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Monday, August 9, 20218A TheDailyRecoRD.com
The President’s MessageThree Questions with New Executive Director Karen Fast
Ethics Hotline Volunteer Diane Bristow: 410-332-8586Dennis McGlone: 443-494-1658
Last month I wrote about former Executive Director of the Bar Associa-tion of Baltimore City (BABC) Kathy San-zone, who retired on June 30, 2021. This month, I would like
to introduce the BABC’s new Execu-tive Director, Karen Fast. Karen comes to us by way of the Orange County Bar Association in Florida. Karen started on April 12, 2021 and took over as Ex-ecutive Director on July 1, 2021. I have been working closely with Karen during these first few weeks of our new posi-tions, talking almost every day and, somedays, several times a day. During those conversations, I asked Karen to tell me a little bit about herself.
Karen was born in Brooklyn, New York, but was raised on Long Island. Karen went to Farmingdale High School where, during her junior and senior years, she was enrolled in the “Infor-mal School.” Karen explained that the “Informal School” had a very relaxed environment in which the classrooms contained couches, the students called their teachers by their first names, and creative thinking was encouraged. Karen remarked that the program pro-vided her with skills necessary for suc-cess both in and after college.
Following high school, Karen en-rolled at Jacksonville University in Flor-ida where she pursued a major in Fine Arts. After two years at JU, Karen shifted her focus and transferred to American University in Washington, D.C. to pur-sue a degree in Graphic Design.
Karen’s first job out of college was as Assistant Art Direc-tor with Kenneth Feld Productions. You may not recognize that name, but Kenneth Feld Productions owned or managed some of the most fa-
mous traveling shows in the country; in-cluding Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Siegfried and Roy, and the Disney Ice Shows. This was a very creative time for Karen, as she worked with the marketing team designing ad-vertisements, artwork and promotional materials. Karen recalled fondly that she got to see a part of the circus that most people never get to experience, including getting up-close-and-personal with the famous Ringling Brothers’ ele-phants, which she always adored.
After a brief stopover in Rhode Is-land, Karen returned to D.C. looking to clear her mind and reset. She took a job waiting tables at Morton’s Steakhouse (during which she waited on Martin Sheen!) but was quickly promoted to a sales position and then promoted again to a marketing position, which, ultimately took her back to New York. While at Morton’s, Karen got to meet and speak with a lot of celebrities; in-cluding Billy Jean King and Patti LuPone (who were her favorites), Paul Rudd (one of my favorites), Tiger Woods, and John Riggins. Karen also became good friends with the Equipment Manager for the New York Islanders, who provided her with tickets to Islanders’ games and even gave her a hockey stick au-
tographed by her favorite Washington Capitals’ player, Adam Oates!
Karen learned a great deal about sales and marketing during her time in the hospitality industry. After seven-teen years however, she was looking for change. Karen moved to Florida and enrolled in the Notter School of Pastry Arts in Orlando, Florida. Karen opened her own pastry business but soon was asked to help a friend from pastry school who had taken a job with the Orange County Bar Association (OCBA). After only two weeks helping her friend on a part-time basis, Karen was asked by the Executive Director to take a position as Membership Manager. After a year in that role, Karen was promoted again, taking over Strategic Marketing as well as Membership Management. When she left the OCBA, Karen was running four departments and 29 committees, and had developed many marketing cam-paigns and membership drives.
I asked Karen three questions about her time with the OCBA and her initial thoughts about the BABC.
What was your greatest accom-plishment at the OCBA?
“Turning their Bench Bar Confer-ence, which was a series of nine sem-inars over three days, into a one-day, off-site conference with 61 CLE semi-nars taught by over 50 judges, attended by over 350 attorneys, and brought in over $30,000 in revenue.”
What do you see as the BABC’s biggest strength?
“The members, by far. They have a passion for the Association and the
work they are doing. Volunteer posi-tions are tough. Every member takes their personal time to contribute. As much as people thank me for what I am doing, it is really the members that de-serve the thanks. I have been here only a short time, but the work and time that I saw dedicated to the golf tournament, showed me how much the members are invested in the organization and the passion they possess.”
What is your foremost goal in your first two years at the BABC?
