November 2020

Capital Connection is published monthly for members of the Capital Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators to provide information for the education and benefit of legal administrators, law office managers, managing partners of law firms, and other law related associations. Capital Connection is not engaged in rendering legal, financial, or tax counseling or advice through this publication.  The contents of all articles, letters, and advertisements published in Capital Connection should not be considered endorsements by the Capital Chapter of ALA nor the opinion expressed therein of any products advertised.   Contributing authors are requested and expected to disclose financial and/or professional interests and affiliations that may influence their writing position. Articles and materials accepted for publication are subject to editing by the editorial team and become property of the Capital Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators. Links to Capital Connection may not be shared without permission from the Chapter. 
Editors: Cindy Conover;  Beth Fowler
​Contributing Editors: Jackie Johnson; Chester Elton; Adrian Gostick; Hilltop Consultants; Intelliteach; Heinan Landa; David Campbell
Newsletter Designed By: Jessica Davis


In this issue:

President's Message: A Conversation Over Coffee – The Election

“Every situation in life is temporary.  So, when life is good, make sure you enjoy and receive it fully.  And when life is not so good, remember that it will not last forever and better days are on the way.”  
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- Jenni Young
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My intention for this month’s President’s message was definitely NOT to be talking about the election.  Who wants to bite that political bullet??  But as fate would have it, here we are with a message about the election.  And truth be told, I have gotten real raw with you all over the last few months – we have talked about racism and inequality and I often throw religion into the mix in subtle ways - so why not politics? 

We know the important thing is that however you vote, you at least vote.  Depending on which side of the projected presidential win you fall, you may be ecstatic and think all is right with the world and life is good, or you may be feeling really deflated, hoping for a recount or that life is not so good and will not be for awhile.  It is hard to be on the winning side and have grace for those on the losing side and it is hard to be on the losing side and be joyful for those on the winning side.  This goes for anything in life, but this election specifically seems to be making it even harder.  We have lost sight of the fact that some of those people on the “other side” are our friends, family and colleagues.

My husband keeps trying to convince me to run for Congress, or at least local office and I keep telling him I am not that interested or invested in politics.  He thinks that gives me an advantage. I think it at least helps in writing this message and perhaps a future career in speech-writing should this administrator gig not work out.  I have always fallen somewhere in the middle when it comes to politics.  I recently made it official and changed my political party to Independent - sorry Mom and Dad.  If you have ever had a conversation with me, whether I agree with one side or the other, I often will play devil’s advocate, because I think we should always see things from every side.  It is the only way we can truly understand each other, but that may be the sociology major in me.  I also believe that everyone gets the right to vote however you want to vote and I think we need to respect that.  I think that loss of respect for the individual has also been lost on some of us in this election.  
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But if we can remain positive, support each other, learn from this election and hope TOGETHER for a better future, how can we lose?  Further, I think we can all agree that this election at least provided some hilarious memes which I use below.  Here are some positive lessons learned from this election that I think we can all use in our personal and professional lives.  
  • I bet Kanye won Nevada and they don’t know how to tell us.  Check your source.  When President Trump posted his victory on Twitter they tagged his message “Some or all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process.”  There are folks leaving Twitter and Facebook and joining a less censored platform because of this.  Remember how last month we talked about the truth and how it is seldom told?  Well the truth is, sometimes maybe we should be censored from speaking what our inside voice has to say – and I am not just talking about politics.  Our inside voice, the one in our head who sometimes tells us we are not worthy or smart enough or good-looking enough, the one who places doubt in our minds about whether we are good at our jobs, or being a leader or being a parent. That voice needs to be censored.  And while we are at it, do not be driven by the outside voices of others’ opinions or the comparison game of trying to keep up with the Jones’s on Facebook.  Check your source.  Is the source trustworthy?  Are they biased?  Does the source have proper credentials on the subject matter, or - wait for it - do they have YOUR best interest in mind?  Not everyone’s advice or opinion for you is for your good, including your own negative opinions.  The voices we respond to are the ones we are surrounded by and those voices become viewpoints.  Be careful who you put in your line of sight and check your sources.  ​

