Utah Bar Journal

As the Division’s new Chair and ex officio member of the Bar Commission, I am personally grateful for the support and encouragement I have received from Lowry Snow, Utah State Bar President, Nate Alder, President-Elect, Gus Chin, Immediate Past President, the Bar Commissioners as well as the Bar’s administration, and staff. We are indeed fortunate as a section of the Bar to have such a fine caliber of men and women backing the paralegal profession in an effort to work together and devise ways to improve the quality and efficiency of legal services provided to our community. I look forward to serving the Division over this next year. There is still much to be done and the board is constantly seeking ways to improve its leadership of the Division to provide additional benefits and education to its members and the legal community. We welcome your input and encourage your participation. We also invite all lawyer members of the Bar to encourage and support their paralegals’ membership in the Division. If you would like more information about the Paralegal Division, please visit our website at utahbar.org/sections/paralegals.

I am pleased to present the Paralegal Division’s new officers and directors for the coming year.

Chair and Ex-Officio Member of the Bar Commission, Representing the Paralegal Division, Sharon M. Andersen – Sharon has been a paralegal/legal assistant for 17 years. Since June of 2004, she has worked as a paralegal at the Salt Lake City Attorney’s office in the civil division. Prior to working for the city, Sharon spent the first 8 years in law firms working primarily in family law, personal injury, insurance defense, and medical malpractice litigation. From1998 to 2004 Sharon worked as a paralegal/legal assistant in the General Counsel’s office of several corporations including IHC, Kennecott Utah Copper, and Huntsman Corporation where she assisted in a variety of litigation matters involving medical malpractice, worker’s compensation, labor relations, contracts, chemical exposure, and environmental law as well as becoming contract administrator while employed at IHC. She attended BYU, married and had a family, then returned to school and graduated from the Legal Assistant Program at Westminster College in 1990. Sharon served as CLE Co-Chair of the Paralegal Division from 2005-2007 and in that capacity has actively participated in the Utah State Bar’s Spring Convention, Annual Convention, and Fall Forum CLE committees. In August of 2006, she became Chair-Elect of the Paralegal Division and served as the Division’s Governmental Relations Liaison to the Utah State Bar’s Governmental Relations Committee while also serving on the Division’s Executive Committee. She is currently representing the Paralegal Division as an Ex-Officio member of the Bar Commission. Sharon has six children with the youngest having recently graduated from high school. She views her children as her greatest joy in life.

Director-at-Large, Chair-Elect, CLE Lead Co-Chair, LAAU Liaison, Julie Eriksson – Julie will be serving as a Director at Large and Co-Chair of the CLE Committee. She has previously held several positions in the Legal Assistants Association of Utah (LAAU) including Vice President/Education Chair and served two terms as President. She began her legal career in 1992 and has worked at the law firm of Christensen & Jensen, P.C. since 1999. She specializes in the civil litigation areas of personal injury, bad faith, and product liability claims. Outside of work she is married to a cattle rancher and is the mother of three. She is a third grade religious education teacher and works with the Youth for Understanding student exchange program.

Region II Director, Membership Lead Co-Chair, Thora Searle – Thora is the Director for Region II which covers Salt Lake, Tooele, and Summit Counties and is also a member of the CLE Committee for the Paralegal Division. Thora has worked in the legal field since 1972. She spent 21 years of that time working for the Honorable William T. Thurman when he was a practicing attorney at McKay, Burton & Thurman. She is currently his Judicial Assistant at the United States Bankruptcy Court and has been with him at the Court for 6 years. She is married and has 4 children – one of whom joined her in the legal profession – and 13 grandchildren who are the love of her life.

Region III Director, (for Daggett, Uintah, Duchesne, Wasatch, Utah, Juab, and Millard Counties). This position is presently vacant. If you are a member of the Paralegal Division and would like to serve, please contact Sharon Andersen.

Region IV Director, Paralegal of the Year Chair, Suzanne Potts – Suzanne is the Director for Region IV which covers Carbon, Sanpete, Sevier, Emery, Grand, Beaver, Wayne, Piute, San Juan, Garfield, Kane, Iron, and Washington Counties. She has been a paralegal for over 15 years. She is employed by Clarkson, Draper & Beckstrom in St. George, Utah, working primarily in civil litigation. Suzanne is a mediator having completed basic mediation training through the Utah State Bar, Alternative Dispute Resolution in 2001. She is a past member of LAAU, having served as the Southern Regional Director. She presently serves on the Ethics and Paralegal of the Year Award Committees of the Division. Suzanne is very active in the community and is a volunteer mediator for the Juvenile Court Victim Offender Mediation Program.

