WSBA Board of Governors to Hold Executive Session on Governor Discipline

Executive Director Nevitt said the Washington State Bar Association Board of Governors will meet in executive session at 9:15 a.m. to discuss governor involvement and discipline.

Nevitt told governors that the executive session "is permitted by the WSBA bylaws" and that the board would reconvene public session at 10:15 a.m. He added, "If the executive session is going to be extended, we will make a public announcement of that time that the public session will begin."

Nevitt also explained that technical problems with the public Zoom link required the board to use a separate Zoom meeting for the executive session, and asked governors in the original Zoom room to check email for the new link. Several governors were already connected in the alternate meeting, Nevitt said, and roll call was taken with multiple members indicating they were present.

The announcement described the reason for the closed session as matters relating to "governor involvement and discipline," and cited the WSBA bylaws and applicable court rule as permitting such a meeting at the discretion of the president and subject to a majority vote if an issue is contested. No formal vote to enter executive session or other action was recorded in the provided transcript.

At roll call, the following governors were noted as present or accounted for: Tom Ahern; Matthew Dresden; Nam Nguyen; Jordan Couch; Christina Lehi; Mary Rathbone; Alan Villeneuve; Harbin Price; Kevin Fay; Kari Petrasic; Lisonbee Whitney; Todd Bloom; Emily Arneson; and Governor Bong. Nevitt asked anyone remaining in the original Zoom room to follow the emailed link to the alternate meeting for the executive session.

The board said it would publicly announce any extension to the scheduled end time.