  • The fate of the country is in the hands of Pennsylvania?  Are we sure?  Because I went to high school with some of these people and I just don’t know.  A city divided will not stand.  Easy my fellow Pennsylvanians!  I can use this meme since I did actually grow up in Pennsylvania.  I went back and forth on whether to make this bullet “think before you speak,” or “if you have nothing nice to say, do not say anything at all.”  But I think “every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined and every city or household divided against itself will not stand” captures fully the lesson we need to learn from this election.  We need to be building each other up instead of tearing each other down.  We need to embrace differences in opinion because just like diversity, the more differences and views we bring to the table, the better we collectively are.  We cannot fix something we do not understand.  Just because you stand tall on one side of the aisle does not mean that everyone else does too and that is ok.  A lot of us fall in between.  They say there are always three sides to a story – yours, mine and the truth.  And whether you agree with one side or the other, please stop for a minute to reflect on the fact that the anger, disgust and some really ugly words make you quite literally no better than what you are in return calling the other side.  It is that old adage, be kind for everyone you meet may be fighting a battle you know nothing about.  I also ask you to think twice before saying something demeaning about the election or someone’s race (or really, anything negative), because the little ears around you are listening.  They may not be able to hear you ask them to finish their schoolwork, but they surely hear you talk to yourself about how much weight you have gained or that you shouldn’t have that piece of cake and now they begin to question their own bodies.  Words have power. Speak life and not death.  When we divide ourselves there is no way for us to be able to stand and we will surely topple.  We are too great of a nation for that.    ​
 
  • Make sure to wear shoes, ladies.  There‘s glass everywhere.  Be encouraged.  Women made history, but as Kamala Harris said herself, “I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last, because every little girl watching tonight sees that this a country of possibilities.”  How much more encouragement do you need than that?  Regardless of your political party, I am certain you know and love someone who will benefit from this.  Our children and grandchildren, the neighbor child -- they can learn from and aspire to be anything they want to be.  Is that not all we could ask for?  Our children are our future, so as I mentioned above, be careful what you speak because they are listening.  In addition to women making history, a number of transgender candidates were elected or re-elected (including Sarah McBride who became the first transgender state senator in U.S. history), as well as numerous other elections of openly gay or queer candidates, including a number of queer people of color.  Do not miss the significance of this for all Americans and let it encourage you.  Representation matters, especially when policy decisions are being made.  There is a lot of good happening in the country right now if you just look for it.  Be encouraged by the same in your own life.  It may feel like it is hard to be grateful for much these days, but find joy in everything you can.  I try to write down three things every morning that I am grateful for from the previous day.  I will be honest, some days my gratitude journal says I woke up today or I am thankful for coffee, but as a friend pointed out, at least I am on the right side of the grass. 


  • They’re trying to use that new math to count the votes, aren’t they?  Do not take things for granted.  A record number of Americans got out and voted this year.  While final numbers are still being tallied, they have already reached nearly 160 million people, which is two-thirds of Americans eligible to vote -- a number not seen in more than a century.  The positive in this is that Americans stopped taking the right to vote for granted.  Young people registered to vote in record numbers.  And we saw an increase of corporations and nonprofits giving employees time off to vote or to work the polls.  Even with the challenges of COVID, we still showed up because it was important.  We need to remember this in all areas of our life, especially at this time when everything feels so out of control and uncertain.  We should not take for granted the extra time we have to spend at home, the time some of us have to help grow our children (even if that includes virtual learning and that new math) and the time we have to ourselves from our busy, over scheduled lives.  Use that time for personal growth, to take up a new hobby or to learn a new skill, or if nothing else, get some extra sleep if your commute has shortened from an hour each way to 5 minutes to the kitchen table.  
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  • From the year that brought you “Six Months of April,” welcome to “Tuesday, Part 3.”  Press pause and breathe.  I read one article that said “this presidential cliff-hanger is reminding our binge-watching society accustomed to instant gratification what suspense really is.”  How many of us would have liked to just hit that “play next episode” button several times over the last week or so?  This election is teaching us that we need to have patience, that every vote counts and that it is entirely okay to hit pause on that Netflix show, or put down the work email for a minute and go smell the fresh air, because honestly, the world is not going to stop turning if we do.  As I mention above, do not take life for granted.  Life will never be like this exact moment again and I think if we are honest, as much as we want to go back to normal, we will miss certain aspects of the now. 

