In this issue
July 2026 Newsletter 
President's Report
No one gathers around to applaud because you found coverage for three people who called off at the same time. Nobody posts on LinkedIn because you convinced the caterer to deliver anyway after a power outage, tracked down the missing office supplies, handled the partner emergency, and somehow still made the day feel seamless for everyone else.
In fact, the better you are at your job, the less anyone notices it. That’s because the real work of office administration isn’t about the rare, headline-worthy projects. It’s about solving dozens of problems before anyone else even realizes they existed. It’s the quiet, steady work that keeps a firm moving every single day.
And while those moments rarely get celebrated, they deserve to be. Because that isn’t just part of the job… it is the job.
Summer is a good season to remember that. The pace softens a little, the calendar opens up, and there is real value in letting a quieter stretch simply be a quieter stretch. You do not have to earn your rest with a big accomplishment first. The ordinary days are not the filler between the important ones… they are the important ones.
Of course, knowing all of that and actually giving yourself permission to ease up are two very different things. If protecting your own time is the part you find hardest, our next meeting was made for you. On July 21 at 12:00 p.m., we are going virtual with Paul Artale, PhD, for Defining Boundaries and Beating Burnout: The 2-Year Old’s Guide to Work-Life Balance. It is a fresh and surprisingly fun look at setting healthy boundaries and tackling burnout. I hope you’ll take an hour over lunch to join us.
Before I wrap up, I also want to extend a very warm welcome to the newest members of our ALA Columbus Chapter. Our Membership Committee has been hard at work, and we are thrilled to have so many new faces joining our community. Please help me welcome: Laura Albert (Tyack Law Firm), Kristen Bitonte (FBT Gibbons), Ryan Daniels (Steptoe & Johnson), Cathy Davis (Steptoe & Johnson), Andrew Gross (Critchfield Law), Cassidy Lott (Porter Wright), and Leann Miljus (Roetzel).
Whether you’ve been a member for years or you’re just getting started, we’re glad you’re here. I hope you’ll jump into meetings, ask questions, share ideas, and take advantage of the incredible network of professionals that makes this chapter so special.
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
— Annie Dillard
