Hi.  I’m David Shapiro and I am proud to be serving as the President of your Maryland State Bar Association.  Seasons greetings from Annapolis in beautiful Anne Arundel County, Maryland, boasting more than 520 miles of exquisite shoreline and home to the U.S. Naval Academy and the only state house ever to be used as the Nation’s capital.

Today I want to highlight two exciting changes for the MSBA, namely

  1. an introduction of the MSBA’s new Executive Director, and
  2. some information about an exciting new benefit that the MSBA is hoping to bring your way in the near future.

But first, I want to extend a warm thank you to The Frost Law Firm for hosting the MSBA and our members for this month’s message.

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For our members that don’t keep up with their emails, it is my distinct privilege to welcome and introduce the MSBA’s new Executive Director, Anna Sholl.  While the MSBA’s Executive Director Search Committee conducted a national search for the Association’s next Executive Director, Anna has been part of the MSBA since 2018, most recently serving as the association’s Chief Operating Officer.  

As part of Anna’s work on behalf of the MSBA, she has proven herself to be a trusted and respected leader with an exceptional knowledge of, not only of our Association, but of Bar associations in general, and she boasts an excellent track record of delivering results, strategic thinking, collaboration with stakeholders, and inspiring our exceptional staff.  In addition to being a proven Bar association executive, Anna also is an experienced lawyer, having graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Baltimore School of Law.  

Anna’s appointment was the culmination of multi-month effort by the 17 Member MSBA Executive Director Search Committee Chaired by Past-Presidents Harry Johnson, Jim Nolan, Natalie McSherry, and the Honorable Pamila Brown.  Please join me in welcoming Anna to her new role guiding our Association.

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I also am excited this month to share with you some information about an exciting new opportunity that the MSBA is researching in hopes of bringing a huge new benefit to our members, namely an association-based healthcare insurance plan.  Now in the feasibility study stage, our hope is that, in the near future, the MSBA will be able to offer a high quality, affordable healthcare insurance plan to our members and their employees, but as part of our feasibility study the MSBA needs your help.  We are asking for your participation in a two minute survey that will allow us to fully analyze the opportunity, your interest in such a plan, and to make this potential benefit a reality.  The survey will open in early January.  Please be on the lookout for more information in our eWeekly Newsletter and in other email communications after the new year.  We hope you will take two minutes to help us bring this benefit to life for our members.

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In closing, I’m excited about the MSBA’s direction and about the exciting things to come.

But, for now, on behalf of myself, my family, and all of your friends at the MSBA, we wish you a joyous holiday season and a happy and healthy new year. 

I look forward to seeing you in 2023.