Fites Final Remarks to the Board of Governors

• Citation: Vol. 28 No. 1 Pg. 0034
• Pages: 0034
• Publication year: 2022

Fites Final Remarks to the Board of Governors No. Vol. 28, No. 1, Pg. 34 Georgia Bar Journal August, 2022

FITES FINAL REMARKS TO THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS

The bylaws of the State Bar of Georgia specify the duties of the president. One of the responsibilities is to deliver a report at the Annual Meeting of the members of the activities of the State Bar during his or her term of office and to furnish a copy of the report to the Supreme Court of Georgia. Following is the report from 2021-22 President Elizabeth L. Fite on her year, delivered June 3 at the State Bars Annual Meeting.

BY ELIZABETH L. FITE

Distinguished guests, friends and colleagues: my name is Elizabeth Fite, and I stand before you as the 59th president of the State Bar of Georgia.

While certain moments seem to last for an eternity (i.e., Executive Committee nomination speeches), a year as State Bar president can pass in a blink of an eye. And although it seems like only yesterday, I was sworn in as State Bar president, I stand before you today to express my gratitude for a fantastic year and recount to this Board but a mere fraction of the things your Bar has done this year.

As for my gratitude, Id like to recognize Dawn M. Jones and Bert Hummel on their last day on the dais. They have served this organization well by remaining true to themselves and leading during a time that, to put it mildly, wasn't as enjoyable as they had hoped. Yet, through it all, they lead with their hearts and conviction, and thats all any of us 2021-22 President Elizabeth L Fite presents her final remarks to the Board of Governors during the plenary session of the Annual Meeting.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER R. MASON can do. Please join me in thanking them for their service.

Also, I will miss seeing Bert face on the jumbotron behind me.

Id like to thank the State Bar staff for their partnership with me over the years. Many of us have grown up together. There are too many to name, but they give their heart and soul to make meetings like this and our programs a success.

I don know if you've heard this before, but lawyers can sometimes be demanding. Our staff often bear the brunt of members frustrations, and as the sole email address that was publicly available for part of May, I encourage us all to do better.

Thank you to my friends and family for the support over the years and for acting as a sounding board for my ideas/ hopes/concerns about the Bar”especially when you truly had no...