When I began this year as your president, I had several goals, including to address health and wellness issues in our profession, to renew the Bar’s focus on committees and to help members approach issues facing our community through a more informed lens.
I had another, not-so-secret mission: Make sure Executive Director Jim Bailey stayed through the end of my term.
I almost achieved that goal.
But the good life calls to my friend Jim and it is time to relinquish our monopoly on his “retirement.”
After 18 months, Bailey, whose leadership of the Bar never was intended to be permanent, is stepping down, having achieved the objectives tasked to him.
Under his leadership, the Bar’s membership has grown, we have more sponsors offering more benefits to members and the Bar has found a new home that should be more member-focused (more on that soon!).
In addition to these measurable achievements, Jim brought intangible benefits to this organization. His business acumen and experience guided the Bar’s operations, implementing processes and procedures to ensure the Bar’s fiscal responsibility and sustainability in years to come.
His management skills improved our staff operations and objectives and have made the Bar much more efficient (i.e., we are better stewards of your dollars).
Jim also expanded the Bar’s presence and relationships throughout the community. There is no one he can’t get on the phone – and quickly.
Finally, Jim’s leadership and friendship enabled me to be more successful as the association’s president and helped the board of governors better serve our 1,800 members.
His are pretty big shoes to fill, right? It’s like coaching the Gators after Steve Spurrier. Who wants that job?
Well, we found our man (skipping right over the Zook years and landing on Mullen). Effective immediately, Craig Shoup, Jim’s chief of staff, is executive director of the Jacksonville Bar Association.
Jim is steeped in the traditions of this association, and so it was with great care and concern for its future that he hired Shoup 18 months ago.
Craig, who previously served in the administrations of the Duval County Clerk of Courts and the Public Defender’s Office, brings a depth of leadership and creativity to the Bar’s programming and a deep sense of commitment to our members.
He has perspective and experience as well as a broad understanding of the needs of lawyers and the other voluntary Bar associations as we look to the future.
He also is the hardest-working person in our association. You have seen him at all Jacksonville Bar events, as his work ethic and enthusiasm for the mission of the Bar are unparalleled.
The board and I are delighted to welcome Craig’s vision to center stage. We have been continuously impressed with his skill set and we are confident in his ability to continue strengthening our Bar in the years to come.
Though Bailey’s daily involvement with our association will be missed, his legacy is that he reorganized the Bar’s operations such that it will continue to be successful going forward.
Plus, he’s agreed to consult with us for a few months to make sure I don’t screw it all up in the remaining few months of my term before Craig can get his feet wet.
This is an exciting change for the Jacksonville Bar. With Craig Shoup on the job, our association is in good hands.