Letter from the Chair

• Publication year: 2022

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

Written by Mary K. deLeo, Esq.^*

As I write this letter, our part of the world is beginning to enter the fall season. Crisp nights, changing leaves, Halloween decorations in stores and on lawns, and pumpkin-spice everything popping up everywhere (including pumpkin-spice bologna, which just seems wrong) - the signs of autumn are unmistakable. And with the change of seasons, comes the annual change of leadership of the Trusts and Estates Section (also known as "TEXCOM") of the California Lawyers Association.

As the newly installed Chair of TEXCOM, I am both honored by the trust placed in me and, frankly, a bit terrified of the responsibility. TEXCOM has always been populated by the best and the brightest of Trusts and Estates practitioners. The work that TEXCOM performs each year in reviewing and commenting on California Senate and Assembly bills, proposing new legislation, providing top quality educational opportunities to Section members, and producing the California Trusts and Estates Quarterly is simply amazing—and made even more remarkable by the fact that all who serve on TEXCOM are volunteers and must balance their TEXCOM duties with the obligations of busy practices and careers. The dedication of TEXCOM members is exceeded only by the quality of the work they do on behalf of the Section and the results they achieve that benefit each and every Section member. To assume leadership of such an august and enthusiastic body of intelligent, committed individuals is, in a word, daunting.

Fortunately, I follow in the footsteps of the renowned Matthew McMurtrey, my immediate predecessor. Matt worked hard to restore a sense of normalcy to TEXCOM in this post-COVID world and ran our meetings with the proverbial iron fist to ensure that we set goals and then exceeded them. Matt showed me not only how to be a successful chair but also that it is possible to be both chair of TEXCOM and still maintain a thriving law practice. I owe him a huge debt of gratitude, as does each and every member of this Section who benefited from his leadership. If I can be half the chair Matt was, TEXCOM will be in good hands.

The coming year will (hopefully) see a continued return to normalcy. TEXCOM's Education Committee is planning to add an in-person education program to its already-outstanding roster of webinars, the first in-person program since the beginning of 2020. The Quarterly will continue to be published as usual, thanks to the efforts of Editor-in-Chief...