Board Members

President: The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and Executive Board and perform such other duties as ordinarily pertain to this office. president@pacoparalegals.org

CATHERINE HAWES is the current president of the Paralegal Association of Central Ohio and brings to the position over nineteen years of paralegal experience with a broad range of diversity. While her main focus has been litigation, she is currently assigned to the Construction and Products Liability practice groups with the law firm of Lane, Alton & Horst LLC.

Catherine obtained her paralegal certificate from the University of Texas at San Antonio where she graduated with honors and was appointed to an internship with the Honorable Judge Carmen Kelsey with the 189th U.S. District Court in San Antonio, Texas. She began her career with the Legal Division of DocuCon, Inc. where she served as the project manager and supervisor overseeing complex litigation cases with national exposure. Many of these cases garnered document productions ranging anywhere from 10,000 pages to over two million pages. DocuCon was a pioneer in the imaging and document management field and thus, served as a catalyst to her interest in electronic discovery.

She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Paralegal Studies from Hampton University where she graduated Cum Laude and was shortly thereafter selected out of over two hundred and fifty applicants from across the country to interview as a paralegal with the United States Senate. While her career path ultimately did not end up in Washington, DC, her experience on capital hill is one she feels privileged to have experienced.

Catherine transitioned into the law firm setting in 1993 and has worked for such highly regarded law firms as Freund, Freeze and Arnold; Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur and Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs. She has been a member of the Paralegal Association of Central Ohio for the past five years and served on the board for three years as the NFPA Primary Representative. She has been a member of several committees to include: Pro Bono Committee, By-Laws Committee, Professional Development Committee and most recently chaired the 2007 Annual Paralegal Day Committee for central Ohio. She is an active member of the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, where she was appointed as the region representative to the 2005-2006 Ad Hoc Committee on Mandatory Paralegal Regulations where the issue of mandatory regulations was addressed at the 2006 Annual NFPA convention. She is an associate member of the Columbus Bar Association and Ohio State Bar Association and has written numerous articles for the National Paralegal Reporter, and the Columbus Bar Briefs on a myriad of topics relating to the paralegal profession.

Catherine is the proud mother of two children, Devin who is entering his senior year of college at Mountain State University in West Virginia and her 14 year-old daughter Taylor, who is a rising sophomore at Upper Arlington High School who keeps her on the move.

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First Vice President/Committee Coordinator: The First Vice President shall preside in the absence of the President; shall be responsible for the organization of all committees, including soliciting committee chairperson for all committees not chaired by elected officers. The First Vice President shall be the liaison between all such committees and the Executive Board and shall perform such other duties as ordinarily pertain to this office. vp@pacoparalegals.org

BRENDA GIBAS is a graduate from Marshall University. She obtained her Associate Degree in 1993 through the Legal Assisting program of Marshall University's Community and Technical College. She continued her education and obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1997 with emphasis on Pre Law. Brenda was among the first to sit for and pass the OSBA Paralegal Certification Exam in 2007. She is presently employed as a paralegal with Isaac Brant Ledman and Teetor where she assists multiple attorneys in the litigation department. She is a member of OSBA, CBA and PACO and is a Save the Dream volunteer. When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

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Second Vice President/Membership Director: The Second Vice President shall: preside in the absence of the President and First Vice President; be chairperson of the Membership Committee; review all new applications for membership and present the same to the Executive Board for consideration; present to the Executive Board a report that quantifies PACO’s membership by membership category at each Executive Board meeting; Liaison with the CBA on all membership matters, including the review and coordination of dues renewal notices to current members, maintaining an updated roster of PACO members, and the submission of PACO membership information to NFPA on a monthly basis. membership@pacoparalegals.org

MELINDA SMALL is the Second Vice President/Membership Director. She has been an active member of PACO since the fall of 2005, and is a contributing member of the Publications and Student Liaison Committees.

A lifelong Central Ohio resident, Melinda received her B.A. in Political Science from The Ohio State University in 2003. While a student at Ohio State, Melinda was named to the Dean’s List and served as a Legislative Intern at the Ohio Statehouse under State Senator Steve Stivers. Melinda earned her Graduate Paralegal Certificate with honors from Capital University Law School in 2004.

From January 2004 to June 2007, Melinda was employed by Progressive Medical, Inc., where she held the role of Research Analyst/Paralegal. In June 2007, Melinda accepted her current role as a Paralegal with the law firm of R. Chris Harbold & Associates, a Columbus firm specializing in domestic relations law.

Melinda is also an associate member of the Columbus Bar Association and a member of the National Federation of Paralegal Associations. Her volunteer experience includes involvement with Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s Faith in Pink Program and Race for the Cure. Melinda currently resides in Columbus.

