFICATION INFORMATION: We are still looking for CP, ACP, FCP, RP and CRP members willing to volunteer to lead certification workshops for our members interested in taking the NALA Certified Paralegal Exam (CP), or NFPA's certification exams, PACE (RP) or PCCE (CRP).  Participation would consist of teaching a specific area of law and/or topic on the exam. This workshop will likely be conducted on a Saturday and will be an all-day event.  If you are interested in lending your skills to further the advancement of your fellow TBPA members, please contact our Certification Chair, Irene Medina at certification@tbpa.org. 

The rest of summer is proving to be abundant with opportunities to get involved in the legal community through pro bono and community service projects. Below is a list of excellent upcoming events. Hopefully, one of them peaks your interest, if not, please make a recommendation & get involved. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events:

In conclusion, I encourage you to email me at president@tbpa.org with your ideas, comments and suggestions on how we can continue to grow TBPA and serve the needs of the Tampa Bay Paralegal Community.

Sincerely,

Barbara C. O'Shaughnessy, FRP

President, Tampa Bay Paralegal Association, Inc.

president@tbpa.org

www.tbpa.org

SAVE THE DATES:         

Save the Date for NALA’s Annual Conference – July 11-13, 2019 Scottsdale, AZ

Save the Date for NFPA’s Annual Convention – October 10-13, 2019 Rochester, NY

Save the Date for TBPA's Annual Seminar– November 1, 2019 Hilton Carillon, St. Petersburg, FL 

Save the Date for NFPA's Joint Conference - April 24-26, 2020 TAMPA, FLORIDA - HOSTED BY TBPA

If you have any suggestions, updates, or information on any subject that you feel might be of interest to other paralegals and you would like to share that information, please feel free to send an email to our Technology Committee via webmaster@tbpa.org.