Foster-Morales returned to the board, runoff set for the Seventh Circuit
Foster-Morales returned to the board, runoff set for the Seventh Circuit
Dori Foster-Morales won re-election to The Florida Bar Board of Governors for the 11th Circuit, Seat 2, and Philip J. Bonamo and Sam N. Masters are in a runoff for the Seventh Circuit, Seat 1, position, according to election results released March 24.
Ballots had been sent to eligible attorneys in circuits with contested elections on March 2. Results of the elections were announced by Florida Bar Executive Director John F. Harkness on March 24..
For the Board of Governors in the 11th Circuit, Foster-Morales won over attorney Marlon Weiss, 1,753 to 639, for a two-year term.
In the Seventh Circuit, Seat 1, five lawyers filed to complete an unexpired term of Sandra Upchurch, who resigned after being elected to the circuit bench. The term ends in June 2016.
In that race, Masters received 187 votes with Bonamo getting 153. They are in the runoff. Three other candidates had also been in the race, Jimmy Allen Davis, Patrick J. Kilbane Jr. and Sebrina L. Slack.
Ballots will be emailed or mailed to eligible voters on or before April 1. All votes must be received by 11:59 p.m. (EDT), Wednesday, April 22, with certification anticipated by Thursday, April 23.
Here are the platform statements for the runoff candidates.
Seventh Circuit: Seat 1
Philip J. Bonamo
Hello. I have placed my name to be your circuit representative on The Florida Bar Board of Governors. The reason I have done so is that I would like to assist the Board of Governors and be a strong voice for our legal community and our circuit. I have been an attorney for almost 20 years, and I have been on both sides of the practice, working for many years as a prosecutor/government attorney, and then for the last 11 years in private practice as a trial attorney. I am an AV-rated partner with the law firm of Rice & Rose in Daytona Beach, and have been a Florida Board Certified Criminal Trial Attorney since 2001. My main practice areas are criminal defense and marital and family law, but my tenure at Rice & Rose has given me the opportunity and experience in a variety of other civil trial practice areas.
I believe that my experience and commitment to our circuit is a good foundation to be your board representative. I was a member of the Volusia County Bar Association (VCBA) from 2005-2009, and became president of the VCBA in 2009. I have also previously served on The Florida Bar’s Code and Rules of Evidence Committee, and was also an “e-mentor” for Florida law students as part of the Florida Bar’s E-Mentor Program. I truly enjoyed these experiences, and want to continue with my service to the Bar. Some of my other board work has been in the local community, having been on the board for the Southeast Volusia Chamber of Commerce, and also on the scholarship committee for several years for New Smyrna Beach High School CAPS (Community and Alumni Providing Scholarships) Program.
I believe the Bar can do more and needs to do more in listening to its members on a variety of issues that they face in their day-to-day practice. Listening to your concerns and bringing them to the table to address with the Bar and other board members for solutions is a key part of my platform, and why I want to be on the board as your representative. In conjunction with this, I feel that some of the other aspects of the role as a board member that are of important focus is to improve our mentoring of new lawyers in our state, keep improving and assisting lawyers with technology for our profession, make sure that our rules of professional conduct keep up with the changes in our evolving profession, maintain fairness in our Bar’s disciplinary system, and also work to improve and increase funding for our courts and judiciary by the Florida Legislature.
It would be a great privilege to serve as your representative on the Board of Governors. Thank you for your consideration.
Sam N. Masters
It is with great enthusiasm that I have decided to seek election to the Board of Governors position for the Seventh Judicial Circuit. I have not made this decision lightly, since I know this position requires a tremendous donation of time and resources.
With over 30 years of practice in the Seventh Circuit, I feel that I am uniquely qualified to be this circuit’s representative. I began my career as a state employee, having spent five years as an assistant state attorney under the late Stephen Boyles. I then transitioned into private practice as a member of the Landis Graham French law firm, where I spent 22 years handling a wide range of cases including civil litigation and criminal defense. In January of 2011, I decided to open my own practice, Sam Masters Legal, P.A., in Daytona Beach, where I concentrate primarily in the areas of personal injury and criminal defense. I served 11 years as president of the Volusia Chapter of The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL) and thereafter was elected a chapter representative, serving on the Board of FACDL from 2006 to the present. I served three years on the local Seventh Judicial Circuit Bar Grievance Committee, and was chair of that committee for two years. I am also a member of the Florida Justice Association.
From a very young age, I grew up around the legal profession and I was fortunate to have been exposed to some of the pillars of our legal community. My father was a local attorney who passed away when I was young. In my teen years I worked for the prestigious Raymond, Wilson, Conway, Barr law firm. I witnessed firsthand the highest level of ethics and professionalism. More importantly, I also recall a high level of camaraderie and respect among members of the Bar. Sadly, during my 30 years as a member of The Florida Bar, I have seen a deterioration in the civility and professionalism that are the cornerstones of our profession. I have been proud to be a member of such a “noble profession” and do not want that characterization to change in my lifetime. I believe lawyers should show respect to each other and garner respect from those outside of our profession.
Simply put, I know what it is like to be a government lawyer, an associate, a shareholder of a law firm, as well as a sole practitioner. I also know the many challenges associated with each and I believe my civil and criminal experience will serve our entire legal community well on The Florida Bar Board of Governors. I am committed to addressing the issues affecting our members and making us better as a legal community.
I would be honored to represent my friends, my community, and my peers because I truly believe in the nobility of our profession. I would greatly appreciate your support.