I am about to get real real.  Our default should be kindness, empathy and a desire to learn and understand each other, not judge because none of us wants to be judged.  Do not assume - it makes a you know what out of you and me!  It also hurts lots of feelings in the process.  Just because we are living in a fairly liberal area, not everyone aligns that way politically.  Even though the candidate I voted for won (sorry again Mom and Dad), when you say things for instance like how racist and awful Republicans are, please understand you could be talking about your friend’s parents - who are neither racist nor stupid people.  They may be simpler than you are used to, but they welcomed my black husband into our family with open arms and never once discouraged me from loving him.  You may be talking about your friend’s spouse who runs a small business and taxes matter.  You may even be talking about your friend who, because of how you talk, will not even tell you how they voted.  And while you feel like maybe you should not be friends with anyone who can support the other candidate, maybe you should really look inward and think maybe they should not be friends with you.  Because ultimately, who is spreading the hate and the hurt?  Be better.  Practice what you preach.  Love everyone.  
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If you recall last September we had a presentation by Freedom Rider Joan Mulholland and her son Loki.  Loki had a post the other day on LinkedIn about his neighbor being a Trump supporter. And while they do not agree with each other when it comes to politics, they are still neighbors who help each other.  He was going for a walk one morning and saw the neighbor’s Trump sign in the middle of the road, and while Trump does not stand for anything he believes in, he also believes that there should be some level of civility.  If we could all see things this way, I think we might surprise ourselves.  As I was writing this and looked at my bookshelf in my bedroom, I noticed that the cleaners had put my angel statues back facing each other.  These are the stupid things that I notice each month when they leave – the attention to detail is a curse of our jobs, right?  Then I realized that strangely enough, everything else on that shelf, the other plaques and pictures, in each of them, the subjects were turned into each other.  Turn toward each other instead of away.  That is how we stand firm--together.
Jackie Johnson

New and Returning ALA Capital Chapter Members

Scott Zoeller
Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck, P.C.
647 14th St., N.W. 
Suite 800
Washington, DC 20005
szoeller@rfem.com

Sacha Bhoorasingh, SHRM-SCP, PHR
Arent Fox LLP
1717 K St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20006
sacha.bhoorasingh@arentfox.com
Taylor Betancourt
Perkins Coie LLP
700 13th St., N.W.
Suite 800
Washington, DC 20005
tbetancourt@perkinscoie.com

LinkedIn Poll Finds Today’s #1 People Issue

Chester Elton and Adrian Gostick​

With COVID-19 changing the way we work and interact on the job, we asked 713 working adults in September 2020 to identify the #1 people issue their organization is currently facing.

Almost half (47%) said worker “anxiety” is their company’s biggest issue, specifically “Addressing increased employee stress and worries.” This should be no surprise given the turmoil caused by the pandemic, economic concerns, civil unrest, and other challenges facing team members in their work and persona lives. Yet in a separate 2019 survey of 1,000 employed adults with anxiety, 90 percent believed it would be a bad idea to confide their anxious feelings to their bosses. Sad.

The second-most frequently cited top-people issue in the survey (at 28%) was “motivation,” defined as “Keeping team members motivated and productive.” The third-most cited response was “Culture,” specifically “Maintaining organizational culture in a remote environment,” which received 22% of the votes. “Other” received 4% of the votes.

What all these results show is that managers can no longer afford to ignore the soft side of business. Being attuned to mental well-being, motivating staff, and building a robust culture are now the skills that keep people moving forward toward goals that are important. This means managers must drill down below the “fine” to find out how people are truly doing and what they can do to help day-to-day.

