September 18, 1997
ILLINOIS PARALEGAL RECOGNIZED AS 1997 OUTSTANDING LOCAL LEADER
Twenty-four years of service to a paralegal association were recognized when Patricia Murphy Coleman of Hinsdale, Illinois, was selected by DynCorp and the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA) to receive the 1997 DynCorp Outstanding Local Leader Award.
A plaque from DynCorp was presented to Coleman at the NFPA's mid-year Meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona, by Pat Smith, Office Manager of DynCorp, and Sally Andress, NFPA Director of Membership. The winner's travel and hotel expenses for the mid-year meeting were funded by DynCorp.
Coleman was nominated by the Illinois Paralegal Association, which she currently serves as secretary-treasurer, board member, and editor of the monthly newsletter, The Lookout. She has served as treasurer for 23 years and as a director for 24 years. She founded The Lookout during her 1986-1988 tenure as IPA president and has been its only editor.
Coleman's colleagues nominated her not only for dedicated service in the past but for her vision for the future. "When discussing policy and other issues affecting our profession," wrote her fellow board members, "We turn to Pat for guidance. She provides important history and background, enabling our Board to make informed decisions so we may continue to direct our Association on its path for the future."
Coleman is marking her 25th year as a taxation paralegal with the Chicago firm of Vedder, Price, Kaufman & Kammholz. She is an enrolled agent entitled to practice before the Internal Revenue Service and holds a bachelor's degree in accountancy from the University of Illinois.
In addition to her IPA activities, Coleman contributes time to her hometown. She was the first woman to be named to the board of directors of the Committee of One Hundred, a civic group in Hinsdale, and the first woman elected chair of the Hinsdale Village Caucus. She served two terms as president of the Hinsdale unit of the American Legion Auxiliary and is currently its treasurer, using her financial expertise to guide it as she does the IPA.
To its nominating letter, the IPA attached Coleman's thoughts on creating a strong association. The foundation, wrote Coleman, is an active, involved membership. "Let us progress together; let us prosper together," she advised.
"Patricia Murphy Coleman has become the founding mother of this Association," stated the IPA board members, "and deserves to be recognized for her tireless efforts and contributions on this, the 25th anniversary of the Illinois Paralegal Association."
DynCorp is a nationwide paralegal and support contractor headquartered in Reston, Virginia. It sponsors the annual award to spotlight a paralegal who is representative of the many who volunteer hours through a local association. The award was first given in 1996 to Margaret Dick, a founder of the Western New York Paralegal Association.
Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, NFPA is a non-profit professional organization representing more than 17,000 paralegals in the United States and Canada. NFPA is the national voice and the standard for excellence for the paralegal profession through its work on the issues of regulation, ethics and education.
