President-Elect: Montye Holmes, ACP Montye Holmes, ACP, is a NALA certified paralegal and has been with the firm of Hirsch & Westheimer, P.C. for over 13 years, working in the area of civil litigation. She began her career in the legal field in 1976. Montye received her paralegal certificate from Rice University Paralegal Certificate Program in 2006. Through NALA-The Paralegal Association, Montye earned her Certified Paralegal credentials in 2009 and her Advanced Certified Paralegal credentials in Discovery in 2015. She is a member of NALA s 2015-2016 LEAP program. Montye has served on the board of Houston Paralegal Association since 2012, and currently holds the position of President for 2015-2016. Montye is also a member of the Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas and a member of NALA. Montye has presented papers and lectured at several seminars in which paralegals and attorneys attended and earned CLE credit on topics including, Updates to the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. She has authored several articles relating to the paralegal profession, including Tips on Using Word to Make Your Work Product Better, Faster, and More Efficient, published in the January/February 2016 issue of Facts & Findings, a NALA publication. Montye is also involved with the Boy Scouts of America as a Scout leader and was awarded the Silver Beaver Award in 2013. The Silver Beaver Award is the council-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. 1st Vice President CLE: Nichole Moore Nichole Moore is a paralegal at Haynes and Boone, LLP. She has over 20 years of experience as a paralegal/legal assistant in Environmental and Civil Litigation practice, both domestic and international, covering mediation, arbitration and trial. Nichole is currently pursuing her Bachelor s Degree in Paralegal Studies and Litigation Technologies. Her previous board positions with HPA have included Parliamentarian and 3 rd Vice President Public Relations, with her current position as Parliamentarian. Page 1
Clarisa Hernandez Clarisa Hernandez has been supporting injury victims since 2011. A proven leader in the paralegal field, Clarisa was one of only two paralegals recognized for outstanding academic achievement, community involvement, and leadership in 2011 by the San Diego Paralegal Association. Her exceptional knowledge, along with direct counsel from her attorneys, helps position clients for the best results. Clarisa is currently studying for the Certified Paralegal Exam in 2017. Clarisa recently returned to Houston, her hometown after being in California for 12 years. In her spare time, Clarisa enjoys spending time with friends and family, working out and exploring Houston. Community Activities Lutheran High North Volunteer: 2016 2nd Vice President Membership: Sharon D. Jones, ACP Sharon is employed with Jackson Lewis P.C. in employment/litigation law. Sharon recently transitioned from the Miami office of Jackson Lewis to the Houston office. Prior to relocating to Houston, Sharon worked in the legal field in Dallas, Miami, Las Vegas, Denver, and Asheville (North Carolina). Sharon has had a long-time career in the legal field serving in a vast variety of areas of law: Real Estate & Development In-House Counsel, Business Transaction, ERISA, Personal Injury, and Insurance Defense. Sharon obtained the NALA Certified Paralegal certification in March 2014 and is a graduate of NALA s 2014-2015 LEAP program. Sharon is an Active Member of the Houston Paralegal Association and has been a member of the South Florida Paralegal Association (SFPA), regularly attended meetings, seminars and events of the Paralegal Association of Florida-Broward Chapter (PAF), and was previously a member of the Asheville Paralegal Association, the Dallas Area Paralegal Association (DAPA), and the J.L. Turner Legal Association Paralegal Section. In the JLTLA-Paralegal Section, Sharon served as treasurer, secretary, and was elected as Vice President (but did not have the opportunity to fulfill this leadership role due to her relocation to NC). Sharon has also served as Secretary for the Asheville Rotary Club; worked on the Obama Campaign at the Dallas Headquarters; and has participated in numerous opportunities of volunteering and community service. In the last 3-1/2 years, Sharon has completed five half marathons and the Down & Dirty Mud Run. She enjoys beach bootcamp, whitewater rafting, reading, dancing and listening to music. Sharon has been married to her wonderful husband, Donald, for 32 years, has 2 children and 6 grandchildren. Page 2
