FROM THE CHAIR

By Yvonne A. Ascher, Esq.^*

This is my last letter as Chair and thus my last opportunity to publicly express my gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to make this a great year. I want to start first by acknowledging the class of 2013 who have completed six years (yes six!) of service on TEXCOM¹ and are now rolling off. Daniel Murphy has been our constant reminder that we have a duty to protect the vulnerable of our society. Serving on our incapacity subcommittee, he made sure that legislation affecting California seniors was given the attention it deserved. Nancy Reimann served on numerous committees, chairing several, including overseeing the Quarterly. When Nancy shared a comment or observation, everyone took notice; her unfailing professionalism and insightful wisdom enhanced many intense debates. Then there is Jana Ellerman, who single-handedly oversaw our educational programs for years, as well as chairing our legislation committee for almost her entire term. Either position alone is a huge job, so to have tackled both with grace and good humor is not a feat to be taken lightly. All three members will be sorely missed. You’ll have to wait for the next edition to see who is replacing them.

There is one member of the class who we do not have to say goodbye to and that is Ellen McKissock, who was elected to serve as Vice-Chair next year. Ellen has undertaken so many different leadership roles while serving on TEXCOM; I would need a whole column to cover them all. In addition to chairing many committees, as well as serving as Editor-in-Chief of the Quarterly, Ellen is the chief author of the bill signed by Governor Brown that will expand the prohibitive transferee statutes to apply to marriages by caregivers to dependent adults shortly prior to death. As a result of this bill, marrying a dependent adult will no longer guarantee receipt of an intestate share. But as Ellen is not leaving us, having signed on for another five years, I will just express my appreciation for all she has done and my gratitude in knowing that the future of TEXCOM is in good hands.

In addition to wanting to publicly thank our sixth year class, I need to express my appreciation for Mark Poochigian, my Vice-Chair. Mark, from day one, has been my rock, sounding board, moderator, and dear friend. Without Mark’s ability to find all the emails I lost, recall decisions we made years ago, and keep me level, this year would have been a crazy mess. I know TEXCOM will achieve great things with Mark at its helm.