Newsletter
Letter from the President
Welcome from the President
I’m excited and honored to have been sworn in as your 2026–2027 President of the St. Louis Paralegal Association! I’m looking forward to an exciting new year and am ready to dive into new ideas and opportunities for our organization.
Whether you have been a member for many years or are joining us for the first time, I want to personally welcome you. Our association exists because of the dedication, talent, and commitment of our members. Together, we have the opportunity to learn from one another, build meaningful professional relationships, and continue advancing the paralegal profession throughout the St. Louis region.
I also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our outgoing President, Ashley Milam, for her outstanding leadership and service. Ashley brought a fresh perspective to our organization and helped lay the foundation for continued growth. During her term, we launched our new STLPA swag store, expanded our social media presence to increase visibility, and strengthened relationships with fellow associations, including the Kansas City Paralegal Association. These accomplishments have positioned us for an exciting future, and I look forward to building on that momentum.
This year, we will continue advocating for and promoting the paralegal profession—not only throughout the St. Louis area, but across the entire state of Missouri. Our goal is to strengthen our profession, support our members, and continue creating valuable educational and networking opportunities.
In the coming week, I will have the privilege of joining legal professionals from across the country, along with our NALA Liaison, Ashley Milam, at the 2026 NALA Conference in Denver. This conference provides an incredible opportunity to network with leaders from other associations, exchange ideas, and bring back new perspectives that will benefit STLPA. If you'll be attending, please let us know—we'd love the opportunity to connect! Be sure to follow our social media pages for conference updates throughout the week.
Finally, I encourage each of you to get involved. Attend our events, share your ideas, volunteer for a committee, and help shape the future of our association. Your participation is what makes the St. Louis Paralegal Association a vibrant, thriving organization.
Thank you for your support and confidence. I look forward to serving as your President and working alongside each of you to make 2026–2027 a successful and memorable year for STLPA.
Membership
Welcome to all new members we have welcomed so far in 2026
| Karen | Aldridge |
| Jarrick | Ambrose |
| Patience | Barnett |
| RJ | Bell |
| Hannah | Bolen |
| Taylor | Bour |
| Del | Broadway |
| Stephanie | Broyles |
| Luke | Bunkers |
| Michelle | Cage |
| Christina | Casey |
| Trinetta | Clark |
| Amy | Cloud |
| Autumn | Cox-Arnold |
| MaryCay | Creighton |
| Erin | Fischer |
| Lindsay | Frye |
| Lauren | Gentile |
| Giovanna | Giganti |
| Cartnie | Gordon |
| Janice 'Jodi' | Green |
| Farrah | Hayden |
| Haley | Henke |
| Bradley | Hult |
| Stephanie | Hummel |
| Samantha | Jaramillo-Castille |
| Abigail | Juedemann |
| Bernadette | Kennedy |
| Sandra | King |
| Stefanie | King |
| MaKenzie | Knight |
| Michelle | Koelling |
| Kayla | Ksiazkiewicz |
| Courtney | Mayer |
| Aly | Meinsen |
| Mark | Montalto |
| Madeline | Moore |
| Ashley | Mueller |
| Chris | Murabito |
| Jessica | Nitsch |
| Anna | O'Brien |
| Nicole | Pedicord |
| Amanda | Reprogle |
| C'Ara | Sanders |
| Keith | Savage |
| Kirstin | Schmelig |
| Alexis | Smith |
| Audra | Spencer |
| Carsen | Swallow |
| Asia | Thomas |
| Megan | Torretta |
| Ashley | Varner |
| Deborah | Vetter |
| Alexis | Wilson |
Birthdays
| First Name | Last Name | Birthday |
| Mary | Shambro | 2-Jul |
| Michaela | Cotter | 3-Jul |
| Falon | Holmes | 5-Jul |
| Keisha | Wings | 5-Jul |
| Katherine | Feigenbutz | 6-Jul |
| Ashlyn | Walls | 7-Jul |
| Jennifer | Steinmeyer | 11-Jul |
| Jenna | Cool | 14-Jul |
| Jeanne | Magrath | 16-Jul |
| Julianna | Gamel | 19-Jul |
