The day after being asked to author my first article as a Criminal Justice chair, the news of Colin Powell’s death was aired. When the radio host asked Powell’s colleague how he thought the late Powell would like to be remembered, he stated, “He would want to be remembered as a public servant.” These words marinated in my ears and brought thoughts of our Criminal Justice Section. Many of us would like to be known as true public servants. No matter what our career stage currently is, our section serves as a supportive factor for us to live up to our professional potential as public servants.
It is my honor to serve as the Criminal Justice Section over this upcoming term. It is my hope to be able to aid in supporting all of our members in our public service professional journeys. My transition into the chair position has come at an exciting and challenging time. Ashley Batastini has paved a smooth road as our previous chair. Her unparalleled leadership carried us through our initial adjustment to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the onset of major social justice movements. Our section remains strong as we battle toward our new normal.
We are fortunate to have Katy Owen as our incoming secretary/treasurer. She is a dedicated and enthusiastic early career professional to lead and support our section. As we all continue to adjust to the post-pandemic era, it is my hope to support our members to continue to find our strengths in the face of change.
In the immediate future, we are looking forward to publishing our infamous newsletter, The Gavel. Please feel free to reach out to Tallie Armstrong if you would like to contribute ideas or articles to this outstanding publication. We also have Danielle Rynczak planning upcoming webinars. Our student committee has been hard at work creating avenues for our students to access resources and networking. Chelsea Bull and Ashley Jones have been spearheading a writing seminar for our students. Please let us know if you would like to connect with them to get involved. We continue to offer several ways to connect through social media such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
Please feel free to reach out to me with any thoughts or comments for topics you would like to see addressed through our division. We are all very excited about our upcoming year and I look forward to welcoming new members as our section continues to grow.