Over the next few weeks, I will be wrapping up my term as President of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois (CLII). A member since it was created in 2002, I have served in many capacities as it has evolved from a grassroots group of professionals committed to humanizing the divorce process to a more structured organization with multiple initiatives.
Serving on the Board and as President gives a person greater appreciation for all the challenges involved in balancing perspectives and priorities. Communication is so important. A few years ago, as friends of mine left the organization, it lead me to see how important it is to build and maintain community.
Reflecting on my contribution over the last several years, I am thankful for the support of many. I’ve supported initiatives that have brought the organization greater visibility and, hopefully, better internal communication.
- An updated, more user-friendly website that is getting more traffic due to a social media and marketing strategy;
- Golf Outing and Anniversary Celebration this past summer that brought CLII alumni and newcomers together to celebrate all that we have accomplished as an organization and to honor those who have helped to build it;
- Passage of the Illinois Collaborative Process Act, which CLII members have been advocating for many years;
- Stabilized membership with a focus on retaining existing members and attracting new members through our programs and networking opportunities; and
- Data collection process to gather information on Collaborative cases so that we can learn from each other.
It has been a fun 18 months, and it will soon be time to pass the leadership torch to the new officers. I will continue to promote Collaborative and give of my time and talent in many ways!
