The Orange County Chapter began with 12 charter members and now has a membership of over 150 administrators. In 1978, Margaret Lovig's (Charter Member) Managing Partner, Greg Harris, was asked by the Orange County Bar Association to chair the Law Office Management Section. Margaret and her Managing Partner were charged with the task of establishing a forum where law firm management-related issues could be addressed.

Eventually, Margaret and other administrators found themselves attending these meetings without the Managing Partners or other attorneys. Some of the members of this group were Ingrid Stracky, Lavon DeGraw, Rich Boden, Janet Taylor, Marilyn Hodges, Linda Chapman and Kay Packard (some still familiar names). Margaret remembers a meeting in which John Gupta was the speaker on "What ALA. can do for you." She innocently asked, "How many people do you need to start a chapter?" The answer was 10 and the idea for an Orange County Chapter was born. This first group continued to meet and organize at Marilyn Hodge's office and received their Charter in November, 1979. It was difficult, at first, to try to keep both the Bar meetings going and this new chapter of ALA.

It was not long before ALA won as the recipient of everyone's focused energies. These original charter members took their roll in ALA seriously, along with their positions at their respective firms. The officers that first year were President, Ingrid Stracky; Vice-President, Rich Boden; Secretary, Marilyn Hodges; and Treasurer, Margaret Lovig. Margaret remembers that the first year concentrated on a Membership Drive, which meant the board perused Martindale-Hubbell and wrote a lot of letters. The second year, Rich Boden was President, Margaret Lovig was Vice-President and the focus was becoming visible in Orange County so the Chapter was quite active with the Bar that year.

This was the beginning of the strong foundation on which the Orange County Chapter rests and has prospered over the last quarter century.

ALA Salutes the Following Distinguished Members
(Members with 25+ years of Continuous Uninterrupted Membership)

Richard Boden  
Sheila Cantrell
Bonita Danser
Michael Hall
Marilyn Hodges
Connie Jedrzejewski
Margaret Lovig