We’ve found the organizations that are doing the best with people issues in these troubled times are providing training to help their managers learn how engage workers despite the distractions and uncertainty. Let’s face it, after six months of lock-down and remote work, most of us are feeling burned out and many people are losing their focus. Understanding team members unique motivators is more important than ever; and helping craft assignments that will be specifically motivating to them can produce tremendous results.

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The LinkedIn Poll was conducted by Chester Elton from September 7-14, 2020, and 713 working adults voted. Respondents replied to the question, “With COVID-19 changing the way we work and interact on the job, what is the #1 people-issue your organization is currently facing?” For their New York Times bestselling books, Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton have surveyed more than 1 million employees over the past two decades.

Socially Distancing In The Workplace

Hilltop Consultants

While so many people have been able to work from home during the pandemic, there are many jobs that simply require a physical presence. There are often colleagues who may not take the virus seriously and even seem offended when others wear masks. This makes it difficult for those who are doing everything they can to stay healthy and keep others safe.

Some common concerns of social distancing include:
  • Customers and clients who won’t wear masks or keep a safe distance.
  • Physical work space that makes it difficult to stay apart in close quarters.
  • Jobs, like healthcare, child care, and elderly care roles, that require close contact.
  • Touching surfaces that others have touched, even though it is uncertain as to how much that might transmit the virus.

As more people are starting to go back into non-remote workplaces, even part-time, these concerns remain prevalent. There is a heightened risk with more people touching common objects, like doorknobs, copiers, refrigerators, and microwaves, and then possibly touching their faces.

There are things you can do to practice safe distancing if you want (or need) to go back into an office, warehouse, store, restaurant, or care-giving environment.

​Practice being assertive about social distancing
Remember this is about self-protection and public safety. Depending on your level of comfort, you might consider saying something like:
  • “I am going to take a few steps back, if you don’t mind. I’m high-risk / trying to stay safe to protect my elderly parents.”
  • “Can we have this conversation over the phone or instant messenger?”
  • “I would be more comfortable if we both have masks on. Thanks so much.”
  • “I’m going to step over here for our conversation.” Or simply take a few steps back.

Wear a mask
​This reduces the risk of spreading the virus, even in close quarters. Set an example; people will often put theirs on if they see that you are wearing one.
  • Make sure it covers your nose and mouth. Otherwise, it’s not effective.
  • Ensure that it is effective; if you can blow out a candle while wearing it, it is not thick enough. Double up or get another type of mask.
  • Avoid touching the mask with unwashed hands.
  • Keep it on as much as possible around others to reduce the risk of contamination.

Ask about implementing safe office policies
​Workplace policies make it easier to be assertive with colleagues, if necessary. You may also want to ask a supervisor or the human resources department to implement the following recommendations (which are suggested by OSHA):
  • Install partitions to create more barriers.
  • Use tape to mark off 6 feet, so people can easily distance.
  • Implement flexible work hours.
  • Workers should stay home if they are sick.
  • If you start to feel sick while you are at work, you should stay out of common areas and try to leave as soon as possible.

​Know your legal rights
There are legal rights to protect people during COVID-19.
  • Those with disabilities and at high-risk can request reasonable accommodations, which could include working from home.
  • The Families First Coronavirus Response Act entitles most people to more paid family medical leave, if needed to care for sick family member.
  • If necessary, consult a lawyer to explore rights if you feel like you are being put in danger.

Ask about working an alternate schedule
  • Even coming in for a few days a week (and working remotely the rest of the time) reduces the overall risk of getting and spreading the virus.
  • If working from home isn’t possible, ask about an alternative schedule, like staggered shifts, early or late shifts, or weekend work.