“I know that coming out of the pan-demic, the Association had a challeng-ing year, but there are some programs that I noticed that need attention. The Lawyer Referral and Information Ser-vice for instance, seems like it could host more panel members in areas that are not covered. I would like to start a marketing campaign to promote refer-ring clients that are out of the scope of a member’s practice area over to LRIS. The money made through LRIS can not only fund BABC programs but can off-set the cost of member events as well, all while assisting those in need of at-torneys. Of course, I am here to help, so hopefully we will get a plan in motion and continue to be the leaders in the legal profession in Maryland.”
When you get the chance, please introduce yourself to Karen. She is in-credibly friendly and helpful – and she welcomes all of your suggestions and questions.
I think I can speak for all of us on the Executive Council when I say: Wel-come, Karen!
Anthony F. Vittoria Karen Fast, BABC Executive Director
Like many of the young lawyers that comprise the mem-bership of the Young Lawyers Division (YLD) of the Bar As-sociation of Baltimore City, the YLD is not flush with cash. We run a lean and mean
operation that somehow manages to annually put on dozens of programs in-cluding monthly happy hour/network-ing events, monthly CLEs, community service events, and our flagship events such as the Holiday Party for Children Living in Shelters, the Spring Awards Ceremony, and much, much more. You may ask yourself, how does the YLD manage to fund these wonderful events and programs? The answer is quite sim-ple. We rely heavily on the generous donations of our sponsors and donors. It is only through sponsorships and do-nations that we are able to offset the cost of our many events and give back to our membership and the Baltimore City community.
As we move forward into the up-coming bar year, I would like to recog-nize and thank our generous sponsors who have helped us thrive throughout
our many years of existence. I would also like to make a promise, if not a pitch. As young lawyers, many of us do not have the decision-making power within our respective firms to decide how to allocate firm money. Often, de-cisions are made on a high level, firm-wide basis about which court reporting companies, process servers, expert witnesses, and other types of legal ven-dors that can be used in our respective practices. However, that does not mean that the funding you provide is simply a charitable act of giving. Instead, think of your sponsorship as an investment.
When you sponsor the YLD, you are making an investment in the young lawyers, the Bar Association, and in the City of Baltimore. While we may not be able to effectuate the kind of change that would give you a short-term re-turn on that investment, remember that we will not be young lawyers forever. Young associates will become partners, solo practitioners, managing partners and even judges, and when they do, they will remember the names and faces of those that helped them along the way. We promise to remember our sponsors and donors and to give back when we have the decision-making power and finances to do so.
Young Lawyers’ Division UpdateAnd Now … A Word to
Our Sponsors
Samuel Pulver
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!AUGUST 10
SLS Virtual Trivia Tournament
AUGUST 30
End of Summer Members’ Reception
SEPTEMBER 14
SLS Virtual Trivia Tournament
OCTOBER 6
CLE — Maryland UM/UIM Litigation,
including an Introduction to the
Enhanced Underinsured Motorist (EUIM) Law
OCTOBER 7
Senior Legal Services Fundraiser – Cabaret & Cabernet
OCTOBER 20
BABC Crab Feast at Bo Brooks
DECEMBER 11
New York City Bus Trip
Monday, August 9, 2021 TheDailyRecoRD.com 9A
THE BAR ASSOCIATION OF BALTIMORE CITY
SUSTAINING MEMBERS 2021 - 2022The BABC thanks the following members for
their generous support!Robert D. Anbinder
Hon. Edward J. AngelettiJohn C.M. Angelos
Jonathan M. BinstockRichard T. Bittner
Hon. Pamila J. BrownHon. Catherine Chen
Sara El-ShallRobert L. Ferguson, Jr.
Hon. Joan Bossmann GordonMilos JovanovicDarren L. Kadish
Hon. Robert B. KershawThomas J. Maronick
Hon. Lynn Stewart MaysHon. John P. MillerJames W. Motsay
Alice G. PinderhughesDivya Potdar
Michael P. ScanlonPaul D. SheltonElva E. Tillman
Hon. Anthony F. VittoriaJohn Warshawsky
Christopher R. WestMark A. Yost, Jr
Coming Soon...Coming Soon...
