AYLA 2022 Board Election

AUSTIN YOUNG LAWYERS ASSOCIATION

Welcome New AYLA Board of Directors

The following candidates ran unopposed for the Austin Young Lawyers Association officers and board of directors. The new board takes on July 1, 2022, along with Blair Leake, who will serve as AYLA’s president.

BLAIR LEAKE, President

Leake has been on AYLA’s board since 2017, and has served as secretary, treasurer, and president-elect. Leake is a shareholder at Wright & Greenhill, P.C. As our current president-elect, he has continued his work rebuilding and running the AYLA volunteer arm—the Community Service Days Committee—which hosts monthly volunteer events with local charities.

SARAH HARP, President-Elect

Harp ran unopposed for presidentelect. She is an Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Appeals Division of the Texas AG’s Office. She has previously been a director and secretary of AYLA and is the current treasurer. She received the Outstanding Committee Chair Award for 2020-21.

EMILY MORRIS, Treasurer

Morris ran unopposed for treasurer. She is the principal attorney of The Morris Law Firm, PLLC, which focuses on corporate and real estate matters for small business owners. Morris is dedicated to the Austin legal community, demonstrated by substantial service to the Austin Bar, AYLA and Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association.

CIARA PARKS, Secretary

Parks ran unopposed for secretary. She is general counsel for the Texas Board of Law Examiners. She was a members of the Leadership Academy Class of 2019 and director in 2021-22. Parks has a B.S. from the University of Dayton 2000, JD from Thomas Cooley Law School, and was the former assistant district attorney for Travis County from 2017 to 2020. She was also assistant prosecuting attorney in Montgomery County, Ohio from 2009 to 2016.

DIRECTORS

The four unopposed board members will join directors Eric Cuellar, Jenna Malsbary, Lena Proft, and Gracie Wood Shepherd whose terms expire in 2023.

DAVID HOLMES

David Holmes practices education law in the Austin office of the Walsh Gallegos law firm. He has been in AYLA since 2018 and served this past year on the AYLA board as a representative of the Austin Black Lawyers Association. Holmes enjoys basketball, food, music, dogs, and shoe collecting.

JOSEPH KEENEY

Joseph Keeney is a litigator with the Texas Attorney General’s Office. He’s been an active member of AYLA since 2015. Last year, he co-founded AYLA’s Health and Wellness Committee. As a director, he hopes to further develop the Health and Wellness Committee, promote outdoor and fitness activities, and increase service opportunities for members.

MEGHAN KEMPF

Meghan Kempf believes AYLA provides incredible opportunities for service, development, and networking. She’s worked with several committees and in a variety of leadership positions since joining in 2014, and understands how to best serve members and the community.

SAMANTHA McCOY

Samantha McCoy works for Thompson Coe as an appellate associate. She also lobbies to expand rights of survivors of violence. A summa cum laude graduate from St. Mary’s University, McCoy is interested in bringing more brand-new lawyers into AYLA to connect, network, and grow the organization. AL