President’s Corner

We were all deeply saddened by the recent deaths of Terry Westergaard, David Lust and Jeff Maks of Rapid City and Chris Beesley of Custer. These four men passed away in a two-month period between the middle of June and early August. These men were outstanding lawyers, husbands, fathers, grandfathers and law partners. More importantly, each of them was a great friend to many of us. My sincere condolences to their spouses, families and lawyers and staff at Bangs McCullen and Gunderson, Palmer, Nelson & Ashmore. Our Bar, as well as the Rapid City community and Black Hills region, have suffered a significant loss with the passing of these lawyers.

By the time you receive this newsletter, the State Bar will have gone live with our new website and Member Hub. State Bar staff has been working diligently with our website provider, GrowthZone, to make sure that everything is up and running before going live with the new website. The new website will bring a fresh look and offer many added features, all at less cost than the Bar’s previous website provider. Please keep in mind, however, there will likely be some bumps in the road as we make this transition. Therefore, we would ask for your understanding and patience as we move to improve the Bar’s website.

Congratulations to Tamara Nash who was recently elected Secretary of the ABA Young Lawyers Division. Tamara’s role is a three-year commitment. The Secretary automatically ascends to Chair so Tamara will serve in that capacity in the 2023-2024 bar year. Tamara is the first young lawyer from South Dakota to serve as Secretary. Congratulations Tamara, the Bar is very proud of your accomplishment.

A special thanks to Becky Porter and Mike McKnight for continuing to host the weekly mid-day wellness coffee breaks via Zoom. Many of our members have experienced overwhelming challenges in the last 18 months due to the pandemic. These coffee breaks provide a confidential, open and safe space for members in need. Thanks again to Becky and Mike for their dedication and service to the Bar.

Executive Director Andy Fergel, Strategic Planning Coordinator, Beth Overmoe, and I just completed our tour of South Dakota to meet with Committee Chairs and Section Leaders in Rapid City, Pierre and Sioux Falls. The tour provided an excellent opportunity for the Chairs and Section leaders to meet each other and to discuss their work and goals for the year. The work of these Committees and Sections is critically important to the professional development of our members. The leadership and expertise of these Committee Chairs and Section Leaders is extraordinary. These members volunteer their service to benefit the Bar, the legal profession and the community. Although I have already made appointments to the various Committees, please feel free to contact me if you are interested in joining a Committee.

September is my favorite month of the year. Warm days followed by cool nights. The sun seems brighter

and the sky more blue. Baseball pennant races, college and professional football and fall golf capped off by the Ryder Cup. Get out and enjoy as we know what is coming in the months ahead.