CHAIRPERSON'S
MESSAGE
by Stephen R. Romine*
"A TIME TO SOW" ECCLESIASTES 3:2
As I reflect back, this Bar year was a time of sowing. Even though it passed
quickly, much was accomplished and the benefits from the changes we have adopted
will be realized for years to come. Unfortunately, the life of the Section Chair
is a mere four meetings. As you may not know, various strategic and long-range
initiatives were implemented. They included a restructuring of the Section's
committees, reexamination of the Section's purpose and mission with a view towards
improving service to our membership, and a system of accountability to increase
and enhance contributions to the FEE SIMPLE newsletter.
The Section's committees were consolidated into six broad substantive committees and four standing committees. The substantive committees are: Commercial Real Estate, Creditor's Rights and Bankruptcy, Ethics, Land Use & Environmental, Title Insurance, and Residential Real Estate. The four standing committees are: FEE SIMPLE Newsletter, Programs, Membership, and Technology. By reducing the number of committees and broadening their focuses, we expect to increase meaningful participation and interaction among members. Each committee is led by one or more seasoned Board members who will focus on the area of specialty assigned to the committee. (See the Committee listings and member assignments in the back of this issue). The committees are responsible for providing seminar topics and speakers for the Section's CLE programs and for producing articles of interest for publication in the FEE SIMPLE. The committees will also be encouraged to meet during each of the regularly scheduled quarterly meetings. This will provide a time for exchange of ideas and discussion of committee work. It should also improve communication within the Section. All members of the Section are invited to join one or more of the newly reconstituted committees.
The second initiative arose from feedback received from Area Representatives. As is probably true of most sections of the Bar, our history has not been well documented. Some of our time-honored practices may no longer be useful or relevant. The Section is exploring ways to become more user friendly and increase value to its members. To this end, the Section is planning a retreat in Charlottesville this Fall to discuss the Section's mission and to talk about ways to serve our membership better.
The FEE SIMPLE newsletter has served the Section well. No other Section, to my knowledge, has consistently provided such a high quality publication for its members. It is published twice a year and affords any member of the Section the opportunity to author articles of interest. Each of the Committees has been assigned responsibility to provide articles to the Newsletter at least once a year. The newsletter format remains informal and welcomes submissions of articles of all types, ranging from brief case summaries to topical essays. By placing responsibility on the Committees for the success of the FEE SIMPLE, we have given the Committees another responsibility and have established a system whereby quality contributions will be assured on a regular basis.
I would be remiss if I did not thank the Board of Governors and Area Representatives for their support and commitment this year. I am also pleased with the progress the Section has made in recruiting the next generation of leadership. The Section is attracting younger lawyers who are becoming more involved. This recruitment effort has been achieved, by and large, through a one-on-one effort of Board members. In closing, I want to thank Paula Caplinger and Larry McElwain for all their contributions this year. They have done a terrific job, and with their leadership next year and beyond, the Section's future is bright.
Thanks again for the privilege of serving this year. I hope to see you at the annual meeting on June 20th in Virginia Beach.
*Stephen R. Romine is a shareholder with LeClair Ryan, P.C., practicing in commercial real estate, in Norfolk, Virginia. He is also the Chair of the Board of Governors of the Real Property Section of the Virginia State Bar.