A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF AAPA
It is with a heavy heart that I announce the dissolution of the Asheville Area Paralegal Association (“AAPA”). Since its inception in 2008, AAPA has been involved in the education and promotion of Asheville area paralegals through educational scholarships, monthly Lunch-And-Learns, and Spring and Fall seminars. As with many other organizations, COVID-19 and the ensuing pandemic left us in a state of declining membership and attendance from which we have not recovered. Voluntary Dissolution was voted upon by the Board of Directors by unanimous vote on March 28, 2024. By law, our assets (monetary and otherwise) must be transferred to another non-profit organization, and the Board has chosen Pisgah Legal Services as the recipient of our assets.
Over the next couple of weeks, we will be filing dissolution paperwork with the NC Secretary of State, taking down our Facebook page, and shutting down our website. I would encourage Asheville area paralegals to continue to check with the Buncombe County Bar (https://buncombebar.com) for job postings as to paralegal positions, as well as the North Carolina Paralegal Association (“NCPA”) (https://www.ncparalegal.org) job bank. There is also the Paralegal Division of the North Carolina Bar Association (https://www.ncbar.org/members/communities/divisions/paralegal-division/), which posts jobs and assists paralegals with certification requirements. CPE (Certified Paralegal Education) credits must be obtained in order to renew certification in July every year. Please continue to check the organizations listed above, as well as North Carolina Advocates for Justice (“NCAJ”) (https://www.ncaj.com), NALA (https://nala.org), the Catawba Valley Paralegal Association (https://www.catawbavalleyparalegalassoc.org) and the Metrolina Paralegal Association (http://www.charlotteareaparalegals.com) for seminars, webinars and other educational events which offer CPE credits.
It has been my privilege and honor to serve as your President over the years, and I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who served on the Board with me currently and in years past. I would also like to extend my thanks to Susan Russo Klein, our founding members and initial Board members for their vision as to what AAPA could be and would ultimately become. My thanks to the legal and business communities of Asheville and Buncombe County for their continued and unwavering support of AAPA over the years. As paralegals, we take our jobs seriously and appreciate our partnership with you. The paralegals of the Asheville area will continue to thrive and help make our communities a better place so that the legal needs of our citizens can be met with dignity and professionalism! Onward and upward!
Terrie Blackburn, NCCP
AAPA President and Board Member