| Anna | O'Brien | 19-Jul |
| Luke | Bunkers | 20-Jul |
| Christine | Douglas | 20-Jul |
| Mary | Sowerwine | 20-Jul |
| Debi | Edwards | 21-Jul |
| Katerina | Zhuravel | 23-Jul |
| Carolyn | Mora | 23-Jul |
| Mary Jo | Straatmann | 23-Jul |
| Angela | Alvarado | 25-Jul |
| Nicole | Ferguson | 25-Jul |
| Madeline | Moore | 25-Jul |
| Jessica | Nitsch | 27-Jul |
| Jeanne | Elliott | 27-Jul |
| Chris | Murabito | 27-Jul |
| Candace | May | 29-Jul |
| Keith | Savage | 30-Jul |
| Crystall | McCune-Leonard | 31-Jul |
Spotlight
Get to know your 2026-2027 Board of Directors and Committee Chairs:
President-JP Koziatek
Vice President- Alex J. Berry, Mary Sowerwine
Treasurer-Parris Diggs
Secretary-Marie K Bacon
Director-Laura Freeborn
NALA Liaison-Ashley N. Milam
If you are interested in getting involved in any of the following committees, please reach out to [email protected]
Annual Paralegal Day
Business Partners
Bylaws
Communications
Community and Social Affairs
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Job Bank
Legal Community Connections
Membership
Nominating Committee
Photography
Programs and Education
Student Representative
Member Benefits
The St. Louis Paralegal Association (“STLPA”) strives to provide a wide variety of opportunities to its members. With the cost of annual membership, STLPA members are afforded the following benefits:
- Networking Opportunities:
◊ Annual Social Events:
♦ Barbecue
♦ Fall Event
♦ Holiday Party
◊ Special invitation to participate in Annual Paralegal Day:
♦ Proclaimed by state and local officials
♦ Discounted CLE opportunity
♦ Attendance prizes and giveaways
♦ Special gift chosen for attendees
♦ Attended by our Business Partners and pertinent legal vendors
◊ Access to Social Media:
♦ Facebook
♦ LinkedIn
♦ Twitter
♦ Instagram
- Community Service:
◊ Drives and membership donation opportunities
◊ Special charitable donations designated annually
- Education and STLPA programs:
◊ Monthly membership meetings
♦ Up to eight (8) live NALA approved CLEs at no additional cost to STLPA members*
♦ Lunch included*
♦ Opportunity to win Paralegal Legend Award
◊ Scholarship opportunities:
♦ Student scholarships*
♦ Certified Paralegal Exam
◊ STLPA Job Bank
◊ Mentorship Program
◊ Paralegal Roundtable
- Resources and Publications:
◊ Inside STLPA - monthly online newsletter
◊ Membership Directory
◊ Business Partner Directory
◊ Direct connection to affiliate news
◊ Updates regarding processes & technology of local court systems
Did You Know?
Did you know that 2027 will be St. Louis Paralegal Association will be celebrating 50 years! If you have any memories you would like to share, please send to [email protected] and we will include it in future newsletters.
NALA Examination
What is the Difference Between a Certificate and a Certification?
The Institute for Credentialing Excellence (I.C.E.) has put together an informative guide breaking down the key distinctions between a certificate and a certification. This resource contains a short video, a table, and a comparative PDF to help you understand the differences in terms of training, testing, renewal, and industry recognition. Click here to explore so you can make informed decisions about your professional path.
NALA’s Certified Paralegal (CP®) credential is a nationally-accredited certification that recognizes paralegals who have successfully completed a rigorous and comprehensive exam on knowledge and skills that are valuable in the profession.
Please see link below for further information
https://nala.org/certification/
Business Partners
Monthly Membership Meeting
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Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/STLParalegals/#
https://www.linkedin.com/company/st-louis-paralegal-association/
https://www.instagram.com/stlparalegals?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
Don't Miss Out! Get your Emails from STLPA!
Please make sure to keep your e-mail address up to date in order to continue to receive STLPA mailings. If you have any issues, please send an email to [email protected]
