President - Karen Nichols, ACP
Karen Nichols, ACP is employed by Jackson Kelly PLLC as an advanced certified paralegal in the Business Law Department. Karen has been in the legal profession for 25 years and has been a paralegal for 13 years. She graduated in December 2003 from Marshall University with an Associate in Applied Science, Legal Assistant degree, with high honors. Karen obtained her CLA certification from NALA in January 2006, and APC in Business Organizations: Incorporated Entities in October 2008. She is currently serving on the Jackson Kelly Parqalegal Liaison Committee, is an active member of the National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc. (NALA), and a member of the Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia. Karen served as LAPSWV Treasurer from 2007-2009, LAPSWV's NALA Liaison (2009 - January 2010), Second Vice President (January 2010 - June 2010), First Vice President (July 2010 - January 2011), and is currently serving as President. Ms. Nichols was a member of the Executive Committee honored by LAPSWV as the 2009 Paralegals of the Year.
First Vice President - Patricia Schoolcraft, CLA
Patricia Schoolcraft, CLA, is employed by Preston & Salango, PLLC, as a civil litigation paralegal. She has been in the legal profession for over 23 years and has been a paralegal for 17 of the 23 years. She worked as a regulatory paralegal with the West Virginia Insurance Commissioner Office and as a litigation paralegal for Flaherty, Sensabaugh & Bonasso before going to work for Preston & Salango. She graduated in May 1992, with high honors, from Marshall University with an Associate in Applied Science, Legal Assistant degree. She obtained her CLA certification from the National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc. (NALA) in September 1998. In August 2002, she earned her Bachelor's degree from the West Virginia University Institute of Technology. She has been an active member of the National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc. (NALA) since 1998, a founding member of Legal Assistants/Paralegals of Southern West Virginia serving as the Treasurer for the first two years and on various committees, and was a former member and officer of the Association of Legal Assistants of West Virginia from 1988 to 2004.
Second Vice President - Renee Clay, ACP
Renee Clay, ACP has been employed by Steptoe & Johnson PLLC since October 2003 and is currently working out of the Huntington, WV office. Renee has over 19 years of experience in the legal profession. She currently performs various tasks associated with energy and environmental litigation with the main focus in matters involving the coal industry. Ms. Clay is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Marshall University where she earned her Bachelors of Science Degree in Business Education in 1991 and earned her Masters of Science Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies/Adult and Technical Education in 1997. In 2004, she became an active member of the Legal Assistants/Paralegals of Southern West Virginia (LAPSWV), has served on its various committees, and currently holds the office of Second Vice President. Ms. Clay became a member of the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) and received her CP certification in September of 2007. Ms. Clay received her Advanced Certification in Discovery from NALA in May 2010. She also became a paralegal member of the Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia in 2007.
Treasurer - Nodgie Kennedy, CLA
Nodgie is currently employed by The Tinney Law Firm in Charleston, WV. She has worked in the legal profession for 26 years, having worked as a legal secretary in Washington, D.C. and New Jersey for 15 years. Nodgie returned to West Virginia in 1995, graduated in 1998 with an A.S. degree with honors in Paralegal Studies from Mountain State University (f/k/a The College of WV); and, has worked as a paralegal in Charleston, WV since 1998. Nodgie obtained her CLA certification from NALA in January 2006. Nodgie P. Kennedy, CLA was appointed as LAPSWV Parliamentarian/Historian in January 2010, served as LAPSWV secretary from 2010-2011, and was elected as Treasurer at the LAPSWV Seventh Annual Meeting on June 3, 2011, in Charleston, WV.
Secretary - Melanie Hicks, CP
Melanie Hicks obtained an Associate Degree in Paralegal Studies in 1994 from the College of West Virginia now known as Mountain State University. She has worked for over 17 years for sole practitioners in real estate, civil litigation, family law and criminal law areas of the legal field. Melanie incorporated Paralegal Solutions, LLC in 2008 and now works as a freelance paralegal for numerous attorneys and firms performing real estate work, litigation support and contract review. She became a member of LAPSWV in 2008 and passed the NALA certifying examination in March 2010. Melanie was elected LAPSWV Secretary at LAPSWV's Seventh Annual Meeting on June 3, 2011, in Charleston, WV.
NALA Liaison - Cynthia L. Kline, ACP
Cynthia L. Kline, ACP attended the University of Charleston and has been a litigation paralegal for more than 20 years. She is currently employed by law firm of Jackson Kelly, PLLC where she assists attorneys in the firm's Pharmaceutical, Toxic Tort and Product Liability Practice group. She also assists with asbestos litigation. Cindy received her Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) credentials in January 2006 and her Advanced Paralegal Certification in Discovery (ACP) in March 2007. Cindy has been an active member of Legal Assistants/Paralegals of Southern West Virginia (LAPSWV) since 2004. She has served as LAPSWV's Secretary (2005-2006), Second Vice President (07/2006-09/2006), First Vice President (09/2006-2008), President (2008-2010), and currently is serving as NALA Liaison. Cindy is an active member of the National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc. (NALA), having served a three-year term on the Professional Development Committee, and is currently a member of the 2012 Leadership Enhancement and Preparation (LEAP) program. She is a CASA volunteer for Kanawha County CASA, Inc., a member of the Legal Assistants' Committee of The West Virginia State Bar, the paralegal representative on the Board of Governors for The Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia, and an Advisory Board member for the Paralegal Studies Program for Kanawha Valley Community and Technical College, Charleston, WV. Cindy was honored by LAPSWV as the 2008 and 2010 Paralegal of the Year, was a member of the Executive Committee honored as the 2009 Paralegals of the Year, and received NALA Affiliates Awards in 2008, 2009, and 2010.
Parliamentarian/Historian - Tammy L. Welch, CP
Tammy L. Welch, CP has been a paralegal for 17 years and has been employed by Jackson Kelly, PLLC since July 1999. She assists attorneys in the firm’s litigation department, focusing primarily on Medical Liability defense, and has participated in more than 20 trials throughout West Virginia. Ms. Welch received her Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) in January 2000. Ms. Welch has been an active member of Legal Assistants/Paralegals of Southern West Virginia (LAPSWV) since 2004. She has served as LAPSWV’s NALA Liaison (2005-2006 and January 2010-June 2010), and as LAPSWV's Parliamentarian/Historian (2008-January 2010) and currently serves as the Parliamentarian/Historian. Ms. Welch is also a member of Defense Trial Counsel of WV and is a member of the Paralegal Liaison committee of Defense Trial Counsel of WV. Ms. Welch was a member of the Executive Committee honored by LAPSWV as the 2009 Paralegals of the Year.