ABAS Installation of Officers and New Year Celebration Attracts 190
by Lara D. Dunbar

Over 190 guests, including judges, lawyers, law students, community leaders and elected officials, attended the 2003 Asian/Pacific Bar Association of Sacramento (ABAS) Installation of Officers and Lunar New Year's Celebration Dinner on March 6, 2003. The event was held at California Fats in Old Sacramento and marked ABAS' twenty-second Anniversary. As ABAS thanked its outgoing 2002 Officers for their outstanding service and dedication, it welcomed its incoming 2003 Officers and Directors: President Robert King Fong, President Elect Lara D. Dunbar, Vice President Mike S. Mireles, Secretary Jane Takenouchi, Treasurer Alice H. Choi, Directors at Large Darrel Woo, Mike Lorilla, Dee Brown, and Rebecca Westmore, Ex Officio Director Yoshinori H.T. Himel, and Immediate Past President Richard K. Sueyoshi.

ABAS 2002 Immediate Past President Richard K. Sueyoshi (podium) thanks outgoing 2002 officers and committee chairs including: (left to right) Jane Takenouchi, Lara D. Dunbar, Curtis Namba, Patty Reeves, Mike Mills and Mike Mireles.

In addition, the officers of the ABAS Law Foundation, the Asian/Pacific Islander legal community's 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, were installed. Its 2003 officers are: President Yoshinori H.T. Himel, Treasurer Jerilyn Paik, Secretary Henry D. Nanjo, and Board Members Elizabeth Guillen, Kelly Shintaku and Anna K. Oh. Judge Russell L. Hom administered the oaths to the 2003 ABAS and ABAS Law Foundation incoming officers.

The Master of Ceremonies of the event was Assembly Member Darrell Steinberg, and the Keynote Speaker was Senator Deborah Ortiz. In addition to ABAS' active attorney, associate and law student members, and the many community leaders present, ABAS was also honored to have distinguished members of the judiciary in attendance including Justices Arthur Scotland and Vance W. Raye, and Judges David W. Abbott, Jerilyn L. Borack, Trena Burger-Plavan, Judy Holzer Hersher, Russell L. Hom, Cheryl Meegan, Gail Ohanesian, Brian Van Camp, Michael G. Virga, Garry Ichikawa, and Kanae Fukushima (visiting from Japan). Also in attendance in support of the event were elected officials including Supervisor Roger Dickinson, Vice Mayor Dave Jones, SMUD Director Genevieve A. Shiroma, and West Sacramento Councilmember Christopher Cabaldon. ABAS was also honored to have in attendance the Dean of McGeorge School of Law, Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker, and Sacramento County Bar Association President Bion Gregory.

ABAS recognized three deserving individuals at the event for their dedication and service to the community. ABAS' President's Award was presented to Judge Charles Kobayashi and Dorie Kobayashi, and ABAS' Community Service Award was presented to Alice Wong of the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office. In addition, the ABAS Law Foundation awarded scholarships to six impressive law students from McGeorge and UC Davis. ABAS also issued its Annual 2003 ABAS Membership Directory at the dinner.

The 2003 Installation Dinner and Lunar New Year's Celebration was a huge success. The evening was a tribute to the commitment and outstanding service provided by the outgoing 2002 Officers and also a welcome and celebration of the continuance of ABAS' strong tradition of community service and advocacy through their incoming 2003 Officers. ABAS looks forward to another successful year of dedication and to advancing the interests of their membership, supporters and communities.

May/June 2003