Section Committees

Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Xavier Alban, Committee Chair
[email protected]

• The Section values diversity and understands that historically marginalized groups remain underrepresented in the legal profession.  It is the mission of the Section to be diverse and inclusive, with a goal of ensuring the Section mirrors our society in its membership and leadership. The Diversity and Inclusion Committee helps identify and coordinate strategies for increasing member engagement, raising awareness of Section benefits, fostering a strong sense of community, and supporting Section goals with thoughtful programs and projects. This committee also administers the Section’s Diversity Fellowship Program, which was adopted in April, 2021.
• Committee Members: Ella Gilbert, Kimberly Rothenburg

Grants Committee

Amber Slayton, Committee Chair
[email protected]

• The Section’s Student Internship Grant Awards program provides grants to Florida local government in-house attorney offices (for counties, municipalities, school boards, and special taxing districts) to fund paid college student or law student internships during the summer each year.   The funds are awarded to those offices that best demonstrate that the student will be afforded an opportunity to gain insight into the practice of local government law. The Grants Committee reviews and awards grant applications, and makes recommendations about the program to the Executive Council.
• Committee Members: Kelly Fernandez, Nick Noto

Law Student Awards Committee

Thomas Fossler, Committee Chair
[email protected]

• The Section’s annual Law Student Awards are designed to recognize one law student at each Florida law school who has excelled in a law school course focused on local government law issues, or has exhibited an interest in local government law during the academic year. Student award winners receive a $500 cash award and a plaque recognizing their achievement, as well as an invitation to participate in the awards luncheon at the Section’s Annual City, County and Local Government Law Seminar. The Law Student Awards committee chair is responsible for contacting each Florida law school to seek student nominees, as well as working with the Section’s Bar Administrator to coordinate communications and awards, and hosting the law students who attend the Annual Seminar.

• Committee Members: Bob Shillinger

Legislation Committee

Edward (“Eddy”) G. Labrador, Committee Chair
[email protected]

• The chair of the Legislation Committee tracks annual legislation that may be of interest to Section members, and presents it to the Executive Council for review.
• Committee Members: Rebecca O’Hara

Membership Committee

• The current Secretary of the Section is the chair of the Membership Committee, per Section 2, Article III of the Section Bylaws.
• Committee Members: Kimberly Rothenburg, [email protected] (delegated Chair), Patrick Krechowski, Ella Gilbert

Mental Wellness Committee

Miriam Soler Ramos, Committee Chair
[email protected]

• The Mental Wellness Committee works to provide information and programming to further the goal of destigmatizing mental health issues, and to help CCLGL Section members find support. This may include organizing or moderating stand-alone CLEs or seminar panels.

Nominating Committee

• The nominating committee consists of three (3) members of the Executive Council appointed by the Chair. Traditionally, this consists of three members of the Executive Committee. The Nominating Committee nominates incoming Executive Committee member(s) pursuant to Section 1, Article III of the Section Bylaws.

Sponsorship Committee

Janette Smith, Committee Chair
[email protected]

• The Sponsorship Committee solicits sponsors to support our CLE programs, develops and maintains relationships with our regular sponsors, and proposes new ways to recognize sponsors and increase sponsorships. See the Sponsors page for more details.
• Committee Members: Joe Ruiz, Jennifer Cockcroft

Technology Committee 

Amanda Coffey, Committee Chair
[email protected] 

• The Technology Committee combines several previously separate committees (including the Communications, Social Media, Technology, Website, and Listserve committees), and is responsible for evaluating the Section’s technology needs. It also moderates the Section’s Listserve, updates  the Section website, assists in building and sharing social media content, and innovates creative ways to utilize technology to forward Section goals.
• Committee Members: Janette Smith, Xavier Alban, Claudia Capdesuner