As we get closer to the end of the year, I feel an elevated sense of gratitude for the ability to serve as the LMA Southwest President this year. Our entire board serves selflessly to ensure that our Southwest members reap the benefits that LMA membership offers.
Despite the challenges of a global pandemic, the Southwest Region remains strong. We have grown our membership, attracted stellar leaders to serve, executed top-notch programming and remained laser focused on providing value to our members.
Our recent Regional Conference in Dallas was a huge success because of our volunteer leaders, our incredible sponsors and our members that took time out of their busy lives to attend. Thank you again to everyone that played a role in executing this event.
Like many of you, I am still processing all that I learned! For example, our keynote presentation from Erica Orange challenged us to “future proof” ourselves by thinking creatively and critically. Machines and robots are smart, she reminded us, so we must be intelligent. As legal marketing professionals, we can feel the seismic shift happening in our industry. I witnessed my father, a car salesman, struggle when the automobile industry experienced a major change as the industry prioritized website sales over walking into a dealership to buy a car. It sounds like a simple evolution of technology that made buying a car easier for the consumer, but for my dad, it was a fundamental change in the way he had always approached his daily work. My dad wasn’t prepared for the shift, and it affected him until he retired.
I am also VERY EXCITED to announce that our 2023 Regional Conference Co-Chairs will be Morgan Horvitz, Chief Client Relations and Business Development Officer of Galloway, and Laura Sillars, Chief Marketing Officer of Adams and Reese LLP. I have no doubt that these two powerhouse LMASW members will work tirelessly to ensure that next year’s conference is one you won’t want to miss.
If there is anything you would like to discuss with me, please email me at vpetrea@perkinscoie.com. I always love talking with our members and would be happy to set up a time to chat.
Vanessa V. Petrea
2022 Southwest Region President