President's Report

Nobody Sees The Weight Each Person Carries

Here is what I know to be true after this year. Every single person reading this right now is carrying something that the person sitting next to them at a meeting has absolutely no idea about. You walk in put together, prepared, and professional, and nobody in that room can see the thing you managed before you got there, the conversation that wrecked you, the decision that kept you up at night, or the version of yourself you are still trying to figure out.

This year taught me that in a way I will not forget. I stepped into this role in April while simultaneously navigating a significant shift in my own career responsibilities, including travel that made ordinary weeks feel like a marathon. There were moments I handled well and moments I did not. There was friction I wish had gone differently, and times I reacted when I should have paused. I am naming that plainly because you deserve honesty. There were days I genuinely did not know who was at the controls, and I think a lot of you know exactly what that feels like.

We all do it. We tuck the hard stuff away, we straighten up, and we walk through the door. And I just want to say that this chapter sees that. I see that. Whatever you carried into this year, whether anyone knew about it or not, you showed up and that is not nothing. That is actually everything.

To our Board this year, every single one of you showed up, did the work, and kept this chapter moving forward, and that kind of commitment does not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Thank you!

To our Business Partners, your support of this chapter is something we do not take for granted. You show up, you invest, and you make programming possible that simply would not happen otherwise. Thank you, sincerely, for believing in what we are building here.

We have some great things coming up that you do not want to miss! Join us for our March Madness Happy Hour on March 5 at 4:00 PM at Thompson Hine and we cannot wait to see everyone there. We are also so excited to welcome Judy Bodenhamer, who will be presenting on Transformational Leadership: The Rise of the Next-Gen Legal Leader. Judy speaks directly to the heart of what we navigate every single day and will give us real, practical tools to grow our leadership. This one is worth showing up for.

We are sad to announce that Debbie Durbin has decided to step down as Secretary to focus on some other meaningful projects in her life. We are heavy hearted but so genuinely happy for her, and grateful for everything she gave this role. With that said, the position of Secretary is now open and we would love to find the right person to fill it. If that person is you, please do not hesitate to reach out to any Board member. We would love nothing more than to welcome you to this team.

“The world needs who you were made to be, even on the days you are not sure who that is.”

-- Unknown

https://alacolumbus.starchapter.com/images/news/ALA_March_2026_Newsletter.pdf

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