Standing Committees and Special Project Assignments

Speakers Committee
The Speakers Committee is in charge of brainstorming and soliciting ideas for monthly lunch presentations, including topics and speaker candidates; conducting area CLE conflicts; contacting speakers; confirming presentations; obtaining topic titles and CVs from speakers to submit to the secretary for CLE credit and notice purposes; obtaining the speaker's AV needs and communicating with the Treasurer/Secretary.

Chair: Renee Beilue
Members: Martha Bourne and Mary Quinn

Venue Committee
The Venue Committee will be in charge of investigating membership needs and preferences for future monthly luncheons. This may include a search for the 08/09 season or negotiation of an extended contract. This investigation may include membership survey regarding lunch location, cost, format, etc. This committee will make site visits, meet with catering managers, solicit proposals and present options to the board as and when necessary.

Chair: Heather Hughes
Members: Bret Bosker, Mary Quinn and Kate McConnico

Community Service Committee
The Community Service Committee will be the contact for and oversee all service related projects for which the section is approached and decides to participate in. This will include matters such as HBA Legal Lines, HVLP Clinics, HBA Do the Write This Project, Habitat for Humanity team, etc. This Committee should actively explore ideas for other community service oriented projects and bring those to the board as desired or needed. This committee would evaluate any requests for donations or contributions from outside entities and report to the board with recommendations.

Chair: Bret Bosker
Members: Katrina Griffith

Judicial Committee
The Judicial Committee will be in charge of programming for the bi-monthly judge's lunch. This year we would like to begin programming to benefit the judiciary at these lunches in hopes of encouraging greater participation at these lunches as well as at our monthly luncheons. These programs might include personal topics of aid to the judges, such as "fundraising" or "financial planning" or "time management" or they could be substantive, such as all about findings of fact and conclusions of law. This committee will also obtain judicial input to provide to the Venue Committee.

Co-Chairs: Mary Quinn and Kate McConnoco
Members: Anthony R. Magoaleno II and Katrina Griffith

Holiday Party Committee
The Holiday Party Committee will be responsible for planning and coordinating the annual event. This includes designing, ordering and mailing invitations, planning menus with hotel catering, coordinating entertainment, if any, coordinating any community service donations in cooperation with the Community Service Committee. In the event there are any honors to be presented at this event, this committee will coordinate those as well.

Chair: Kimberly Levi
Members: Meca Walker and Anthony R. Magoaleno II

Building Committee
The Building Committee will be the liason between the Family Law Section and those persons working on details that relate to a new or remodeled Family Law Center. This committee will be comprised of the Section Officers.

Chair: Trey Yates
Members: Renee Beilue, Incoming Chair; Martha Bourne, Secretary; Craig Haston, Treasurer; Sallee Smyth, Immediate Past Chair

Mentor Recognition Committee
The Mentor Recognition Committee will be in charge of coordinating the bi-monthly mentor recognition of past chairs. This will include soliciting young lawyres to be mentor presenters with the mentor to be honored, securing the honoree's presene at the luncheon, obtaining the honoree's CV for publication to the membership, showcasing them on the website during the month they are honored and the month following.

Chair: Meca Walker
Members: Martha Bourne and Sallee Smyth

Family Law Section Website/Imaging Committee
The Family Law Section Website/Imaging Committee will be in charge of monitoring and maintaining current information on the Family Law Section website by providing and updating information, including monthly luncheon literature, David Gray's Interesting Cases and jury verdicts. The committee will also investigate web design, webmaster/host options and addition of helpful links. This committee will also monitor the Harris County District Clerk Imaging Project.

Chair: Craig Haston
Members: Anthony R. Magoaleno II

Special Project 2008 - HBA Family Law Institute
This project revolves around the 2-day Family Law Institute presented in the Spring of each year and is a joint effort of our section and the HBA. Participation on the planning committee will involve venue selection, coordination of speakers etc for the institute.

Chair: Bret Bosker
Members: Craig Haston and Kate McConnick