Puget Sound Association of Legal Administrators : Spirit of PSALA

Lifetime members are those individuals who have rendered extraordinary service to the Puget Sound Chapter and upon whom the Chapter Board has conferred such status. In 2003, the Lifetime Membership award became the Spirit of PSALA Award. The Spirit of PSALA is not an annual award, it is only given in recognition of extraordinary service to the Puget Sound Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators. These distinguished members are as follows.

Carol Anne Nitsche, CLM (2007)
There are few people in our Chapter who have come close to the level of service and dedication Carol Anne has exhibited over the past several years. Serving as Chapter President in 2004-05 was just the beginning. She has been Secretary, Soundings Co-Editor, and Welcoming Co-Chair (two separate terms). At the International level, Carol Anne served on the Region 5 Management Team as Communications Officer, followed by serving as a member of ALA's Board of Directors as Region 5 Director.

Carol Anne has actively served on almost every Committee in our Chapter, including Community Service, Diversity, Vendor Relations, Nominating, Managing Partners Dinner, Visibility, and the Annual Conference Arrangements Committee for the 2008 Seattle Conference. She has written articles for Soundings and been a speaker for various Chapter meetings and sessions, including the CLM Study Group. She was an active member of the Business Skills Curriculum CLE Series for Attorneys Task Force for three and a half years, helping our Chapter bring this important program to fruition for the benefit not only of our Chapter but all of ALA.

Carol Anne’s behind-the-scenes roles include serving as a mentor in our Chapter Mentor Program, sharing news and events about Chapter members with Cheers! and Soundings, and welcoming new members to Chapter meetings on a regular basis. On top of all that, she is one of our most cheerful, positive, encouraging Chapter members and provides a balanced “voice” on the Chapter Board. Her International Board involvement never diminished her participation in Chapter activites, and her behind-the-scenes contributions will undoubtedly continue for many years to come.

Rita Alli (2006)
Rita's professionalism shines forth in everything she does. She is well spoken, intelligent, and always diplomatic. She is a wonderful representative of our Chapter and our profession, whether she is welcoming newcomers, introducing speakers at a Business Skills CLE session, speaking at a Regional Conference, or writing an article for Soundings. She is definitely a role model for how to look, behave, and be a thorough professional.

Not only has Rita become a favorite speaker at Regional Conferences, but her writing skills are excellent (see “What They Don’t Teach in Law School,” Soundings, October 2005 issue). Her role in developing the BSC series for associates and the more recent Chapter Mentor Program can’t be praised highly enough. Rita worked on our FALA grant with the rest of the Committee members to reach its current highly successful level. Similarly, the Chapter Mentor Program was developed into a program through Rita’s knowledge, interest, and wherewithal. She brought in Kristina Moris to provide professional training, modified her firm’s mentor forms for our Chapter’s needs, and matched up our mentors and mentees. She’s been running the program almost single-handed since its kick-off in October. Both programs developed new approaches and techniques, and contributed to the knowledge, skills, and abilities of associates, legal administrators, and the profession as a whole.

The amount of time Rita spent on the BSC series cannot be measured, but it has spanned 2-1/2 years so far, with at least one more year to go before we start a modified repeat of the program. She helped coordinate the Committee’s efforts; suggested and vetted a number of the speakers; worked together with others to draft, review, and revise the workbook turned over to FALA; and handled the facilities, catering, and session management duties for nearly all of the sessions. The amount of time she spent on the Chapter Mentor Program was intense, although for a shorter period of time. During the course of both programs, she also served ALA and our Chapter as a Regional Officer.

Past service to the Chapter and ALA includes:

International Conference Committee (1995-97)
Community Service Co-Chair (1997-99)
President-Elect (1999-2000)
President (2000-01)
Immediate Past President (2001-02)
Website Committee member (1999-2001)
Vendor Relations Committee member (1999-2001)
Logo Design Committee member (1999-2000)
Managing Partners Dinner Committee Chair and member (1997-2001)
Welcoming Committee Co-Chair (2002-03, 2005-06)
Region 5 Officer (2003-05)
ALA International At Large Director (2006-08)
ALA International President-Elect (2009-10)

Rita stayed involved with our Chapter long after her three-year Presidential term and is now a credit to our Chapter on the ALA International Board.

Julie Brandsness (2003)
At the May 2003 Volunteer Recognition luncheon, Julie was presented with the Spirit of PSALA Award to acknowledge her extraordinary service to the Chapter. Julie was the first member of the Chapter to receive the Spirit award, as it had previously been referred to as the Lifetime Member award.

Julie is the Executive Director of GordonDerr. She has been with the firm for over 28 years, starting as a legal secretary/receptionist in 1980.