3rd Vice President Public Relations: Jennifer Evans, CP, TBLS-BCP Jennifer Evans has been in the legal field for 19 years. Her career has motivated her to become a NALA Certified Paralegal (2012), as well as to become certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization as a Board Certified Paralegal (2015). Jennifer's area of specialization is civil trial law, but she has worked in many different areas of litigation, including: retail, personal injury, maritime, subrogation, and construction/commercial. In addition to her work as a legal assistant, Jennifer often serves as a technical resource in the law firms in which she is employed, including serving as Software Administrator for several years. Jennifer has volunteered for years with the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo's Judging Contest Committee, and achieved the title of Vice Chairman over Finance in the year 2014. She continues to volunteer with organizations in which she can make a difference, including Houston Food Bank and Star of Hope Mission Women's & Children's Center. In 2017, she will graduate with a dual Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in Global Business, along with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Treasurer: Ruth Conley, ACP Ruth Conley is a litigation paralegal at Andrews Kurth LLP in Houston, Texas, working primarily in the areas of Personal Injury, Products Liability, Insurance Defense and Commercial Litigation, specializing in document management as it relates to Multi-District Litigation cases. She has a BS in Communications, and obtained her CP designation in 1993 and an ACP in Discovery (2011) and in E-discovery (2016 - approval pending). Throughout her career, Ruth has been active in the professional development of paralegals. She has been a member of the Paralegal Division, State Bar of Texas since 1993, recently serving as District 1 Election Sub-Chair and Membership Sub-Chair. She is a founding member of the Houston Paralegal Association and was honored to be elected as the association's first President in 1999. She is currently serving on the HPA board as NALA Liaison. As far as her activities with NALA, in 2007-2008, she was chosen to participate in the inaugural class of NALA s LEAP Program, its leadership training program. From 2008-2011, she served on NALA s Continuing Education Council. From 2011-2013, she served on NALA s Board of Directors as Director of Region IV. Page 3
Since 2005, she has served on the Paralegal Advisory Committee at San Jacinto College, North campus, in Houston. Secretary: Jennifer Armendariz Jennifer Armendariz is a paralegal for Patterson, PC. She has been with the firm for over 3 years. She has been in the legal field for over 6 years. Jennifer received her Associate of Applied Science Degree in Paralegal Studies from The Center for Advanced Legal Studies in 2008. She continued her education and received her Bachelor s Degree in Criminal Justice from The University of Phoenix. Jennifer is currently studying to take the Certified Paralegal Exam through NALA -The Paralegal Association. Jennifer has been a member of HPA since 2015 and is currently on the Newsletter Committee. Jennifer is also a member of the Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas and NALA. In her spare time Jennifer has volunteered for Child Advocates. She is currently married to Eduardo and has 3 children. Jennifer enjoys dancing, reading, and spending Sundays just relaxing. NALA Liaison: Linda Carrette, ACP, TBLS-BCP Linda is a seasoned legal professional with over 30 years of experience in the legal industry throughout Texas. Throughout her legal career, Linda has fulfilled many roles in addition to paralegal, including project manager, legal recruiter, firm administrator, management consultant, and practice support manager, as well as a faculty member at several premier paralegal educational programs. She received a BBA in Business Management from The University of Mississippi, a Masters of Business Administration (MBA), and a paralegal certificate from Southwestern Paralegal Institute. She earned her CP designation through NALA in 1990, achieved board specialization in Civil Trial Law through the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in 1996, and completed her ACP in Electronic Discovery in 2016. She is a graduate of NALA s 2008-2009 LEAP program, is a past president of Houston Metropolitan Paralegal Association (formerly Houston Legal Assistants Association), and has served on the board of Houston Paralegal Association as First Vice President-CLE, Second Vice President-Membership, NALA Liaison, and currently, as HPA s Treasurer. Linda served as District 1 Director for the Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas for two terms from 1991-1994, and returned to the Board to serve a third term for 2015-2016. In addition, Linda has served on the governing and advisory boards of the Center for Advanced Legal Studies since 1989, and has taught Legal Research and Writing at the Center. She is a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and the National Page 4
Association of Women MBAs, and is a frequent guest lecturer at paralegal events and author for paralegal related publications. Linda has also previously written articles for Paralegal Today, authored and edited various textbooks published by Matthew Bender, and served on the ABA s Approval Commission site visit team. Page 5