GRAWA open house spotlights new members and committees

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For many attending the Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorney’s Open House on Sept. 24, it was also their first visit to the Woods, Oviatt, Gilman LLP offices on the 19^th floor of the Bausch and Lomb building. The view overlooking the Genesee River and subsequent sunset enhanced a social gathering that was already very well planned.

New and prospective GRAWA members had the opportunity to learn a bit about various GRAWA committees with committee displays and sign-up sheets in a large conference room. Committee chairs and co-chairs were stationed by each display, making it easy to learn about GRAWA activities and mingle with members.

Program Co-chairs Sarah Lobe and Katerina Kramarchyk also lined up Photographer Erica David to take headshots for a small fee. A lovely catering spread by Monroe’s

was topped off by a special birthday cookie-cake for President-elect Randi Proukou, who was celebrating her birthday Tuesday.

GRAWA President Carey Ann Denefrio introduced the new members who registered to attend.

New to the committee options this year is a GRAWA History Project Committee, headed by Marjorie Karowe, a long ago GRAWA member who returned to Rochester in recent years.  She would love to have some help going through boxes of GRAWA memorabilia to find useful ways to share the organization’s history.

Judicial Evaluation Committee Co-Chairs Jennifer Schauerman and Leigh Ann Chute recently coordinated the evaluation process for current candidates, with results released earlier this week. The Judicial Candidates Luncheon is slated for Oct. 3, with tickets available through the GRAWA website.

Both the NAWA (Newly Admitted Women’s Attorneys) Committee and the Women’s Health Committee include new members as co-chairs.  Stephanie Lapple (new) is co-chairing NAWA with Meghan Emes and Taylor Henry (new) is working with Kristin Merrick on Women’s Health.

Nora A. Jones is a Rochester-area freelance writer and can be reached at [email protected].