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The SCUPA Quarterly Scoop
March 31, 2015
In This Issue
 SCUPA announces a
new logo
 Meet the 2015 SCUPA
Executive Board
 Pro Bono Report
 Member Spotlights
Upcoming Events
Email president@scupa.org or
info@scupa.org if you would like
additional information on any of
the upcoming events
Volume 1, Number 1
SCUPA announces a new logo
After a member-wide vote, SCUPA’s new logo was
announced at the monthly meeting on March 12th. The
new logo, which was created in a high-definition
template that can be used for multiple marketing
items, is SCUPA’s first step in expanding SCUPA’s
presence in the Upstate area. SCUPA hopes that, with
this new logo, we’ll be able to reach out to more
paralegals. The new logo incorporates much of the style from SCUPA’s original
logo as well as the palmetto tree from the seminar logo that was launched in
2013. Thank you to all the members that voted. T-shirts are available to those
that volunteer at SCUPA’s pro bono events or are available for purchase by
contacting Tiffany Davenport at president@scupa.org.
Meet the 2015 SCUPA Executive Board
Main Street Jazz
April 10, 2015 – Volunteer
and help us raise money for
LifePoint and Donate Life SC
Seek & Snap
April 19, 2015 – Volunteer or
join a scavenger hunt team
March of Dimes 5K
April 25, 2015 – Come walk
with us and wear those
SCUPA tees!!
Hands on Greenville Day
May 2, 2015 – Contact us to
join our team!
Wendy MacDonald,
Jessica Firpo, Tiffany
Davenport, Ashleigh
Gentry, Shannon
Holder and Karen
Hall pictured with
Judge Debora
Faulkner (center) at
their swearing in on
January 8th. Not
pictured: Ashley
Mills
Greenville Drive Game
May 9, 2015 – Bring your
spouse and kids and come
out to a fun spring social
event!
Downtown Alive
May 14, 2015 – Volunteer to
help SCUPA raise money
For the Annie Oakley
Foundation
With the start of the new year, SCUPA welcomed a new Executive Board in
January. Many of the newly-appointed officers had served on the board
previously, but there were also a few new faces. The 2015 Executive Board
members are as follows:
Tiffany Davenport, CP, President - Tiffany is SCUPA’s President and Pro Bono
Committee Chairman. She was recognized as SCUPA’s Paralegal of the Year in
2013 after managing to hold down the fort at work, home, hospital, and SCUPA
following her husband’s injuries in Afghanistan. She graduated from the
Paralegal Program at Greenville Technical College in 1997 and has been a
litigation paralegal ever since. She enjoys all of SCUPA’s pro bono activities with
a special interest in SCUPA’s yearly benefit for the Green Beret Foundation.
More Upcoming Events
Email president@scupa.org or
info@scupa.org if you would like
additional information on any of
the upcoming events
Downtown Alive
June 25, 2015 – Volunteer to
help SCUPA raise money
For the Ronald McDonald
House
Professional Soldier Soiree
July 25, 2015 – Help us get
sponsors and silent auction
items
20th Annual Seminar
October 2, 2015 - Save the
date! SCUPA’s 20th Annual
Seminar for Legal
Professionals at the
Greenville Hilton.
Shannon Holder, CP, 1st VP, Programs – Shannon is a 2013 graduate of the
Paralegal Program at Greenville Tech. After working at the Greenville County
Probate Court, she worked with Nelson Mullins before finding her work home at
Christian & Davis. On her involvement with SCUPA, Shannon states, “I am so
blessed to be a part of such a great organization and look forward to what the
future holds.”
Wendy MacDonald, 2nd VP, Membership – Wendy graduated from the University
of Colorado (Go Buffs) with a Bachelors of English and received her Paralegal
Certificate in 1990 from the Denver Paralegal Institute. For the past 12 years,
Wendy has been employed as a litigation paralegal at Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd.
She’s been a member of SCUPA since 2002 and previously served on the
Executive Board as VP of Programs. She also enjoys working on the Seminar
Committee. Of her plans for her term in office, Wendy says, “I look forward to
increasing membership over the next year by renewing previous members and
recruiting new ones and welcome any ideas, suggestions or compliments… er…
comments you may have.”
Karen Hall, ACP, CBA, 2nd VP, Publications – Karen has been actively involved on
SCUPA’s board for several years. She has previously served as President; 1st VP,
Programs; 2nd VP, Membership; and Treasurer. She chairs the social committee
and has previously chaired the seminar committee. After over a decade working
for chapter 7 and 13 bankruptcy trustees, Karen is venturing into the world of
utility and regulatory law with Duke Energy.
Ashley Mills, CP, Secretary – Ashley Mills is a Certified Litigation Paralegal at
Jackson Lewis, PC, defending class actions, labor charges, and other employment
matters. She earned a BA in Political Science from Clemson University, and an
AAS in Paralegal Studies from Greenville Technical College. She is serving her
first term ever term on the SCUPA Executive Board, but has been very involved
in the Pro Bono Committee since joining SCUPA. In her free time, Ashley enjoys
travelling, hiking, yoga, music, and spending time with family and friends.
