Section Committees

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.

• 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.