A year of changes and challenges.

• Author: Manton, Jennifer
• Position: PRESIDENT'S PODIUM

In taking the time to reflect on this past year as your LMA president and preparing this final Strategies column before I turn the reins over to your new president, Nathan Darling, I keep coming back to the most recurring theme of our past year: change.

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As we have seen in our professional lives and in the world around us, the concept and the repercussions of change have dominated everything that touches us. At LMA, we have stepped up to respond to that call as well. We have taken a very hard look at where the organization is today and how we are positioned to be an even stronger resource for you and all those within the legal community in the years ahead.

In developing and finalizing a strategy that will take LMA firmly and decisively forward, we have set four overarching goals for our organization. With your help and support, we will:

1. Leverage the cohesive global legal marketing community for member retention and growth;

2. Enhance LMA's position as a respected thought leader;

3. Be the leading provider of legal marketing learning and networking opportunities; and

4. Restructure LMA's governance and operational model for growth and financial success.

While much of the change LMA has responded to this year has been challenging, I am proud to have helped lead the e ort that will set us on a course for the opportunities that await. My confidence in our ability to take a strong organization like LMA and make it the premier organization in our industry is rooted in my knowledge that its members are passionate about making it the best.

Just in the past year, we have had more than 420 dedicated volunteers working on dozens of initiatives--from our annual conference and chapter projects to member outreach and educational enrichment programs. My gratitude for their e orts is exceeded only by the pride I feel when I reflect upon the many successes they achieved through their participation on our international organization's committees and on chapter boards.

With their input and guidance, we were able to make many advances this year--changes that will help us achieve our long-term strategic goals. In February, we launched LMA Connect to help facilitate networking among our members and the legal community. In the latter half of the year, we made a smooth transition to a new management model that will position us for growth and welcomed SmithBucklin to manage the administration of the association. We hired our first LMA...