AZ League Connection

The League's Monthly Online Newsletter

Issue 194: June 2019

Legal Corner: Recognizing Municipal Attorney Achievements

Legal Corner – Recognizing Municipal Attorney Achievements

Last month the city and town attorneys gathered for the Arizona City Attorneys Association (ACAA) annual conference in Flagstaff and the program included the inaugural municipal attorney awards. Three categories of awards were created to honor distinguished municipal service, career achievement and a rising star, and nominations were reviewed by an Awards Committee before making the final decision. This article highlights the award recipients and their contributions to cities and towns. Also included are two municipal attorneys who were honored this past week at the State Bar Convention for outstanding public service.

ACAA Distinguished Municipal Attorney Award – Joel Stern, City Attorney, City of Apache Junction
This award is intended to recognize the work and dedication of an outstanding municipal attorney who works for the city in-house or by contract and has at least five years of experience as a municipal attorney or municipal prosecutor. The attorney must exhibit a dedication and commitment to public service and the municipal practice of law. This year’s distinguished municipal attorney is Joel Stern.

Joel became the City Attorney for Apache Junction in 1997 and has witnessed the city double in size. He is an integral part of the city’s functions as he provides legal advice to the Council, various boards and departments and he assists on various development issues that are critical to the City’s continued growth. He also stepped in and acted as City Prosecutor for almost 18 months during the recession, which resulted in significant financial savings for the city. Joel is described by City Manager Bryant Powell as “an exemplary civil servant to the City of Apache Junction” who has been “invaluable to helping our city grow and modernize.”

ACAA Career Achievement Award – Bruce Washburn, City Attorney, City of Scottsdale
This award recognizes recently retired or retiring municipal attorneys who have had distinguished careers as public attorneys and have made many significant contributions to public service, especially to municipalities. The Award recognizes the recipient for mentoring and training other municipal lawyers and as a model of dedication and commitment to municipal law. Bruce Washburn from the City of Scottsdale was this year’s recipient prior to his retirement this month.

Bruce began his career at the City of Scottsdale in 2003 as an assistant city attorney and six years later was appointed as the city attorney. He is the second longest-serving city attorney in the City’s history and improved the office’s functions by restructuring the office to make it more efficient to better serve the city and its citizens. Bruce’s service has extended beyond the City through his role as past president of the Arizona City Attorneys Association and state chair for the International Municipal Lawyers Association. He never hesitates to share his knowledge and expertise with his fellow attorneys. Luis Santaella, Assistant City Attorney and Police Legal Advisor, states that “Bruce is not only an excellent lawyer but a true gentleman and has been a joy to work for [and] we at the City of Scottsdale will greatly miss him.”

ACAA Rising Star Award – Charlotte McDermott, Assistant City Attorney, City of Mesa
This award recognizes the work and dedication of an outstanding upcoming municipal attorneys (“rising stars”). Award eligibility is limited to those municipal attorneys who work for a city or town full time and have been licensed as an attorney for less than seven years. Nominees must exhibit a dedication and commitment to municipal law and public service. This year’s Rising Star Award was presented to Charlotte McDermott.

Charlotte has been working with the City of Mesa for four years and represents the Development Services Department, including representing the Planning and Zoning Board, Historic Preservation Committee, and past representation of the Board of Adjustment. Her former supervisor, Mary Grace McNear, stated that Charlotte “thrived” under the expectation of “producing the highest quality work product” and she “has never been anything short of fully prepared at every meeting, and on every subject.” Additionally, Charlotte is a team player and a great colleague. It was clear that Charlotte was “truly deserving of this award.”

Arizona State Bar Distinguished Public Lawyer Award – Frank Cassidy, Town Attorney, Town of Marana
The State Bar’s Distinguished Public Lawyer award is intended to recognize the work and dedication of a public attorney who primarily works for a government agency or nonprofit. The attorney must have at least five years of experience as a public lawyer and demonstrate a commitment to the public practice of law. This year the State Bar selected Frank Cassidy as an award recipient

Frank has been the town attorney for Marana for nearly sixteen years and previously worked for the Pima County Attorney’s Office and in private practice. Frank has also served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Arizona for fifteen years teaching Land Use Planning. Frank is always willing to share his knowledge and experience and has presented at numerous conferences and speaking engagements. He is active in the ACAA and State Bar. Additionally, Frank consistently helps his fellow colleagues by sharing his knowledge on land use questions and other municipal issues and elevates any conversation with his thoughtful approach and insight.

State Bar Rising Star Award – Stacey Good, Assistant City Prosecutor, City of Mesa
The State Bar’s Rising Star Award recognizes a current public attorney with less than five years of experience who has demonstrated a passion for representing the public, has an outstanding work ethic and exceptional legal talent. Stacey Good was selected as this year’s recipient for her work as an Assistant City Prosecutor.

Stacey knew she wanted to be a prosecutor during law school and after a short stint with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, she returned to the City of Mesa where she had previously interned. Stacey conducts trainings with the Mesa Crime Lab and has presented Advanced DUI training multiple times for the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council. She has been described as a hard worker and regularly assists her colleagues by taking their jury trials if their workload is too high. Defense attorney Loyd Tate stated that she “is a fierce advocate with considerable legal skills” and while holding defendants accountable, she has not treated “the poor and less fortunate harshly because she has the power to do so.” Stacey’s colleague, Paul Hawkins, states that Stacey genuinely cares about her work as a public servant and her “passion for public service is infectious and it raises the capacity of those that work with her…her contributions to the office environment are as impactful as her contributions in the courtroom.”

Congratulations to all the municipal award recipients from both the ACAA and State Bar for their excellence in serving the public and the legal profession, their personal and professional contributions to the community, and their professionalism, exemplary integrity, diligence and personal conduct. Cities and towns in Arizona are well served by these outstanding individuals.

 

azleague.org

Follow us:

League of Arizona Cities and Towns
1820 W Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ 85007

Phone: 602-258-5786
Fax: 602-253-3874
Email: newsletter@azleague.org