The Paraview - Quarterly Publication of the Metrolina Paralegal Association Spring 2021 Edition 2021 All rights reserved - NALA

The Paraview

   Quarterly Publication of the
  Metrolina Paralegal Association
       Spring 2021 Edition

© 2021 All rights reserved         Metrolina Paralegal Association
                                   www.charlotteareaparalegals.com

President’s Spring 2021 Message
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important things is not to stop
questioning.” —Albert Einstein

Upcoming MPA Events, Membership Perks, & News
Our All Virtual MPA Annual Spring CLE Seminar will be held a little bit later this year on Friday, May 21, 2021. The
MPA Executive Board has decided for a second year in a row to renew all 2020-2021 memberships for free
for 2021-2022. Additionally, all 2020-2021 members (or those who sign up as new members at the reduced
rate) will be offered the Annual Seminar (live Zoom only) for free. We are again hoping to relieve some of the
burdens this past year (has it REALLY been an ENTIRE YEAR that we've been in quarantine???) has put on our
membership. We know that by providing this event for free to members, we are not only promoting our professional
growth, but also giving our members some relief as well as a chance to connect with one another. I cannot say it
enough, a special thanks to Carrie Marshall for putting together this Spring 2021 edition of THE PARAVIEW as another
way to bring our association and paralegal community together!

About Your President
I decided to take the leap and purchased an Annual Pass from Race at Your Pace to dedicate myself to a year-long
goal of monthly biking. In January I earned a medal for cycling 300 miles….February….will probably only be 100
miles because of an ankle injury. My goal is to average 200 miles per month for the entire year.

Also, as a recent treat to myself for Valentine's Day, I took a virtual Wine and Cheese Pairing workshop with Josh
Villapando, owner of Assorted Table Wine Shoppe, Rachel Klauber, owner of Orrman's Cheese Shop, and MC Brion
Cephus (aka The Certified Wino). And let me tell you it did not disappoint. And bonus, because it was COVID-safe
and all virtual, I didn't have to get an Uber or Lyft afterwards, I just shut down my computer and got ready to turn in
for the night. But really the best thing was being able to meet new people through the Zoom chat. It felt like I
automatically made 10-15 new friends in one evening.

If biking, wine, and/or cheese (as I write those together I think I may be cancelling out one thing for another) aren't
your thing, I just encourage everyone to find something you love to treat yourself in 2021. YOU deserve it!

                                  Peace and Love,

                                  Ali Foster, NCCP

                                  MPA President (2020-2021)

MPA 2020-2021 Board Members:

Alison E. Foster, NCCP – President
Renae Elam, CP, NCCP – 1st Vice President
Tiffany Miller – 2nd Vice President
Shafia Ahmed, NCCP – 3rd Vice President
Jack Randolph, NCCP – Secretary
Tyler Murphy, NCCP – Treasurer
Catherine Stenmark, ACP, NCCP – NALA Liaison
OPEN – Student Liaison
Carrie J. Marshall, NCCP – Paraview Editor/Parliamentarian
Tim Chamness, NCCP – Audit Chair
Cupree Bowers, NCCP – Membership Committee member
Donna Glenn – Program Committee member

Thanks to our Board members for all of their efforts!

We do have several Board members who have submitted their nomination to remain in
their current positions or run for another position on the Board. Of course, any member in
good standing is always welcome to submit their name for the ballots for any position. But
in particular, there are a few positions that will be opening up, so please consider
volunteering for these positions. We need members like you!!!

The current open positions available are:

2nd VP of Programs – The member filling this position needs to be self-motivated and willing
to take charge and put together two CLE seminars each year. With the seminars being virtual at
this time, this is a bit easier, but again, we need someone who can pick up and run with getting
these two seminars organized by contacting potential speakers, as well as partnering with either
our virtual or physical location partners in making these days a success for both our members
and non-members alike.

NALA Liaison - If you are interested in traveling/attending the annual seminar virtually (if that
is how it is presented again this year), as well as keeping both organizations aware of the others'
news, then this would be a good position for you.

An overview of all Board positions' responsibilities can be found at this MPA Bylaws link under
Article Eight.

SAVE THE DATE!

The MPA Annual Spring CLE Seminar is now scheduled for Friday, May 21, 2021, and will be
again held virtually. More details will follow as we get closer to the date. We already have two
new, amazing speakers we are excited for you to hear from, but as always let us know if you
have any speaker suggestions, and please send their name and contact information to
metrolinaparalegal@gmail.com so that we can reach out to them to inquire about their interest in
presenting at the seminar.