An active member of ALA since 1985, Julie has held numerous leadership positions at both the Chapter level and International level. For the Puget Sound Chapter, her positions have included Co-Editor of Soundings; President-Elect; President; Immediate Past President; Co-Chair of the Welcoming Committee; and Publicity Chair. Julie has also served on almost every committee the Chapter has. At the International level, Julie served as a Regional Officer from 2003-05, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Association representing Region 5 from 2005-07. She has also been a member of the following committees, the International Conference Arrangements Committee for the 1997 Seattle International ALA Conference, the International Vendor Relations Committee from 2000-2002, Chapter Vendor Relations Committee, Awards Committee, Chapter Web Site Committee, and a Law Office Management Institute and Expo speaker. She is a current member of the Past Presidents Council.

Julie's contributions to our chapter are many, and she is the embodiment of the Spirit of ALA.

Char Coulbert (2000)
Char Coulbert, the consummate ALA Puget Sound Chapter volunteer, was pleasantly surprised at the April 2000 Chapter Luncheon to be presented with the Chapter's Lifetime Membership Award. Char has been the Executive Director of Cairncross & Hempelmann, P.S., since its inception in 1987.

Char's active membership in the Puget Sound Chapter began in 1988. Since then, we have all tried to figure out how she does such a tremendous job at everything she takes on. Her list of service includes: 89-90 Small Firm Section Co-Chair, 90-94 Secretary, 94-95 President-Elect, 95-96 President, 95-97 International Conference Committee Chair, 96-97 Immediate Past President and Region 5 Communications Officer, 97-98 International Officer, 98-00 Vendor Relations Committee, 98-01 Region 5 Director, and 99-00 PSALA Website Committee and Certification Study Group Chair. In addition, Char served as Newsletter Co-Editor in 2001-02, and as Co-Director of the Vendor Relations Committee in 2006-07. Char is a frequent and sought after speaker at continuing education seminars for ALA and the Washington State Bar Association. She is also the author of many articles regarding legal management for various ALA newsletters and magazines. Many of us aspire to have the qualities of leadership and dedication to the organization that Char possesses. We are all very appreciative and proud of Char's accomplishments, and she is most deserving of this prestigious award.

Sylvia Hershberger (1999)
On August 26, 1999 at the Summer Social, Sylvia was presented with the Puget Sound Chapter's Lifetime Membership Award.

Sylvia started her professional career as the Legal Administrator at Tousley Brain and spent a number of years at Riddell Williams as the Human Resources/Operations Manager. She has since retired.

Since joining ALA in August 1986, Sylvia has served the Puget Sound Chapter in the following capacities: 91-92 Human Resources Section Co-Chair, 92-93 Welcoming Committee Co-Chair (and founder), Cheers Committee Chair (and founder), 93-94 President-Elect, Cheers (consultant), Managing Partners Dinner Chair, 94-95 President, Vendor Relations Committee, Nominating Committee, 95-96 Past President, 97-98 Region 5 Officer, 98-99 Region 5 Officer, Nominating Committee, Region 5 Conference Committee, 99-20 Welcoming Committee Co-Chair and Past Presidents Council. Sylvia was awarded this honor for her strong commitment, creativity and continuous service to the Puget Sound Chapter.

Betty Fox Paulsen (1997)
Betty received the Puget Sound Chapter's Lifetime Membership Award at the Summer Social in August 1997. Betty was the Legal Administrator at Treece, Richdale, Malone, Corning & Abbott for over ten years. She has since retired.

In March of 1986, Betty joined the Puget Sound Chapter. The following is a list of her service: 90-91 President-Elect, 91-92 President, 92-93 Past President, 93-94 Northwest Legal Seminar and Expo Co-Chair, 94-95 Bar Liaison, Regional Conference Committee, Nominating Committee, 95-96 Bar Liaison. 96-97 Bar Liaison and Past Presidents Council. Betty was awarded this honor for serving the Puget Sound Chapter as its first Bar Liaison and for her outstanding efforts creating a strong working relationship with the Washington State Bar Association.

Dagmar Selfors (1995)
Dagmar became the Puget Sound Chapter's first Lifetime member in 1995. She spent her entire professional career managing the Seattle Office of the Attorney General. She has since retired.

In 1984, Dagmar joined ALA and served the Puget Sound Chapter in the following capacities: 85-86 Secretary, 87-88 Publicity, 88-89 President-Elect, 89-90 President, 90-91Past President and Survey Committee, 91-92 Membership Drive Chair, 93-94 Northwest Legal Seminar & Expo Committee and Nominating Committee, 94-95 Regional Conference Committee, 95-96 Welcoming Committee, International Conference Planning Committee and Past Presidents Council. Dagmar received this honor for her exemplary service and outstanding efforts solidifying attendance at Puget Sound Chapter events.