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Secretary: The secretary shall record the proceedings of all meetings of the Association and the Executive Board; in conjunction with CBA keep a list of all names and addresses of all members; preserve in a permanent file all records and letters of value of the Association and its officers, which, together with the minute book, shall be delivered to the incoming officer at the close of the term; and keep a record of all correspondence of the Association. The Secretary shall serve as statutory agent of the Association. In the absence of the Secretary, a secretary pro tempore may be appointed by the Executive Board to perform the Secretary’s duties. secretary@pacoparalegals.org

DEBBIE SEKERAK is PACO's Secretary. She is a Paralegal in the Real Estate/Corporate Law practice group with Wiles, Boyle, Burkholder and Bringardner Co., LPA. She has been in her current position for one year, and has worked in the corporate environment for more than sixteen years, including five years in the legal department with Dominion Homes. Corporations for which she has been employed include Kinko’s and Qwest Communications.

Debbie received a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from The Ohio State University in 1991 and a Paralegal Certificate from Capital University Law School in 2007. She is an associate member of the Columbus and Ohio State Bar Associations.

She served as a member of the PACO Public Relations Committee and was active with the committee that organized Paralegal Day 2008.

Debbie is a native to Columbus. She resides in Powell with her husband John and their three dogs. In her spare time, she enjoys walking, biking, working in the yard, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

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Treasurer: The Treasurer shall collect Sustaining Affiliate Member annual fees and all monies of the Association and make distribution by check, signed by the Treasurer or President; keep an account of all receipts and disbursements, monthly reports, make an annual report at the annual meeting; and deposit the funds in such bank as the Executive Board may direct. The Treasurer shall be bonded in an amount set by the Executive. treasurer@pacoparalegals.org

PAM GEISER has been a PACO member for eight years and served on PACO’s Executive Board as the 2nd Vice President and Membership Director during the 2004-2005 term, which was the first year of our organization’s alliance with the Columbus Bar Association.

During her previous board tenure she developed many of the processes still in place with the CBA regarding membership tracking and maintenance, and drafted PACO forms and documents still in use today. She was also an active member of the 2007 Paralegal Day Planning Committee.

She has been employed by the law firm of Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP as a corporate and intellectual property paralegal for the past eight years. Immediately prior to this, she worked for four years in the area of securities compliance, and beyond that was a banker for many years, holding various positions including working for a substantial amount of time in the bank’s accounting department.

She earned her paralegal certificate from the American Institute for Paralegal Studies in 1990, and was awarded by that institution the prestigious Certificate of Scholarly Distinction for academic excellence. She also was in the inaugural class of paralegals certified by the Ohio Bar Association as an OSBA Certified Paralegal.

She is a native of California but has lived in Ohio for over 20 years. Her alma mater is Ventura College, located in southern California.

She lives in Hilliard with her husband Richard and their 4-year-old daughter Jilyin, who they adopted at the age of 13 months from China. She's pleased (but exhausted!) to report that she is a bundle of energy and the light of their lives!

ANDREA L. TURNER is currently employed by Big Lots Stores, Inc. Andrea serves as a Senior Paralegal in the Real Estate – Legal division of this national retailer. She has been in her current position for nine (9) years, and has worked in the corporate legal environment for more than seventeen (17) years. Corporations for which she has been employed include National City Bank of Columbus and Glimcher Realty Trust.

Andrea earned an Associate of Science Degree in Paralegal Studies from The Academy of Court Reporting in 1991. She earned an Ohio Real Estate License in 1992, and an Ohio Insurance License in 1994. Her educational experience has equipped her to specialize in practice areas such as Bankruptcy, Foreclosure, Probate, Collection Litigation, Commercial Real Estate, Retail Lending, and Asbestos Litigation experience gained during her short tenure of interning for Michael F. Colley and Associates.

Andrea is currently enrolled at the University of Phoenix working to complete her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with an anticipated graduation date in the year 2009.

Most importantly, Andrea is a Christian who is heavily involved and committed to ministry. She currently worships at Jerusalem Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church serving as a Sunday School Teacher for the Young Adult class, Youth Praise Team Leader and an Adult Choir
Member. She gave birth to three (3) wonderful children named Taylor and Tylor (11 year old twins), and Chavin (born September 19, 1987, who passed away tragically at the age of 20 on February 8, 2008).

In her spare time, she enjoys reading, exercising and relaxing.

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NFPA Primary Representative: The NFPA Primary Representative shall represent the interest of the Association before the NFPA and shall report on all of NFPA's activities to the Executive Board and the membership of the Association. NFPA@pacoparalegals.org

TRINA HAYES was PACO’s Secretary from 2006-2008. Trina is a Contracts Specialist with Limited Brands, Inc. (parent company for Bath & Body Works, CO Bigelow, White Barn Candle, Henri Bendel and Victoria’s Secret). She has been in her current position for 10 ½ years. Her job entails contract negotiation, redlining, drafting, etc. of various contracts and other legal documents for the corporate enterprise. She joined PACO/CBA in January 2004, and currently serves on the Newsletter Committee. Trina previously served on the PR and Pro Bono Committees.

Trina has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Ohio Dominican University and a Paralegal Certificate from Capital University Law School.

In addition to working full-time, she is also a Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian Ad Litem (CASA) for Franklin County, member of a book club and President of the McNaughten Place Condo Association. A Columbus native, Trina has been involved in many community-related organizations and activities over the years.

