CBA President's Message, 0521 COBJ, Vol. 50, No. 5 Pg. 4
| Author | BY IAN MCCARGAR |
| Position | Vol. 50, 5 [Page 4] |
Leading through Engagement
A Message from the Greater Colorado Task Force
BY IAN MCCARGAR
Introduction
In
December 2020, I shared my President's Message with two
past presidents of the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association,
Christine Hernandez and Annie Martfnez, to promote the
proposed CLE requirement relating to equity, diversity, and
inclusivity.
This
work arises from the CBAs REFOCUS 2020 Strategic Plan,
introduced in spring 2016, which includes statewide outreach
and inclusion as a significant priority. Specifically, the
"E" in "REFOCUS" stands for our objective
to "Engage Under-Represented Populations,"
including statewide populations, by "improving and
ensuring their inclusion at all levels of the CBA"
through means such as "using technology to better reach
members statewide" and "strengthening local bar
associations."
In light of this strategic priority, CBA Immediate Past President Kathleen Hearn Croshal constituted the Greater Colorado Task Force—a geographically diverse group of eight CBA members from around the state—and appointed Ian McCargar as chair. Since January 2020, the Task Force has met over a dozen times. Conversations with invited guests guided the Task Force toward a better understanding of issues practitioners and Colorado citizens face outside the metro area. Through these conversations, a consistent theme emerged: the CBA can and should do more to promote greater participation in CBA programs, communication, and leadership opportunities for its members in Greater Colorado.
—Jessica Brown, CBA president
The Greater Colorado Task Force has created a Report and Recommendations (Report), which it will present during the CBA Board of Governors' upcoming June meeting. The Report urges the CBA to improve the value and relevance of CBA membership to lawyers who practice outside the Denver metropolitan area. It identifies four key areas of focus:
■ CBA structure
■ CBA programs and benefits
■ local bar resources and local bar impacts
■ role of technology.
The Report recommends changes in CBA policy and practices within each of these key focus areas. The Task Force believes each recommendation will benefit the CBA and its membership. Recommendations include:
■ structural revisions through amendments to the CBA Bylaws
■ contributions of content to Colorado Lawyer from Greater Colorado
■ program enhancements targeted at Greater Colorado
■ enhanced staff...
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