The CBA, BC Branch is pleased to commemorate Fran Hodgkins’ 15 years of employment with the BC Branch. Fran, the CBA’s Section Coordinator began working at the Branch in 1984. In her early years at the CBA she worked on Dial-A-Law, Lawyer Referral and reception.

Fran reflected on technology recently and how it has changed the CBA’s work. The CBA’s service, she says, has grown exponentially because of computerization. “I could not have done what I’m doing now without the equipment and technological advances we’ve seen,” says Fran.

After a few years, Fran says she needed something more. “I needed a challenge and I got it with Sections!” When Fran became the CBA Section Coordinator in 1990 her responsibilities also included coordinating committees, Provincial Council, and Executive Committee meetings. However, with Sections at 42 at the time and growing rapidly, she soon worked just on Sections. Today, there are 68 Sections, and 390 Section meetings between September and June, generating approximately 300 sets of minutes. Fran notifies Section members of meetings, and distributes minutes. She also handles the enrollment of the approximately 3,200 members who participate in one or more Sections, and is an active member of the new Sections Task Force led by David Paul, Executive Committee Section Coordinator.

The best part of Fran’s job, she says, is interacting with members on a daily basis. “Working with people involved in Sections has helped me appreciate the value Sections provide,” she says. Fran’s current objective for Sections is to increase Section enrollment, so that even more members can appreciate what good service the CBA provides. “Sections are important for networking and professional development,” she says. As for Fran’s own growth, she says “The CBA gave me opportunities when they found where my strengths were, and it’s opened up lots of doors to growth and development over the years.”

This article was published in the December 1999 issue of BarTalk. © 1999 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.