I want to thank those Bar employees who have worked with our Section over the years. Three of these people were friends to me, and to many other Section members. The fourth was a virtual icon. Nonetheless, she was as close to members of our Section as were, and are, the three I have known.

     In early days of the Section, our Florida Bar liaison was Judy Florence. Most of us only know Judy as the person for whom our Section’s outstanding service award was named. I asked several of the early Executive Council members for vignettes and insights. Ross McVoy, in particular, responded with a rhapsody. Ross stated that she was a “leading force during [our] long uphill push to gain favor with The Florida Bar as a legitimate Section.” Unfortunately, as Ross noted, she was hit by cancer in her prime. He wrote, “I remember holding her hand at the last meeting she attended... and watching as she and her husband left the hotel conference room after the meeting was over... [I] did not see [her] again.”

     The first Bar staffer whom many of us remember was the irrepressible Peg Griffin. I loved Peg and her husband Gary. Favorite Section memories include high-jinks with Peg and trips to the coast to go boating with Peg and Gary. There is the famous Irene Quincey and Peg Griffin supersoaker episode. This was topped only by Peg’s sneak attack with Suzi Ruhl to spirit away chocolate chip cookies. To this day, I am embarrassed that I declined their offer to drive the get-away van. Their highlight that evening was the offer of two hotel employees to give them the cookies in return for Suzi and Peg’s hands in marriage. Fortunately for them and for all of us, Suzi and Peg put their moral and legal opposition to polyandry ahead of even cookies.

     Don’t be fooled, however. Peg was the glue that kept this Section together for many years. She practiced tough love before any of the rest of us knew what tough love was.

     After Peg left, we had a short but fascinating run with Gene Stillman. To this day we all compare any annual meeting to the glorious year that Gene got us a lifetime supply of jumbo shrimp (yes, I know it’s an oxymoron) at Amelia. You just had to be there.

     Once we lost Gene, we got the woman who is keeping us together to this day, the woman who may be the best of them all - - Jackie Werndli. Jackie learned from Peg Griffin how to dispense tough love. She also learned from Peg how to dig right in and make herself part of the group. Jackie is not just our liaison, she is the best of us all. Jackie, other members of the Executive Council think it’s a game when I turn to you during crucial, and sometimes not so crucial, moments and ask, “Jackie can we do this?” It’s not a joke. Jackie not only understands what can be done, but she also has a very good bull meter and nearly unerring common sense. Of all of the things that I will miss about being active in Florida Bar leadership, I will probably miss my friendship with Jackie the most.
 
     And, while we are giving kudos to the hardworking Florida Bar representatives with whom we have worked over the years, I cannot complete this column without a deep bow and a statement of gratitude, friendship and the deepest respect to Cheryle Dodd. Cheryle is the Bar Journal and News Editor. Dealing with impossible authors and forgetful Section editors, while forgiving our missed deadlines, and rigging together resolutions to the most insoluble problems, Cheryle has been the cornerstone. She has worked uncounted, unappreciated miracles. Not only that, she introduced me to the “Oxford American” Magazine.

     To all of these people, my thanks and our Section’s thanks. This column seems like hyperbole unless you know these people. If you know or knew any of these fine Bar staff members, then you know that what I stated in this column is well short of what they all merit.

     Thanks to you all.