Director-at-Large, Professionalism, Ethics, Tally Burke – Tally is an in-house paralegal employed with Boart Longyear, assisting the Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Fabrizio Rasetti. She began her career in law over 12 years ago at Kruse Landa Maycock & Ricks where she fell in love with the legal profession. Tally also worked for Durham Jones & Pinegar before joining the Boart Longyear Legal Department. Tally has over 12 years of experience in law related positions, working the last nine years as a paralegal. Tally received her Legal Assistant Certificate in 1996 from Salt Lake Community College. She also received her Associate of Applied Science, with a major in Paralegal Studies in 1997 and her Associate of Science in 2005 from Salt Lake Community College. In 2006, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Weber State University with a minor in criminal Law and an emphasis in paralegal studies. Tally has been an adjunct professor at Salt Lake Community College. She is a member of the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), the Legal Assistant’s Association of Utah, as well as the Paralegal Division of the Utah State Bar. Tally is a past Chair of the Paralegal Division (2004-2005) and currently serves as their Professionalism Committee Chair.

Director-at-Large, Community Service, YLD Liaison, Carma Harper – Carma is a paralegal with the law firm of Strong and Hanni. Carma currently works with Bob Janicki and Michael Ford, in the areas of insurance defense, personal injury, construction litigation, and products liability. She received her paralegal certification from the Wasatch Career Institute in 1989. She previously worked for Deborah Badger, a sole practitioner, and for the law firm of Plant, Wallace, Christensen and Kanell. In 1997, Carma became a licensed realtor, specializing in distressed properties and negotiations with the third party lender. She served as the Relocation Director for Century 21 Gage Froerer from 1997 until 2002. She currently hangs her license with Keller Williams. Carma works well with children who have learning disabilities and is certified to teach Direct Instruction. She is married to Scott Harper.

Director-At Large, Finance Officer, Bonnie K. Hamp, CP – Bonnie is a paralegal at Parsons Kinghorn Harris which specializes in business organization and transactions, commercial litigation, bankruptcy, creditors’ rights, environmental regulatory matters, health care law, tax, estate planning, and employment matters. Bonnie began her legal career in 1978 and attained her certified paralegal designation “CP” from NALA. Bonnie has previously served as Region II Director for the Paralegal Division and NALA Liaison for the Legal Assistants Association of Utah. She currently sits on the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee for the Utah State Bar. Bonnie begins her second consecutive two-year term as Director-at-Large for the Paralegal Division and will also continue as Finance Officer for a second year. Bonnie is married to Richard Hamp, an attorney with the Criminal Division of the Utah Attorney General’s Office and they have a 4-year-old son, Dezmond.

Director-at Large, Membership Co-Chair, Tracy Lewis – Tracy has been a paralegal since 2002 when she graduated from Salt Lake Community College with a degree in Paralegal Studies. After graduation, she completed an internship with a criminal defense attorney and then worked at the Salt Lake Legal Defender’s Association for about 8 months. Tracy then accepted a job at Epperson & Rencher and worked there for about 3 years. About a year ago she accepted a paralegal position with Richards, Brandt, Miller & Nelson where she primarily works for Robert Wright and George T. Naegle specializing in medical malpractice defense.

Director-at-Large, Website/Blog Committee, Karen McCall – Karen has worked in the legal field since 1999 and is currently a paralegal with Richards Brandt Miller Nelson, specializing in insurance defense and asbestos litigation defense. She has also served as a paralegal for Robert J. DeBry & Associates on the Utah portion of the MDL Fen-Phen class action lawsuit; for Snell & Wilmer on various product liability matters, including Ford Motor Company vehicle rollover crashes; and most recently for insurance defense firm Smith & Glauser. Karen obtained her Paralegal Certificate from Fullerton College in California in 1998, after receiving her B.A. in Communications from California State University, Fullerton. She has been married to John McCall for 15 years, finally deciding to have children after ten, and now spends her time outside of work chasing after her five-year-old daughter Annika and two-year-old son Ian.

Director-at-Large, Secretary, Website/Blog Chair, Aaron Thompson – Aaron is a paralegal employed with Headwaters Incorporated assisting the Associate General Counsel Curtis Brown. Aaron’s primary focus is on stock options, Section 16 & Form 4 filings, commercial insurance, mergers & acquisitions, as well as contracts and business entity filings. Aaron graduated from Westminster College with a Paralegal degree, a B.A. degree in English, a minor in political science, with an emphasis in Mandarin Chinese. During Aaron’s academic career at Westminster College, he was appointed as the National Constitutional Committee Chair to strengthen the constitutional infrastructure that now serves as the national foundational guidelines for College Democrats of America (CDA). Shortly after, Aaron served on the CDA national board as the National Communications Director under the auspices of the Democratic National Committee in Washington D.C. In 2000 Aaron had the extraordinary opportunity to assist the Gore Presidential campaign as well as direct the 2004 New Hampshire Project opening the door for Westminster students of varying political affiliations the rare opportunity to work directly for Presidential candidates. Aaron is now coordinating Governor Bill Richardson’s 2008 Presidential race in Utah. Aaron’s academic and working career has provided varying experiences from working for the Utah Attorney General office in the Commercial Enforcement and Consumer Protection divisions to working with local and national governing bodies as well as various Senate and Congressional campaigns around the United States. Aaron looks forward to a long career with Headwaters and is excited about the future of Headwaters’ business in China.

