FEATURE
Meet the Staff of the DSBA There are some familiar faces and some new faces among the staf f! Since it’s been way too long since we’ve seen our members, we’d like to close out 2021 by re-introducing (or introducing for the first time!) ourselves and we look for ward to seeing you in person in 2022!
Mark S. Vavala, Esquire EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Mark Vavala retired from the Superior Court as a commissioner in 2016 and vowed he would never fight the traffic in Wilmington again. Two months later, he found himself working across the street at the Bar Association. Mark is a graduate of Salesianum High School, the University of Pennsylvania (graduating with a lucrative English degree) and Widener University School of Law, completing his law degree in the evening while working full-time at the Court. Mark sends a lot of emails, some of which are funny.
LaTonya Tucker
DIRECTOR OF MEMBER SERVICES
LaTonya Tucker is the Director of Bar Services and Membership at the Delaware State Bar Association, so chances are, if you’ve ever had questions regarding your membership status, needed to complete a change of address, or had a section question, you’ve been in contact with her at least once. LaTonya attended Delaware State Universit y and recently earned cer tification in Diversity Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida, Muma College of Business. Before joining the DSBA in 2017, she spent nine years at the Superior Court Prothonotary where she served as a Judicial Case Processor and, later a Judicial Case Manager. Outside of her life at the DSBA, LaTonya is a short-order cook, taxi driver, cheerleader, referee, nurse, personal assistant, event planner, teacher, and counselor; in other words, she is a Mom.
Antonio Byrd
DIRECTOR OF MEDIA AND CINEMATOGRAPHY
Antonio Byrd has been with the Bar Association for nine years. He’s normally working on DSBA seminars for members to view online or creating funny commercials for their events. You can find him helping out with various video projects around the legal community. He’s actually considered a “Friend of the Court” and is known to have a fine collection of ascots.
Deirdre Sadler Crew OFFICE MANAGER
Deirdre Sadler Crew is the DSBA newbie on the block. She joined the DSBA team as an Office Manager in October 2021 after retiring as a Judicial Senior Case manager in NCC Superior Court for 25 years and a Secretary in NCC Family Court for 2 years. A native of Savannah, Georgia, and an alumna of Georgia Southern University, Deirdre hopes to bring her southern roots, positive disposition, and willingness to learn new things to the already diverse and “star-studded team” in the DSBA. Outside of the legal world, Deirdre resides and spends time with her family in New Castle. Her favorite things include traveling by train to Georgia, hosting informal social gatherings (such as Galentine’s Day Brunch), watching Hallmark holiday movies in fuzzy socks all day long, and being a connoisseur of lemon cake, lemon cookies, and lemonade.
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DSBA Bar Journal | www.dsba.org