While going back to work can offer a much-needed change from the monotony of sheltering in place at home, it often comes with anxiety, in addition to the physical risks. Social distancing continues to be the best way to keep ourselves and others safe. Even those who are not afraid of the virus should be mindful of others. Stay vigilant, don’t let your guard down, and don’t be afraid to speak up to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Intelliteach Bolsters IT Solutions with Acquisition of Leading Legal  Managed Services Provider Hilltop Consultants

Intelliteach, a global provider of outsourcing solutions in the legal industry, announced  internally this week the acquisition of Hilltop Consultants. The combination of Intelliteach  and Hilltop’s suite of solutions & capabilities will accelerate the company to one of the  most comprehensive Global IT Managed Service providers in the Legal Industry. 
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“We are thrilled to be combining with Hilltop Consultants. Hilltop’s team will further expand  our Legal Managed Services business. We are now better positioned to address the  changing operational needs of our Clients and Industry,” says Intelliteach CEO Seelin  Naidoo. “Their breadth of experience is a great fit for our offering, from which Intelliteach  can continue to grow and accelerate how we serve the Legal market.” 

With more than 400 clients in the Legal Industry, Intelliteach provides clients with its highly  effective and cost-efficient Help Desk support, profit enhancing Accounts Receivable and  eBilling Managed Services, along with a full suite of IT Managed Services. 

Through this acquisition, Intelliteach will add services provided by Hilltop Consultants,  including cybersecurity, network & infrastructure support, business continuity consulting,  and enterprise implementation roadmaps, which execute document management  systems, time and billing programs, and other specialized applications. 

“For the past 10 years, my goal has been to build an amazing legal focused Managed IT  Services firm with a global reach,” says Jim Turner, CEO of Hilltop Consultants. “Intelliteach and Boston Ventures are making this goal a reality. Our  combined team is made up of some of the most talented Legal IT professionals in the  business. I could not be more excited to join forces with Intelliteach.” 

Following this acquisition, Hilltop Consultants will continue to operate under its name while  leveraging additional support, scale and management from Intelliteach. The combined  experience will improve service line offerings to each company’s clients through improved  response times, a broader service offering and leading-edge technologies. 

"We are excited to add Hilltop Consultants and its founder, Jim Turner, to the Intelliteach  family,” says Matt Kinsey, senior managing director at Boston Ventures. “As the technical  needs of law firms continue to evolve and become more complex, the additional services  will provide a meaningful addition to the Intelliteach offering as they continue to provide  Managed Services to the legal industry.” 

The acquisition adds Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and expanding Atlanta offices to Intelliteach’s existing Atlanta, St. Louis, Toledo, Toronto, London, and Goa, India locations. 
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For more information visit Intelliteach.com 

Diversity Spotlight: Heinan Landa and David Campbell

The Diversity Equity & Inclusion Committee is featuring members and business partners in our Diversity Spotlight video segments. For the month of November, we proudly feature Heinan Landa and David Campbell, both from Optimal Networks. Please take a moment to view the video; you will undoubtedly benefit from their organic top-down leadership approach to diversity, equity and inclusion.   

We are looking for members and business partners to share their stories in future newsletters. Please contact Denise Verdesoto at deniseverdesoto@eversheds-sutherland.com if you would like to share your story with our members.

November 2020 Diversity Observances

November is National Native American Heritage Month, which celebrates the history and contributions of Native Americans.
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Click here to view the full list of November observances.

Administrative Committees

Communications and Media Relations
As members of the Newsletter and Media Relations Committee, Chapter members participate in producing the award-winning Capital Connection. Members gather to brainstorm new ideas for editorial themes for upcoming editions. The newsletter reports Chapter business activities such as Community and Committee news and provides information about upcoming educational and other events. It also includes articles of interest to members and other legal management personnel, collected, authored and/or edited by members of the committee. This committee also works with other legal associations and the media to ensure that ALA and the Capital Chapter are represented in the legal industry. The Newsletter Committee welcomes new members.
Contact: Cindy Conover (Chair), Cindy.Conover@Shearman.com; Beth Fowler (Co-Chair), bfowler@robbinsrussell.com
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Diversity & Inclusion
The mission of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee is to advance the concepts of inclusiveness and acceptance in every organization by providing all Chapter members with information so that they can merge these concepts with their firm's policies, procedures, culture, and relationships to be more equitable and inclusive.  We not only strive to raise awareness, but also to increase our sensitivity in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion and more closely reflect the diversity of our community at large. Having a more inclusive and diverse legal community will improve the quality of our organizations’ workforces and respond to our clients’ requirements for diversity. The D&I Committee meets on the first Wednesday of each month and we welcome all members to join us for discussion on how to further our mission in our firms and in our Chapter.  
 
