10 | Summer 2021 | BAEC Bulletin
FROM THE ERIE COUNTY BAR FOUNDATION WE’RE HERE! As we emerge from the pandemic, I can only marvel at the leadership of David Pfalzgraf over the last year. Only meeting virtually, David, as President of the Board, guided the Foundation, inspired our Board, and ensured that our colleagues in crisis received the assistance they needed. His is a tough act to follow. In May, four of our Board Members’ terms ended. Each departed, having made extraordinary contributions to the mission of the Foundation. We will miss Alan Carrel, Helen Ferraro-Zaffram, Bill Hites, and PamThibodeau. That bittersweet moment was
Michael F. Perley
followed by the appointment of six new members. Yes, six. Our Board has expanded from 15 to 17, so that we can better serve our legal community in the coming years. We welcome Dean Aviva Abramovsky, Hon. Craig Hannah, Jesslyn Holbrook, David Gutowski, Marianne Mariano, and John Richmond. We look forward to their contributions. As I thought about this year, I was reminded by my friend and partner at Hurwitz & Fine, Dan Kohane, of a story involving a mutual attorney/friend who, a few years ago served as claims counsel to an insurance company. That attorney had arranged to work remotely so the family could move out of state. I happened to be at that company’s headquarters for meetings when I saw that attorney, who, looking pale walked up to me and whispered, “I just lost my job.” A new CEO had arrived and insisted that the attorney work at headquarters or be terminated. The result was devastating. As soon as I could, I phoned Dan with the news. In less than a minute, I received a copy of an email Dan sent to our colleague. It simply read: “We’re here.” In two words, Dan had quietly and eloquently offered comfort and support to a colleague in crisis. Those two words are embedded in my memory. As I considered the Foundation’s mission, I could think of no better message than this simple statement: We are here. For 64 years, the Foundation has helped attorneys in need. At first, assistance was purely financial. But, as the profession has become more stressful and complex, our areas of assistance have expanded. Our work includes confidentially helping attorneys with mental health issues, substance use disorders, inability to work due to illness, family issues, or who are otherwise in need. Over the past two years, the Foundation has spent over $500,000 to ensure that attorneys in need received proper care and their families would havehad access to the basic necessities of life. To all, our message is the same one Dan wrote to a colleague in crisis years ago, except our message is no longer quiet. Simply stated, “WE’RE HERE!”
THE COMPANY OF FRIENDS. THE SUPPORT OF COLLEAGUES.
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