Dolan Media Newswire Story
Subject: Paralegal Association of Rochester Inc. name 2009-2010 officers
Pub: Daily Record, The (Rochester, NY)
Author: Deborah King
Category:
Sub-Category:
Issue Date: 06/09/2009 Word Count: 21
Paralegal Association of Rochester Inc. name 2009-2010 officers
by Deborah King
Dolan Media Newswires
© Dolan Media Newswires 2010.ROCHESTER, NY -- The Paralegal Association of Rochester Inc. held its annual meeting and election of officers May 20 at Agatina’s Restaurant in Gates.
After a marvelous dinner, the evening began with the naming of the 2009 Paralegal of the Year Award winner, DeAnna Martelle.
DeAnna was nominated by Thomas Warth and Amy Kendall, attorneys with Hiscock & Barclay LLP.
When Amy presented the award to DeAnna, she recalled that that when she and Tom arrived at Hiscock & Barclay, they had no idea what a paralegal was or what one did. Their paralegal just happened to be DeAnna, and they now know how valuable she is to them and the firm
DeAnna has been a paralegal for more than eight years and has worked in her current position at Hiscock & Barclay for almost six.
The agenda then moved to the announcement of the 2009-2010 board of directors:
* Marcelle Veater was elected to a one-year term as president. Marcelle is a paralegal in the area of wills, estates and trusts at Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP. Marcelle earned a BA in psychology from the University of Michigan and her paralegal certificate from St. John Fisher College. She held the board position of president-elect last year.
* Patricia O. Sextone was elected as president-elect. Pat is employed at Forsyth & Forsyth, and concentrates in areas of real estate, estates and estate planning. She has been a paralegal for more than 20 years and has held a variety of positions on PAR’s board.
* Douglas Kaletta was elected to a one-year term as treasurer. Doug has been a paralegal for more than 25 years, and has been employed at Harris Beach PLLC for the last 11 years, specializing in real estate. Doug was a director-at-large on last year’s board.
* Melanie Lavacca was elected to a one-year term as secretary. Melanie presently is enrolled in the criminal justice Program at SUNY Brockport and has worked at Harter Secrest & Emery LLP as a paralegal since 2005 in the area of intellectual property law.
* Bonnie Brooks was elected to a two-year term as PAR’s primary representative to NFPA. Bonnie also is pursuing a degree in criminal justice at SUNY Brockport. She has worked for more than eight years as a litigation paralegal at Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP.
* I was elected to a two-year term as PAR’s secondary representative to NFPA. I earned my BS in business administration from Elmira College and my paralegal certificate from Monroe Community College.
* Dawn Samuel was elected to a one-year term as vice president of employment. Dawn graduated from Monroe Community College, then earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at SUNY Brockport. Dawn is employed at Leclair Korona Giordano Cole LLP as a litigation paralegal.
* Michelle McKay was elected to a one-year term as vice president of professional development. She is employed at Harris Beach PLLC and specializes in real estate. Michelle attended the Lee Institute in Brookline, Mass. This is Michelle’s first year as a member of PAR’s board.
* Carol Cross was elected as vice president of membership. Carol is employed at Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP, where she handles litigation and collection matters. Carol attended Nazareth College for Studio Art and received her paralegal certificate from St. John Fisher College.
* Kathy Parsons was elected as a director-at-large. Kathy is employed by the M&T Trust Department as a trusts and estates paralegal. She has worked as a paralegal for more than 12 years. It is her first position on PAR’s board.
* Jane Gorski was elected to a one-year term as a director-at-arge. Jane is employed by Boylan, Brown, Code, Vigdor and Wilson LLP, where she began her career as a real estate paralegal and now works in the trusts and estates department. Jane received her paralegal certificate from Monroe Community College
PAR would like to extend a special thanks to Counsel Press, which graciously provided the evening’s delicious appetizers, and Doculegal for providing the door prize.
Deborah King is a family law paralegal with Volunteer Legal Services Project Inc. and can be reached by e-mail to dking@wnylc.com.
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