Fernando elected president-elect of Worcester County Bar

  • WORCESTER — Attorney Kanchana Fernando has been elected president-elect of the Worcester County Bar Association, the organization announced during its annual meeting held recently at Cyprian Keyes Golf Club in Boylston.

    Fernando will begin her term as president-elect on September 1st and will assume the presidency of the 900-member association a year later. She currently serves as an Assistant Clerk Magistrate in the Worcester County Juvenile Court, a position she has held for more than 2 years. Prior to that, she spent over a decade as an Assistant District Attorney for the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.

    A W.C.B.A. member since 2011, Fernando has held several leadership roles including co-chair of the Young Lawyers section, the Women Lawyers section, and the Juvenile Court Bench Bar Committee. She also completed 2 terms on the Executive Committee. Fernando is a graduate of Northeastern University and Suffolk University Law School.

    Also elected during the annual meeting June 4th was Attorney John Shea, who will serve as Secretary/Treasurer. Shea is a partner at Mirick O’Connell and has more than 35 years of litigation experience in family and probate law.

    Newly elected to the W.C.B.A. Executive Committee for 2-year terms beginning September 1st are attorneys Andrew Bartholomew, Lyonel Jean-Pierre, Mark Trombley Lee, Nathan Morse, Ellen O’Connor, Courtney Price, Morgan Russell and Jorge Villali.

    Current W.C.B.A. President Ryan P. Avery presented the President’s Awards to several attorneys for outstanding service and commitment to the legal profession: Hon. Jennifer Ginsburg, Mark Trombley Lee, Jaclyn Packard, Hon. William J. Ritter, Brenda Seaver, and Nathan Wong.

    15 members were honored with the Distinguished Service Award for 50 years of legal practice and active involvement with the association. The honorees included Jay Z. Aframe, Walter Avis, William R. Bloom, John Bowes, James F. Connors, Hon. John J. Curran, Jr., Robert F. Dore, Jr., David E. Hoyt, Harry P. Kotseas, Hon. Paul F. LoConto, Robert E. Longden, George E. Pember, Hon. Richard T. Tucker, Lynn Morrill Turcotte and James T. Van Buren.

    Attorney Avery’s term concludes on August 31st. Attorney Maura J. Tansley, a founding partner at Tansley Halloran and veteran criminal defense litigator, will begin her term as president.

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