Message from the President, May 2026

“When you’ve got so much to say, it’s called gratitude,
And that’s right.”
— Beastie Boys

As I approach the end of my term as president, people keep asking me how I feel.  It’s hard to respond to that question.  While it’s true that it has been hard work, I have enjoyed my time as GBA president.  In reflecting on it, I see some areas that I’m proud of, a few things that I could’ve done better, a few ideas that slipped by without getting them executed.  It’s a complex batch of emotions, but there is one feeling that overwhelms all the rest:  gratitude.

I have told you many times at our meetings how impressed I am with this association.  We have an incredible roster of members, and when we come together as a group, the impact is awesome.  We have so many members offering service to their community, either through pro bono legal services or other areas of volunteer work.  We have members in leadership in many organizations and areas.  We make legal education more accessible through scholarships.  We help foster a love of reading and learning and improve the lives of children through our elementary school project.  We give grants to a host of organizations that touch our community and our world.  We do all of this and so much more.

As I approach the end of my time as president, I’m thankful for the opportunity to hold this position with such a terrific organization.  I’m thankful for all our past presidents and leaders, many of whom helped and supported me this year.  I am thankful to all our Board members, our committees, and our committee chairs.  Their leadership is what really carries the organization and its work forward, more than any president could.  I am thankful to our administrator, Diane Lowe; anyone who has worked on any project, organized any event, or simply attended any meeting knows how indispensable she is to everything we do.  And I am thankful to each of you, our members.

At our final membership meeting of the year, as Erwin Fuller accepted the Distinguished Service Award, he told a story from very early in his practice of law in Greensboro.  It’s his story, and there’s no way I can do it justice here; I hope you were there to get to hear it.  At the end, though, he shared the essential message of the story – we look out for each other.  This is the greatest strength of this association.

It’s a hard world, and we share a profession that brings incredible stresses and challenges.  I have seen and heard about the ways that you are out there looking out for one another and taking care of each other.

I am grateful to each of you.

I am grateful for all of you.

I thank you for this time as your president.

And I look forward to the leadership and the continued great work that we’ll see in the coming year with President Abigail Peoples.

I’ll see you at the ball game, friends!

Hon. Bill Davis
President, Greensboro Bar Association
and the 24th Judicial District Bar