January always carries with it a special kind of energy—a sense of reset, possibility, and renewed purpose. We turn the page not just on a calendar, but on opportunity itself. As we enter 2026, I believe that moment is especially meaningful for our Association. We are not simply beginning a new year. We are standing at the threshold of a future that we have the power, and the responsibility, to shape together.

Over the past year, the WCBA has built real and meaningful momentum. We have deepened collaboration across our affinity bar partners, convening a growing Multi-Bar dialogue and summit initiative focused on equity, allyship, and shared purpose. I am proud to share that our Multi-Bar Summit on Equity & Allyship is scheduled for March 30, 2026, at the Judicial Institute, with more details to follow.

We have also strengthened the essential connection between the bench and bar through programs like Meet the Judges, which recently drew by far the largest attendance of Pace Law students we have ever seen—a powerful reminder of how important these moments of access and community are for the next generation of lawyers.

We have prioritized community in new and visible ways through signature programs like our Family Fun Day, which reminds us that our professional lives and personal lives are not separate silos, but part of a single, shared human experience. At the same time, we elevated attorney well-being as a core institutional priority, continuing to push the conversation forward around burnout, balance, and sustainability in a demanding profession.

We also launched our Strategic Planning Initiative, a forward-looking effort to ensure that the WCBA continues to grow, evolve, and lead in a rapidly changing profession. That work is now underway, guided by broad leadership participation and an inclusive process designed to reflect the voices of our membership. In the months ahead, it will crystallize into a clear roadmap for where we are going next.

But a strategic plan, no matter how thoughtful, is only a starting point. What gives it life is the people who believe in it, commit to it, and put it into action. And that is where each of you comes in. The future of this Association will not be determined by circumstance. It will be shaped by the people who care enough to show up and build it.

For many years, the WCBA has offered extraordinary programming, leadership opportunities, and avenues for service. Lawyers at every stage of their careers have found community here. Yet 2026 calls on us to go even further—to move, together, from participation to ownership.

Ownership means seeing the WCBA not as something we attend, but as something we actively help build. It means recognizing that the future of this Association is not shaped solely by officers, board members, or committee chairs. It is shaped by every member who raises a hand, shares an idea, mentors a young lawyer, volunteers for a committee, or simply shows up with intention and care.

When lawyers take ownership of their professional community, remarkable things happen. Innovation accelerates. Inclusion deepens. Purpose sharpens. And the Association becomes not just a resource, but a force.

One of the most powerful lessons I have learned throughout my career is that leadership is not something that happens all at once. It is built—slowly, imperfectly, through a series of choices. The choice to speak up. The choice to serve. The choice to take on responsibility before we feel fully “ready.”

The WCBA has long been a leadership incubator. Many of our Past Presidents, section leaders, and committee chairs began their journey with a single “yes.” A yes to joining a committee. A yes to helping plan a program. A yes to mentoring a newer lawyer. That first yes often becomes the doorway to growth, confidence, and impact.

In 2026, I encourage our members to view leadership not as a distant destination, but as a muscle that grows through use. If you are waiting to feel fully prepared, I can assure you: the preparation comes through doing.

Our profession is changing at a pace few of us could have imagined even a decade ago. Technology, artificial intelligence, evolving client expectations, new economic pressures, and generational shifts are reshaping how we practice law. These changes bring challenges, but also extraordinary opportunities.

Bar associations like ours are more important than ever in this environment. We provide not only education and networking, but grounding. We help anchor lawyers in professionalism, civility, service, and shared values at a time when many feel increasingly disconnected.

In 2026, the WCBA will continue to lean into this role—supporting lawyers not just as practitioners, but as people. That means sustained focus on well-being. It means creating meaningful access to leadership development. It means strengthening public-service partnerships. And it means ensuring that every lawyer in Westchester feels that this Association is truly theirs.

As our Strategic Planning process advances this year, you will hear more about the goals and priorities that emerge. But I want to be clear about one thing now: this will not be a plan that sits on a shelf.

It will be a living framework for action—one that informs how we allocate resources, develop programming, deepen engagement, and measure success. And its success will depend not on words on a page, but on the willingness of our members to bring it to life.

That may look different for each of you. For some, it may mean stepping into a formal leadership role. For others, it may mean mentoring a law student, participating in a pro bono initiative, helping build a cross-bar collaboration, or contributing to one of our many sections and committees. There is no single path to contribution. There is only the shared commitment to move forward together.

In earlier columns, I wrote about the power of showing up—about how so many meaningful opportunities in our profession begin with a simple act of engagement. That message matters even more now.

2026 is not a year for standing on the sidelines. It is a year for building. Building stronger professional connections. Building deeper trust across communities. Building a bar association that continues to lead with integrity, purpose, and heart.

The future of the WCBA will not simply unfold on its own. It will be shaped—by decisions made in committee rooms, in courtrooms, in classrooms, and in conversations between colleagues who care deeply about this profession and this community.

My invitation to you is simple: help shape it.

The strength of our Bar has never come from any single leader or moment. It has always come from a community of lawyers willing to invest in something larger than themselves.