Director-at-Large, Bar Journal, Marketing, Greg A. Wayment – Greg grew up in North Ogden, Utah. As a student at Weber State University, he studied Sales and Marketing graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2004. Greg obtained his paralegal certificate from an A.B.A. accredited school, the Denver Paralegal Institute, in January 2005. He previously worked for a large insurance defense firm in Denver, Colorado. Currently, he is a litigation paralegal at the Salt Lake City firm of Magleby & Greenwood, P.C. Greg lives in Bountiful, Utah and enjoys spending time with his wife Jen and their dog Harvey.

Parliamentarian, Deborah Calegory, CP – Deb received her paralegal certification through the American Paralegal Association in 1986 and has worked in the legal field for 25 years. Deb works for the law firm of Barney McKenna & Olmstead, P.C. in St. George in the areas of business, transactional, and real estate. She was a charter member of the Paralegal Division and has maintained an active role in the Division since its inception. Deb served on the Board of Directors of the Division from 1998 through 2004, and served as the Chair of the Division during 2001-2002. She is currently serving as the Division Parliamentarian. She has also been active in the Legal Assistant Association of Utah, having served as the Southern Region Education Chair and as the Southern Region Director. Deb also maintains an active role in the local St. George community. She prepared curriculum for, and taught the short term intensive training course for paralegals at Dixie State College. She is currently serving on the Board of Directors of Leadership Dixie which is an educational program with the mission of broadening the understanding of local issues for the benefit of new and seasoned community leaders. Deb is proud to be a fifth generation native of St. George. She is married to Tom Calegory who is originally from Salt Lake City. She is a mother to two adult daughters and a ten-year old son and is a grandmother of six. Deb enjoys a variety of culinary and gardening pursuits, and also loves to play and watch sports of all kinds.

Director-at-Large, CLE Co-Chair, Anna Gamangasso – Anna began her paralegal career in February, 1992, working for Salt Lake Legal Aid Society in the area of family law and domestic abuse. She received her Associates Degree along with a certificate from Phillips Junior College that same year. In November 1994, she went to work at the Utah Attorney General’s Office in the Child and Family Support Division. In September 2000, she made the move to the Children’s Justice Division in the Criminal Non-support Unit. The move from civil to criminal prosecution was a favorable one. Anna has a daughter and a son. Her daughter gave her two handsome grandsons who just happen to be the highlight of her life. She enjoys taking mini road trips to anywhere and to just hang out with her boys.

Director-at-Large, UMBA Liaison, Website/Blog Committee, Cheryl Jeffs – Cheryl is a new member of the Paralegal Division’s Board of Directors. She has been a paralegal for 15 years and is currently a paralegal at the Law firm of Strong and Hanni where she works in the areas of insurance defense and personal injury. Cheryl received her paralegal certificate from Wasatch Career Institute in 1990. She received her CP designation from NALA in September 2005. Cheryl previously worked for the Utah Attorney General’s Office in the Criminal Non-support Division. She is married and has four children and two grandchildren.

Ex-Officio Director (Immediate Past Chair), Kathryn K. Shelton – Kathryn has been a paralegal for 12 years, working the last 9 years as a paralegal with the law firm of Durham, Jones & Pinegar primarily in the Corporate & Securities section. Prior to joining Durham Jones & Pinegar, Kathryn was a paralegal for 3 years with the Huntsman Corporation in Salt Lake City, Utah. Kathryn has substantive experience in corporate/commercial transactions including mergers and acquisitions, business organization, securities and real estate, as well as experience in immigration and intellectual property issues. Kathryn has over 23 years of law-related work experience, beginning in 1983 as a legal secretary at Van Cott, Bagley, Cornwall & McCarthy and in 1987 working in-house with the first General Counsel of the Huntsman companies. From June 2006 to June 2007, Kathryn served as Chair of the Paralegal Division and as Ex-Officio on the Bar Commission representing the Paralegal Division. Kathryn served as the Paralegal Division’s Region II Director and Finance Officer from 2004 to 2006, and has served on the Executive Committee, the CLE Committee, and the 10th Anniversary Committee. In addition to being a member of the Paralegal Division, Kathryn is also a member of NALA. Kathryn was born in Hamilton, New Zealand, and accompanied her parents when they returned to Utah when she was almost four years old. She received an Associate Degree from Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho). She is married to Wesley Shelton and they are the parents of three children.