Meet the New Members of the CBA Executive Council, 0917 COBJ, Vol. 46, No. 8 Pg. 8
August, 2017
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
To kick off the CBA's 2017-18 term, we interviewed the seven new members of the CBA's Executive Council: President-Elect John Vaught, Senior Vice President Emma Garrison, and Vice Presidents Katherine Gregg, Todd Stahly, Cobea Becker, Amy Goscha, and Lance Timbreza. These lawyers (and a judge) graciously shared a little about themselves, their involvement with the CBA, and what led to their participation on the Executive Council.
John M. Vaught President-Elect, Denver, 1st District
Please tell us a little about yourself, personally and professionally.
I always say I can't imagine being anything other than a trial lawyer. I graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas with a degree in business and economics, and then joined the U.S. Navy. Following my military training, I went to Vietnam to ride river boats for a year, and was then stationed in Naples, Italy. I served as an officer in the Navy for six years before attending law school at St. Mary's University. I graduated summa cum laude from law school in May 1978 and clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. I have been a litigation partner at Holland & Hart, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, and Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell. Outside of the office, I enjoy grandkids, reading, golfing, piloting a Cessna 182, fishing, hunting, sailing, and cooking, including all the activities that surround Grand Lake. I have three wonderful adult children, one of whom flies Navy F-18s off the USS Carl Vinson, currently off the coast of Korea.
How did you first get involved with the CBA and how has it enriched your career?
I first served (elected in those days) on the Board of Trustees for the Denver Bar Association, and then served as chair of the DBA Young Lawyer Division in 1984. Since then I have held at least 20 other offices in the DBA and CBA, including serving as DBA president in 2014-15.1 am very excited to start my next bar-related endeavor as CBA president-elect. The CBA is made up of more than 18,000 lawyers who are committed to bettering the lives of others and doing so honorably.
What is your favorite thing about being a lawyer?
This profession is truly a higher calling. I love that the law is a profession with ethics and expectations of professional conduct. On a more practical note, I love that each day I am introduced to someone else's vocation, and that I am expected to know their business as though it were my own. What an amazing education!
Why did you say "yes" to serving on the CBA Executive Council and what are you looking forward to this year as you help lead the bar?
I have been preparing to serve as president of the CBA for my entire career. Since at least 1984, when I was chair of the DBA YLD, I have enjoyed the rewards of serving and leading the DBA and the CBA on numerous occasions. The opportunity to take on the responsibility of leading 18,500 members of the CBA is a reward like no other in this profession. It is truly the greatest capstone to a nearly 40-year career that I could imagine.
Emma Garrison
Senior Vice President, Denver, 1st District
Please tell us a little about yourself, personally and professionally.
I have lived in Colorado for almost a decade, after growing up in Texas, attending law school in California, and practicing briefly in Washington, D.C. I am staff counsel at Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell, which means I write briefs and conduct legal research to support the firm's busy trial practice. I enjoy staying active and regularly participate in triathlons and running races. My husband and I live in Golden with our dog, Mr. Kojack.
How did you first get involved with the CBA and how has it enriched your career?
My first experience with the CBA was with the Young Lawyers Division. I spent much of 2010 un- or under-employed and felt really lost. I applied to serve on the CBA YLD Executive Council because I wanted to help other young lawyers who were also feeling lost and discouraged. Through my involvement with CBA, I have developed my leadership skills and formed connections with so many wonderful people I might not have met otherwise.
What is your favorite thing about being a lawyer?
I love problem solving and distilling complex ideas into something that is straightforward and easy to understand.
Why did you say "yes" to serving on the CBA Executive Council and what are you looking forward to this year as you help...
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