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Statewide Representative/NFPA Secondary Representative: The Statewide Representative/NFPA Secondary Representative will promote and maintain ongoing relationships on behalf of the Association with other allied professional associations. The Statewide Representative will be the NFPA Secondary Representative and aid the NFPA Primary Representative only with NFPA related responsibilities, and represent PACO at NFPA annual, mid-year and regional meetings. statewide@pacoparalegals.org

BARRY KISER is the Statewide Representative of the Paralegal Association of Central Ohio. He is employed with Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur LLP as a paralegal in the Corporate Department, specializing in corporate transactional work and health care law. He has also worked in the Financial/Commercial Law Department and assisted with commercial litigation at Porter Wright. Barry holds a paralegal certificate from The American Institute for Paralegal Studies and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Ohio University.

Barry is an associate member of the Columbus Bar Association. He also assists attorney volunteers with the Interfaith Legal Clinic and volunteers with the Mid-Ohio Food Bank in his spare time. He resides in Gahanna, Ohio.

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Editor: The Editor shall be chairperson of the Publications Committee. The Editor shall coordinate and oversee Columbus Bar Association production of The Citator on a quarterly basis. editor@pacoparalegals.org

KRISTIN GORDON is the Editor of the Paralegal Association of Central Ohio (PACO). She has been an active member of PACO since the Fall of 2004, and is a member of the Publications Committee, writing for the Citator.

Kristin received her post-baccalaureate certificate in Paralegal Studies from Columbus State Community College. She is a paralegal in the law firm of Friedman & Mirman Co., L.P.A., a firm specializing in expert family relations law. While a student at Columbus State , Kristin was active in the Student Paralegal Association.

Before making the switch to become a paralegal, Kristin worked as a newspaper reporter. Through her undergraduate studies in journalism at Ohio University, Kristin worked as a reporter for Gannett, Inc., newspapers. In addition, she was a reporter and editor for The Post, an
independent, daily newspaper in Athens, Ohio. Her last newspaper reporting job was as the courts and law enforcement reporter for the Lancaster-Eagle Gazette, a daily paper covering Fairfield County in Central Ohio, where she resides.

Kristin’s volunteer experience includes that as an Ohio Reads reading tutor for elementary school children in Lancaster, for local political campaigns, and for a high school public relations and marketing program. She also has served as a mentor for high school students interested in writing.

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Public Relations Director: The Public Relations Director shall be the chairperson of the Public Relations Committee; and shall be responsible for preparing and arranging for all publicity relating to the activities of the Association. pr@pacoparalegals.org

TRICIA MAYS currently works as a Probate Paralegal at Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP (formerly Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs) in Columbus. She landed her first job as a paralegal with Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLP in the probate department with the Columbus office in October 2007. Just prior to her starting her paralegal career, she graduated in September 2007 from Columbus State Community College’s Paralegal Certificate program as one of the top students in her class. While at Columbus State, Tricia interned with the firm, Eric Hoffman and Associates, as a criminal and family law paralegal, and participated with the mentoring program at Nationwide Insurance with the Office of General Counsel.

Prior to her career as a Paralegal, Tricia worked with Metro Networks, a company that performs services such as traffic and news reports to several area radio stations. For Metro Networks, Tricia was a traffic reporter for WCBE-FM, WODB-FM and WCMH-TV for afternoon drive. Her job description also included writing news stories for radio reporters to read on the air. Prior to Metro Networks, Tricia worked for several other media companies both in Columbus and in Cincinnati.

Tricia also has a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Otterbein College where she graduated in 2000.

Tricia lives in Dublin and is a member of PACO, the Columbus Bar Association, NFPA and the Otterbein College Alumni Broadcasting Network club where she is an officer. With PACO, Tricia participated in the following committees in the past year: Paralegal Day and the Holiday Party.

As for hobbies, she enjoys reading, collecting model horses and horseback riding.

In the future, Tricia hopes to gain her state certification as a paralegal and hopes to devote much of her time growing with PACO.

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New Student Liaison Coordinator: The New Student Liaison Coordinator shall develop and implement student scholarships for local paralegal programs; visit Columbus and surrounding area paralegal programs, to coordinate student membership involvement in PACO; maintain a speakers bureau, and establish a mentoring program. students@pacoparalegals.org

LINDEN ROST is entering as the New Student Liaison Coordinator. She has been as active member of PACO since December of 2006. She also serves on the Web Administration Committee, and Citator Committees.

Linden received her Paralegal Certificate in the summer of 2005 from Oak Brook College of Law. During college, Linden created a student forum to encourage discussion and study preparations for the CLA tests for her fellow students. She is starting a new career move to the paralegal staff of the lawfirm of Friedman and Mirman, while serving on the campaign
committee for Joseph Mas as he runs for Municipal Court Judge in 2008.

While finishing up her paralegal certificate, Linden traveled with a team of engineers as a projects coordinator, organizing tradeshows in Houston, Boston, and Honolulu. She also taught from her own private music studio.

Linden is active in volunteer work through her church, Gahanna Evangel Temple, where she is on Staff. She is a drama/acting coach for their outdoor programs and music ministries.

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