Cabaret & CabernetCabaret & Cabernet
Senior Legal ServicesSenior Legal Services PresentsPresents
October 7, 2021October 7, 2021
Senior Legal Services
Senior Legal Services
Virtual Trivia Tournament
Virtual Trivia Tournament
remaining
remaining
Games
Games
August 10
August 10
7:00 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.
7:00 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.
Game time:
Game time:
two ways
two ways
to play:
to play:
$15/person per player
$15/person per player
Register a team of
Register a team of
1-8 players:
1-8 players:
$150
$150
pre-register a team of up
pre-register a team of up
to 8 for both games:
to 8 for both games:
Trophy will be awarded to teamTrophy will be awarded to teamwith highest total score afterwith highest total score aftertournament. All proceeds totournament. All proceeds to
benefit Senior Legal Services.benefit Senior Legal Services.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ONFOR MORE INFORMATION ONTOURNAMENT, SPONSORSHIP,TOURNAMENT, SPONSORSHIP,
OR TO REGISTER, E-MAILOR TO REGISTER, E-MAIL
play 1, or play BOTH!
play 1, or play BOTH!
[email protected]@baltimorebar.org
September 14
September 14
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR LAW FIRM SPONSORS
Albers & Associates
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC
Law Offices of Peter T. Nicholl
Silverman, Thompson, Slutkin & White, LLC
Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP
Goodell, DeVries, Leech & Dann, LLP
Gordon Feinblatt LLC
Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP
Wright, Constable & Skeen, L.L.P.
Adelberg, Rudow, Dorf & Hendler, LLC
Baxter, Baker, Sidle, Conn & Jones, P.A.
Bekman, Marder & Adkins, LLC
Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP
Fedder & Garten, P.A.
Ferguson, Schetelich, & Ballew, P.A.
Law Offices of Frank F. Daily, P.A.
Kramon & Graham, P.A.
Niles, Barton & Wilmer, LLP
Rosenberg Martin Greenberg, LLP
Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler, P.A.
Shawe & Rosenthal LLP
For information about our sponsorship program, visit us at
www.baltimorebar.org, email [email protected], or call
Bar headquarters at 410.539.5936.
Monday, August 9, 202110A TheDailyRecoRD.com
Special Thanks to Our Annual Corporate Sponsors
The Bar Association of Baltimore City encourages its members to patronize
the following businesses that generously support our organization. When you
contact our sponsors, please mention this ad and that you are a member of the Bar
Association of Baltimore City.
PLATINUM SPONSORS
Bar Association Insurance Agency, Inc. Jessica Storck 240-422-8799
The Daily Record Suzanne Fischer-Huettner 443-524-8103
The McCammon Group Chelsea Williams 804-433-2257
GOLD SPONSORS
CRC Salomon Robert Deziel 410-821-4888
SILVER SPONSORS
BarPrepHero Diana Lower 1-800-392-2170
Byte Right Support John Pardoe 410-347-2983
Ellin & Tucker Lawrence M. Pullen
CPA/ABV/CFF, ASA 410-727-5735
Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic Dr. Marc Gulitz, D.C. 443-500-4444
Multi-Specialty Health Care Nanci Testoni 410-215-8104
Vallit Advisors, LLC Mark Norris 443-482-9500
For information about Sponsorship Opportunities, call Bar Headquarter at 410-539-5936.
Save the Date
END OF SUMMERMEMBERS' RECEPTION
MONDAY, AUGUST 305:30 PM - 7:30 PMLOCATION TBA
Monday, August 9, 2021 TheDailyRecoRD.com 11A
BABC CRAB FEASTBABC CRAB FEAST @ BO BROOKS@ BO BROOKS
October 20, 2021October 20, 20215:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Join us for some food, fun,Join us for some food, fun, and of course, crabs!and of course, crabs!
ALL FRIENDS & FAMILYALL FRIENDS & FAMILY OF THE BABC INVITED!OF THE BABC INVITED!
Sponsor the
Bar Association
of Baltimore
City TODAY!
Whether you're a Law Firm or a local business, the BABC hasmany sponsorship opportunities to fit your needs. If you'reinterested in reaching out to attorneys or the legal community,contact Karen Fast at [email protected].
NEW YORK CITY
NEW YORK CITY
BUS
BUS
TRIP
TRIP
