NePA Presents Awards, Elects New Officers at Fall Seminar
The Nebraska Paralegal Association recognized a Mutual of Omaha Bank paralegal for her 30 years of work in the legal field.
Teresa Semerena was presented the NePA Affiliated Association Award at the organization’s 2019 recognition breakfast, which was held last Wednesday at the Scott Conference Center in Omaha.
Semerena earned her paralegal studies bachelor’s degree in 1989 from College of Saint Mary, and she passed the Certified Paralegal exam in 2007. She earned her Advanced Certified Paralegal credential in 2012. Before Mutual of Omaha bank, she previously worked at Gross & Welch PC LLO, W. Curtis Hewett P.C. and Smith Peterson Law Firm LLP.
Semerena has also volunteered as an officer for NePA for more than 11 years, including as president in 2013-14. The Ralston resident is also an active volunteer with Catholic Health Initiatives, the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the American Contract Bridge League.
NePA announced two of its members will serve on its affiliated national group, NALA – The Paralegal Association. Kimberly Brown will be the NALA certifying board chair, and Bridget Stuhr will be the NALA affiliated associations secretary.
Skylar Finch and Yesica Lara-Reyes, both College of Saint Mary’s students, received NePA Student Education Awards.
Five NePA members were also recognized for attaining their ACP designation: Maren Collins, Rebecca Kay, Terri Peetz, Amber Roberts and Gloria Turner.
Following the NePA recognition breakfast, the group elected new officers at its annual meeting.
Stuhr is the group’s 2019-20 president, and Angel Younger was unanimously elected to be president-elect.
Semerena was elected membership director, Cara Larson was named secretary and Laurie Vik became the treasurer.
Caryn Redding was elected as NALA liaison. Courtney Pfeiffer was named District 1 director, and Deb O’Brein was named District 2 director. The director positions for Districts 3-5 were left vacant.
Melissa Hamilton, a paralegal for the North Dakota Office of Attorney General, spoke at the NePA breakfast and in a later session about NALA, the national group affiliated with NePA.
Hamilton told NePA members they can benefit from free continuing education credit from NALA by reading articles in its Facts & Findings magazine. That process used to involve a quiz, but going forward, members will just have to attest to reading the articles to receive their free credits.
NALA is also now offering an organizational membership for law firms and other offices that want to purchase membership for all of its paralegals at one time.
“It saves you money,” Hamilton said. “You pay one flat fee at the beginning of the year.”
Hamilton said NALA has also added some new benefits for paralegal students, including allowing them to register for the Certified Paralegal exam while in their final term in college.
For information about NePA, visit nebraskaparalegal.org. For more about NALA, visit nala.org.
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