2025, a Year of Change, Advancement & Efficiency
It seems like only yesterday that we were celebrating a new century (party like it’s 1999!) and here we are, a quarter of the way through it already. Welcome 2025!
CCCBA is facing a year that will bring change, advancement, and much needed efficiency. With the challenges of diminishing engagement, rising costs of doing business, and a still unsettled business landscape, we are challenged to ensure we are positioned to weather these realities and continue to provide the excellent service our community has come to expect. We are confident that with the support of our Board of Directors guided by President Sutter Selleck and enhanced by six new Directors, along with our incredibly involved and supportive community (you all!), we will experience great success despite the challenges!
One of the biggest changes we are implementing this year is a new website/database. Starting in March, we will be building on a platform known as MemberCentral. This Association Management Software (AMS) is utilized by many of our sister bar organizations throughout the country with great satisfaction. The MemberCentral AMS is an integrated website/database through which we will continue to offer our Lawyer Referral and Information Services, event calendar and registration process, court profiles, community activities, member-centered portals, as highlights. In addition, we will be adding an on-demand learning module from which it will be more convenient to find and track the MCLE credit courses you need and/or have taken. We believe the member-focused interface is also a significant improvement to the database we currently use and hope that you find it more intuitive, inviting and visually pleasing. We anticipate going live in early June! Updates will follow.
In addition to a new database, late this year we will bring back the printed membership directory. And therefore, with both the printed directory and new website, we anticipate that many of our members might be interested in an upgraded head shot! We are working to bring that opportunity to each of our members sometime in the first quarter of 2025. We’ll keep you posted so be sure to stay up to date with our weekly emails!
When I started with CCCBA in 2022, someone to whom I had introduced myself and CCCBA said, “Oh, that’s the fun bar!” And I have come to learn the truth of that statement. Staying faithful to that reputation, we already have 34 events and programs scheduled for 2025 and we are likely to add more! As usual, these events and programs are designed to enhance your professional networks, support continued education, and simply provide joy and fun. We hope to see many of you at these events and, as usual, sponsorships are available for consideration.
Finally, and most importantly, CCCBA is also looking forward to another successful year of partnership with our bench under the new leadership of Presiding Judge Christopher Bowen. Leading an ever-diversified bench of thoughtful, caring, committed, and ethical jurists, we consider ourselves honored to have a strong relationship with the Contra Costa Superior Court bench.
Please enjoy this issue where we highlight the new board members, CCCBA staff, honor the new bench officers and much more. As you will see, we have many reasons to be confident in our success for 2025.