Table of Contents
Bar Liaisons
Janette M. Smith (Chair)
[email protected]
Tammi E. Bach (Chair-Elect)
[email protected]
- The Section Chair and Chair-Elect act as liaisons to the Florida Bar for the Section.
Florida Bar Council of Sections Representative
Janette M. Smith (Chair)
[email protected]
The Section Chair acts as liaison to the Florida Bar Council of Sections.
Florida Bar Council of Sections CLE committee
Tammi E. Bach (Chair-Elect)
[email protected]
The Section Chair-elect acts as liaison to the Florida Bar Council of Sections Continuing Legal Education (CLE) subcommittee.
Board of Governors Representative
Stephanie Marusak Marchman
[email protected]
The Board of Governors (BOG) Representative is a member of the BOG who acts as the liaison with the Section, and raises Section concerns, positions, or interests to the BOG.
City, County and Local Government Law Section Committees & Committee Chairs
Law Student Awards Committee
Courtney Wilson
[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.
Grants Committee
Amber Slayton
[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
Legislation Committee
Edward (“Eddy”) G. Labrador
[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.
Nominating Committee
Janette Smith
[email protected]
Tammi E. Bach
[email protected]
Peter J. Sweeney
[email protected]
- 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.
Membership Committee
Peter J. Sweeney (Secretary)
[email protected]
- The Secretary of the Section is the chair of the Membership Committee, per Section 2, Article III of the Section Bylaws.
Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Xavier Alban
[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: Jeannine Williams, Brijesh Patel, Danielle Weaver-Rogers
Young Lawyers Committee
Courtney Wilson
[email protected]
- The Young Lawyers Committee chair acts as liaison to the Young Lawyer’s Section of the Bar.
Sponsorship Committee
James D. Fox
[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: Jane Graham, Lorenzo Cobiella
Mental Wellness Committee
Miriam Soler Ramos
[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.
Communications Committee
Janette Smith
[email protected]
Amanda Coffey
[email protected]
- The Communications Committee is responsible for overseeing general communications to Section members about Section benefits and events, in coordination with the Section’s Bar Administrator. The Committee acts as an “umbrella Committee” over the Technology, Social Media, and Website committees, coordinating with and assisting those committees as necessary to ensure consistent, accurate, and current messaging.
Technology Committee
Ellie Nieberger
[email protected]
Anessa Santos
[email protected]
- The Technology Committee evaluates the Section’s technology needs and identifies areas where the Section can better leverage technology to support its goals.
Social Media Committee
Claudia Capdesuner
[email protected]
- The Social Media Committee helps share information related to local government law—including education opportunities, job opportunities, member interviews, Section initiatives, and networking opportunities—online. Members on this committee assist in building content consistent with the Section’s social media guidelines, and innovating creative ways to utilize social media to forward Section goals.
- Committee Members: Brijesh Patel, Greg Morton, Jessica M. Icerman
Website Committee
Amanda Coffey
[email protected]
- The Website Committee helps ensure the Section website is accurate and current, and works with the Section’s Administrator and website provider to make improvements, within the confines of the Section’s contracts and as authorized by the Executive Council. The Website Subcommittee Chair also moderates the Section Listserve.
Stetson Law Review Symposium Committee
Jason Ester
[email protected]
- The Stetson Law Review Symposium Committee Chair acts as the liaison between the Section and the Stetson University College of Law, Law Review editorial board. This person ensures the Section contract with the school is up-to-date, shares any news and deadlines related to the annual book, and may assist in soliciting articles for upcoming law journals. The Section’s partnership with Stetson Law Review helps encourage law students to become interested in practicing local government law, while providing a valuable resource of annual articles and case digests on local government law issues.
Florida Bar Journal Committee
Ellie Neiberger
[email protected]
- The Florida Bar Journal Committee chair solicits articles on Local Government Topics for the Florida Bar Journal, and assists authors with questions related to publication in the Journal.
Newsletter: “The Agenda” Committee
Cristina Suarez
[email protected]
- The Agenda is the Section’s Newsletter, published two to four times per year. The Agenda Committee chair solicits articles and other features, and formats and publishes The Agenda.
- Committee Members: Abigail Jorandby, James Saunders, Mary Sneed
Marsicano Award Committee
Mark Barnebey
[email protected]
Herbert “Herb” Thiele
[email protected]
- The Ralph A. Marsicano Award is the most coveted and respected award presented by our Section to an attorney who over a period of time has made significant and outstanding contributions to the development of local government law in Florida. The Marsicano Award Committee solicits nominations for the annual award, and may help coordinate logistics related to the award presentation.
Paul S. Buchman Public Service Award
Janette M. Smith (Chair)
[email protected]
- The Paul S. Buchman Public Service Award is awarded annually to a local government attorney for outstanding contributions in the area of legal public service. Traditionally, the Section Chair acts as the Chair of the Buchman Award Committee.
The H. Hamilton “Chip” Rice, Jr. Award
Janette M. Smith (Chair)
[email protected]
- The H. Hamilton “Chip” Rice, Jr. Award is awarded annually to a local government attorney who has served the Section with distinction through mentoring, teaching and leadership. Traditionally, the Section Chair acts as the Chair of the Rice Award Committee.
Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Program Chairs
CLE Program Chairs (or co-chairs) coordinate our recurring CLE events, including annual or bi-annual conferences and seminars. The chairs solicit and cultivate relationships with presenters/speakers, and help the Section’s Bar Administrator to coordinate logistics, marketing, technology, and communications related to the CLE.
Local Government Law in Florida Conference— Annual
Tammi E. Bach (Chair-Elect)
[email protected]
The Chair-Elect is the Program Chair for the Annual Local Government Law symposium.
City, County and Local Government Certification Review Course— Annual
Isabelle Lopez
[email protected]
Sunshine Law, Public Records and Ethics for Public Officers and Public Employees— Annual
Robert Teitler
[email protected]
Chasity O’Steen
[email protected]
Land Use— Biennial
Nancy Ann M. Stuparich
[email protected]
Vinette D. Godelia
[email protected]
Public Finance — Biennial
George Smith
[email protected]
Public Employment Labor Relations Forum (PELRF) — Annual
Glenn Thomas
[email protected]
Temporary Committees
Bylaws Committee (2022-2023)
Mark Berman
[email protected]
- The periodic and temporary Bylaws Committee will review and advise on potential changes to the Bylaws.
- Committee Members: Victoria Mendez, Eddy Labrador, Amanda Coffey
CCLGL Section officer and council member appointments run concurrently with the Section fiscal year (July 1 – June 30).