Contact: Beth Fowler (Chair), bfowler@robbinsrussell.com; Denise Verdesoto (Co-Chair), deniseverdesoto@eversheds-sutherland.com
Salary Survey
The Salary Survey Committee is responsible for maintaining, updating and running the local survey each year. They review the positions listed, the job descriptions, and the benefits questions to ensure that the survey remains relevant to the end users. The members of the committee also promote the survey within the Chapter to stimulate participation. 

Contact: Valerie Williamson (Chair), valerie.williamson@bassberry.com; Herb Abercrombie Jr. (Co-Chair), HAbercrombie@jenner.com



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Member Experience
The Member Experience Committee will establish a welcoming environment for new members to be integrated into the Chapter through a formal Ambassador Program. Ambassadors will provide support and guidance to new members through their first 12 months of membership, ensuring new members realize benefits of membership and become ambassadors of the Chapter. If you would like more information and/or are interested in becoming an Ambassador, please contact the Chair or Co-Chair.

Contact: LaVerne Anenia (Chair), LaVerne.Anenia@dbr.com; Kim Santaiti-Potter (Co-Chair), kim.potter@alston.com


Educational Communities

Small Firm and Branch Office Administrators
The Small Firm and Branch Office Administrators Community focuses on a broad range of topics of interest to local administrators who must coordinate with other offices of their firms, as well as to provide administrators of law firms with 35 or fewer attorneys educational opportunities through vendor presentations, idea sharing and open forums specifically designed for those who work in smaller firms.. The Community's monthly luncheon meetings, held on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 12:30 pm, provide a venue for members to discuss issues of common interest, share ideas, and network. Members are encouraged to raise topics and to recommend speakers. 

Contact: Joanna Hurt (Chair), jhurt@mccarter.com; Tabatha Harris (Chair), tsh@dwgp.com
Listserv: branch@lists.alacapchap.org and smallfirm@lists.alacapchap.org
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Office Operations Management and IT
The members of the Office Operations Management and IT Community represent a cross section of legal expertise from functional administrators to branch office managers. The Community meets on the second Thursday of each month at noon. We welcome all members to join the section, especially if you are an administrator in a small law office and you have to wear multiple hats. We can provide you with many best practices to run your operation smoothly.

Contact: Giovanni DiLuca (Chair), gdiluca@zuckerman.com; Janelle E. Rynes (Co-Chair), janelle.rynes@arentfox.com
Listserv: ooms@lists.alacapchap.org
Human Resources
The Human Resources Community operates as a venue for educational information on global human resources issues.  While the Community is mostly comprised of HR professionals, any member is invited to participate in the meetings which typically take place on the second or third Wednesday of each month.  The meetings feature industry speakers or roundtable discussions on topics such as recruiting, benefits, strategic planning, performance management, career pathing, retention and other matters of interest.

Contact: Cindy Schuler (Co-Chair), cindy.schuler@hugheshubbard.com; Monique Terrell (Co-Chair), mterrell@foxrothschild.com

Listserv: hr@lists.alacapchap.org

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Next Generation Leaders
The mission of the Next Generation Leaders Community is to support our next generation of leaders and close the gap faced by our association and the legal industry as a whole by providing a community for Millennial legal managers and new managers in the legal field with a focus on mentoring, education, and networking. To accomplish this goal, the section hosts monthly meetings, pop-up events, and educational sessions, and provides 2-way mentoring opportunities. 
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Contact: Amy Walkowiak (Chair), awalkowiak@dcwhitecollar.com; Ana Sobalvarro (Co-Chair), asobalvarro@bomcip.com 
Listserv: nextgen@lists.alacapchap.org