Ashleigh Gentry, CP, Treasurer – Ashleigh is a Certified Paralegal through NALA.
She has been a member of SCUPA for five years and served on the board for
SCUPA for the past three years. She graduated from Greenville Tech in 2007
with a Paralegal degree. She has been working for The Clardy Law Firm for five
years handling personal injury, workers’ compensation and personal injury
litigation cases. Ashleigh is married to Tim Gentry and has two children, Gavin
and Presleigh. Ashleigh enjoys going to Clemson football games and spending
time with her family.
Jessica K. Firpo, CP, NALA Liaison – Jessica is a Certified Paralegal with over 11
years of experience in the legal field. She received a B.A. in Political Science
from the University of Tennessee in 2000, an A.P.S with Honors in Paralegal
Studies at Greenville Tech in 2005, and her CP designation from NALA in 2007.
Jessica is a corporate paralegal at KEMET Electronics specializing in contract
management. Prior to this position, she worked seven years in a law firm as a
litigation and probate paralegal. Jessica has been a member of NALA and SCUPA
for many years and this is her first year serving on SCUPA’s Executive Board.
Jessica lives in Fountain Inn with her husband, Rick, and their four-legged
children, Storm, Champ and Sophie.
Contact Us
http://www.scupa.org
info@scupa.org
Pro Bono Report
Tiffany P. Davenport, CP
Pro Bono Committee Chair
SCUPA’s pro bono activities have kept
us busy so far this year…
2015 Officers
Tiffany Davenport, CP
President
president@scupa.org
Shannon Holder, CP
1st VP, Programs
sholder@christiananddavis.com
Wendy MacDonald
2nd VP, Membership
membership@scupa.org
Karen Hall, ACP, CBA
2nd VP, Publications
info@scupa.org
Ashley Mills, CP
Secretary
ashley.mills@jacksonlewis.com
Ashleigh Gentry, CP
Treasurer
reservations@scupa.org
Jessica K. Firpo, CP
NALA Liaison
jessicafirpo@kemet.com
In January, we recovered from our
successful Casino Night for Harvest
Hope in November collecting 1,085
pounds of food and our Christmas
collection for the boys at Miracle Hill
Boy’s home raising $550 in monetary
donations and many other much
needed items. Thank you Lesa Fischer
for spearheading the Miracle Hill Boy’s
home project!!
We also kicked off our campaign for Greenville’s 2nd Annual Professional Soldier
Soiree for the Green Beret Foundation. This year’s program will focus on The
Next Ridgeline – a program for soldiers transitioning into civilian life after
recovering from their combat related injuries. Last year we raised over $11,000
for the Green Beret Foundation and this year we hope to do much more! Help
us get those silent auction items in and those corporate sponsors!! Tickets go
on sale in May! A special thanks to Jessica Ethridge for chairing our Professional
Soldier Soiree Committee and to Jessica Firpo for all her fine design skills in our
initial campaign brochures!
In February, we collected suitcases for foster children. This project was to
provide suitcases and bags for the many children that are removed from their
homes and placed into the care of DSS. Most children cannot bring any of their
belongings, including the clothes on their back. When the children arrive in the
foster home they arrive with a trash bag or pillow case of donated items. We
were so happy to have collected 37 suitcases, book bags and duffle bags.
Additionally, we collected 86 pairs of socks, 48 pairs of underwear and $160 in
restaurant gift cards! This project was near and dear to Karen Hall who recently
became a foster parent and spearheaded this project. Thank you Karen!!
On February 20, 2015, we gathered for a Girls Night-In at Pendleton Place group
home for girls. We ordered in pizza and had way too many desserts and Root
Beer Floats. Instead of our usual movie with the girls, we made Monogrammed
Chalkboards with them [pictured above]. We had a great time with them and
really got to know each of them a little better. I would like to thank Karen Hall,
Chris Hall, Liz Scharf, Ashley Mills, Amanda Braswell, and Paula Allamong for
making this February Project a success!
Lastly, in March, in support of a project by the SC Bar Young Lawyers Division,
we contributed to The Cinderella Project. This project helped provide prom
dresses to underprivileged SC girls.
Thank you to Larissa Lopez for
recommending this project and handling the collections! Also, in March the girls
at Pendleton Place wanted to see us again. So, we took them to see “Insurgent”
on opening weekend. The girls loved this! After it all, if weren’t for SCUPA they
wouldn’t have seen it at all! Thanks to Ashley Mills, Liz Scharf, Karen Hall, and
Jessica Ethridge for joining us in this event!
Thank you for your support and I really look forward to working with you all in
future upcoming events and projects!
Member Spotlights
One of the new projects this year has been the unveiling of the SCUPA member
spotlight. Each month SCUPA is turning the spotlight on a member that makes
an impact in their community, their profession and SCUPA. Detailed member
spotlight articles are blasted to our membership and are available on our
Facebook page. Congratulations to our first quarter member spotlights!
January 2015
Erica Hawthorne,
Senior Paralegal
Flour Corporation
February 2015
The paralegal students at
Greenville Technical College
March 2015
Dorothy Huskey, CP
McAngus Goudelock &
Courie