MPA continues its community involvement by making another donation to charity

In December 2020, we donated $250 to Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child. This
organization sends gifts in shoe boxes to children around the world for Christmas. For more
information about Samaritan’s Purse, go to: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/

A look back at our holidays…

Ali Foster’s Christmas Tree

Isn’t it lovely? I love all of the lights!

Renae Elam’s Christmas Tree

Renae’s tree has to be on the porch (and the presents were on a cabinet) because of her crazy
rescue dog, Razzi.

Carrie Marshall’s Christmas Tree

I decided to go with a Farmhouse Christmas theme this year. I’m thinking about doing Elf (the
movie) theme for next year. My Pinterest app is overloaded with ideas!

Sheila Etheridge-Boddie, one of our MPA members, looking so cute and festive!

Reminder: If you are a student, or if you know a paralegal student, please see below:

MPA PARALEGAL STUDENT ESSAY SCHOLARSHIP
ANNOUNCEMENT

Due Date for Submissions: March 31, 2021, 5:00 p.m. EST

Scholarship Description

The MPA PARALEGAL STUDENT ESSAY SCHOLARSHIP is awarded to a paralegal student
with a minimum 2.5 GPA who is attending (or has attended) an accredited college, university, or
vocational/technical paralegal program in the Charlotte area between the dates of May 1, 2020 and
March 31, 2021 (“Qualification Period”).

The 2021 award is based on submission of an essay on the topic as stated in this announcement,
proof of enrollment during the Qualification Period, and valid GPA standing. The First Place
award is $500 cash, plus a one-year associate membership in the Metrolina Paralegal Association
(“MPA”). All submitted essays are reviewed by an anonymous panel selected by the Executive
Board of the MPA.

The scholarship winner will be notified by April 30, 2021 and recognized either at the next MPA
membership meeting or by an email announcement to the MPA membership, at the sole discretion
of the MPA Executive Board.

How to apply:

Submit a cover letter, essay on the topic as stated in this announcement, and proof of enrollment
by 5:00 p.m. on March 31, 2021 to MPAStudentScholarship@gmail.com. The cover page should
include your name, personal email address, telephone number and school (“Contact Information”).
DO NOT INCLUDE your Contact Information on any of the essay pages. Any submitted essay
must contain a minimum of 500 words to be considered for this scholarship.

Essay Topic:

As a practicing paralegal, you will be required to multi-task and handle large caseloads and/or
legal matters with decorum and finesse. What experiences can you share that show you are up to
the task?

Have questions?

Submit any questions or inquiries to MPAStudentScholarship@gmail.com

Info from NALA

Have you heard that NALA has prestigious awards specifically for NALA Affiliated
Associations?

The NALA Affiliated Associations National Achievement Award and the NALA Affiliate
Awards give NALA Affiliated Associations the unique opportunity to honor outstanding affiliate
members on a national level, as well as be featured at the NALA Conference & Expo. Do you
know someone who goes above and beyond, dedicating time and energy to the betterment of an
affiliated association? Now is your chance to help them get the recognition they deserve. We
encourage you to contact your association to submit a nomination. To find out more go to:
https://www.nala.org/NALA%20Awards%20Program

SAVE THE DATE: The NALA Conference & Expo will be held July 22-24, 2021. For more
information about the conference, please visit: https://www.nala.org/conferences/nala-
conference-expo

Note from the Editor

Hi MPA Members and Patrons - I hope you find the Paraview informative and enjoyable to read.
If there is any content you’d like to see in our publication, please let me know.

Hope to see you all soon!

Carrie J. Marshall, Paraview Editor
carriemarshall@parkerpoe.com

P.S. Don’t forget about our website to find information about membership, upcoming CLEs and
meetings at: http://www.charlotteareaparalegals.com/

MPA Patrons
Thanks, as always, to all of our Patron Sponsors!

 Contact: Jonathan D. Sanzone, Account              Contact: Debbie Lawrence
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                                                    Account Representative
 Eagle Eye Investigations Group, LLC
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Contact: Rob Russo, P.I.
                                             Business Development – North & South
                                             Carolina
                                             (704) 942-4159 Cell
                                             rob.russo@usforensic.com
                                             https://usforensic.com/

Contact: Robert Loughry, Marketing
Manager
Phone: Direct: 843.416.7090 | 800.743.DEPO
F: 866.390.DEPO
E-mail: rloughry@scheduledepo.com
Web: www.scheduledepo.com

Contact: Cathy Chaplin, Owner, CEO
Phone: 336-992-1954
704-606-1434
cathy@chaplinandassociates.com
www.chaplinandassociates.com
schedule@chaplinandassociates.com