Through outstanding leadership for more than 30 years, our consistently engaged membership, and the continued support of our valued Business Partners, the Austin Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators is a thriving organization of diverse members.  This past fiscal year was in a word, exceptional, and I thank Past-President Amanda Koplos and her Board for their service and leadership during this time.  During the previous fiscal year we offered first-rate education with our monthly luncheon meetings, two timely educational seminars, the annual Legal Exposition, our biennial Chapter Retreat, and the Managing Partner Breakfast.  We provided scholarships and stipends to members and the Board of Directors to attend the Annual and Regional Conferences and the Chapter Leadership Institute.  Additionally, we organized and participated in community service projects designed to give back and support the community we live in.  We also revamped and enhanced our Business Partner Sponsorship Packages, which led to a one-time substantial increase in Chapter income that allowed us to increase our cash reserves.  Today, we are fortunate to be financially sound and I am happy to convey that membership dues, monthly luncheon expenses and other services such as the Compensation and Benefits Survey will remain at the same price levels as last year.

I am also pleased to announce that the Board of Directors has unanimously approved the 2010 - 2011 budget with a focus on expanding the educational opportunities available to our members.  As a result the Chapter will pay the registration fees for each member who attends the Region 4 Conference October 1 - 2 at the Four Seasons Resort & Club Dallas, and will also offer several scholarships for hotel expenses.  The Chapter has also secured ground transportation to and from the Conference for members making the cost to this first rate educational opportunity quite affordable.  Chapter-paid webinars are also a new education opportunity being offered to our members and their firms this year.  The Chapter will host five of these throughout the coming year and each will be open to our members and any other employees in our member firms who may have a particular interest in the topic.  Finally, we will endeavor to bring in prominent and talented speakers for our educational seminars, monthly luncheons and the Managing Partner Breakfast. 

A second and necessary focus of the Chapter this year will be a complete redesign of the website.  The redesign will incorporate a fresh look and functionality which will make it easier for our members, potential members and valued Business Partners to use.   The Website Committee is working on this project and will be sending out RFPs in the near future.  The redesign of our website is intended to be a long-term investment that we do not anticipate undertaking again in the foreseeable future.

Where does the income for these expenditures come from you may ask.  Over 62% of our income is provided by the generous sponsorship of our Business Partners.  Other income is derived from member dues (14%), educational programs (12%), and other programs such as the Compensation and Benefits Survey (11%).

So where does our money go?  Not surprisingly, 74% of our funds are given back to our members in the form of awards, scholarships and educational programs.  Other expenses include website development and maintenance (11%), programs like the Compensation and Benefits Survey (7%), general Chapter expenses (4%), and Community Relations, Newsletter and Member functions (4% in total).

While we believe in the conservative management of our Chapter’s finances and maintaining a healthy cash reserve, the Board of Directors has determined that the additional expenses for education and website redesign are worthwhile and in line with the performance objectives for our Chapter as laid out by ALA Headquarters.  And most importantly, these expenses have been deemed affordable and will not jeopardize the financial stability of the Chapter.  I am confident that you will find value in these expenditures and welcome any questions you may have about them or the adopted budget. 

Thank you for being a member of the Association of Legal Administrators and the Austin Chapter and for your support and involvement.  ALA is a member-lead and member-driven organization whose tagline is “Your connection to knowledge, resources and networking.”  It is my hope that you make this slogan a reality and connect to the advantages available to you through membership in a great Chapter and Association.

James Cornell, Human Resources Director, Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody, P.C.