07/14/2023
So happy to be included in the history of the formation of the Del-Chen-O chapter of WBASNY in a piece by the wonderful Kathleen Campbell, Esq.:
Del-Chen-O Chapter of the Women's Bar Association of the State of New York By Kathleen Campbell, Esq.
During the spring of 2015, Presiding Justice Elizabeth Garry contacted me to discuss WBASNY and to assess interest in joining WBASNY and/or creating a new chapter of WBASNY in our area. Judge Garry was a member of the Capital District and the Finger Lakes Chapters of WBASNY. Women attorneys from Chenango, Delaware and Otsego counties had been gathering informally for many years. After this conversation, we explored the interest in forming a new chapter of WBASNY with other women attorneys throughout the three counties. An informational meeting was held on May 20, 2015 at Stella Luna Restaurant in Oneonta. Deirdre Hay and Elizabeth Peck of the Finger Lakes Bar Association traveled from Ithaca to meet with our prospective members. They founded the Finger Lakes Chapter a few years earlier. During the meeting, they shared the benefits of membership with our prospective members. It was clear that there was interest following that meeting. Over the coming months, Presiding Justice Garry and I continued to spread the word and garner more interest. I attended WBASNY meetings in New York City as a guest and learned more about WBASNY's mission and the good work the organization was doing. The mission of WBASNY and Del-Chen-O is to promote the advancement of the status of women in society and of women in the legal profession; to promote the fair and equal administration of justice; and to act as a unified voice for its members with respect to issues of statewide, national and international significance to women generally and to women attorneys in particular. In March 2016, WBASNY Executive Director Linda Chiaverini and then-WBASNY President Andrea Composto traveled to Afton to meet with potential members of the newly forming Del-Chen-O chapter. They spoke to the attendees, answered questions and inspired excitement. Shortly thereafter, in June 2016, Del-Chen-O was officially formed. The first official officer induction was held at the Foothills Performing Arts Center in Oneonta on June 9, 2016 and the Hon. Molly Fitzgerald administered the oath of office to the officers. The inaugural officers were Kathleen S. Campbell, President; Renee Albaugh, Vice President; Larisa Obolensky, Treasurer; Norene Palmer, Secretary; and Laura Parker, WBASNY Delegate. Presiding Justice Garry served as the CLE coordinator, Hon. Nettie Jean Scarzafava was the judicial screening chairperson, Beth Westfall was the awards chairperson, Sarah Cowen was the nominations chairperson and Susan Lettis was the legislative chairperson. 47 Since its inception, Del-Chen-O has focused on honoring members for their contributions to the legal community and their leadership at an annual dinner celebration. In October 2016, at the first annual dinner, the decided to honor one woman attorney from each of the three counties. The October 2016 first annual dinner honoring Nancy Deming, MaryJo Long and Patricia Pantaleoni was held at The Silo Restaurant in Greene. In 2017, Del-Chen-O honored Nettie Jean Scarzafava at the Oneonta Holiday Inn Ballroom. In 2018, the group honored Beth Wesfall at the Sidney Golf and Country Club. In 2019, Catherine Murphy was honored at Gabriella's Manor in Greene. Del-Chen-O has been an active chapter since its creation holding multiple CLE events each year, reading to schoolchildren for Read Across America, donating comfort backpacks full of personal care items to foster children in need, holding food drives, holding voter registration drives, honoring members for their legal and community contributions, donating money to food banks in all three counties, and most recently awarding $1,000 scholarship to a graduating senior who completed the New Visions Law and Government program. Currently, the chapter has challenged itself in an ongoing project to write and deliver 1,000 greeting cards to nursing homes in the three counties to be distributed by the nursing home staff.
