In 1985, I saw an employment ad for a CLE Director at the Idaho Law Foundation. I asked a lawyer friend of mine about it, noting I am not a lawyer, and he said, “I don’t think you need to be.” Thus, in October 1985, I was hired as the CLE Director, and 39 years later I am still standing. At the time, I thought I would stay at least three years because the ABA Annual Meeting was scheduled for Hawaii in 1989, and I didn’t want to miss that opportunity, Then, in 1990, I was hired as the Executive Director, to replace my friend and colleague, Dennis Harwick.

There are a few things I’ve learned about lawyers. First, always be prepared; lawyers are intelligent, inquisitive, and like to question and argue—sometimes just for the sake of doing so. If you don’t provide enough information, it prolongs the discussion because lawyers love to analyze and speculate. Lawyers litigate words, so they can spend a lot of time discussing whether to use “shall” or “will.” Their goal is to get it “right,” regardless of whether it is material. Most importantly, lawyers care; they are committed to service, improving the profession, and helping the public. Many of them volunteer their time and resources freely. And I cannot say enough about the respect and civility I was always accorded, particularly in those early years when I was often the only woman in the room.

The Bar and Foundation would not be able to carry out our mission and goals without our many volunteers. You simply can’t do this job properly without these committed volunteers plus our very capable staff, both of whom I have been fortunate to have. It is impossible for me to thank the many lawyers, judges, and staff members that have been there for me during my almost four decades.

However, I owe much of my success to my early mentors who supported and trusted me before I had any experience in the job. First, Judge Mike Oths; we started at the Bar about six months apart and we worked together for 17 years. He became a judge and continued to serve in many volunteer positions, including as a Bar Commissioner and Bar President. He has been a trusted colleague and friend from the beginning. Second, Tim Hopkins and Dave Gadda; two of the board members who hired me. Tim was always supportive and willing to help and provide good counsel. Dave was responsible for the agreement between the Bar and Foundation that allowed us to buy the land and build The Law Center. Third, Mark Nye; for those of you who knew him, he was a man of few words. When he spoke, he had something important to say and you listened.

And finally, former Chief Justice Bob Bakes. He is kind, gracious, and professional. He had a way of letting you know when you hadn’t done something quite right that made you feel good. He was always supportive and trusted me to do the job, even when I wasn’t sure I knew what to do. This work is challenging, interesting, and has been very rewarding. So many of the Bar leaders and staff have become good friends—relationships I do and will cherish.

The good news is that we have a committed, competent, and experienced staff, who will continue to fulfill our mission to oversee the regulation of the profession and provide services to the leadership, membership, and public. I will miss the staff and the many volunteers who I have had the privilege of working with over the past 39 years. I know and trust that our good work will continue.