Executive Director’s Page
New Year, New Steps to Improve Communication, Open Government
I am pleased to report that the results of an independent examination
of the State Bar of Texas’ open government efforts were presented to the
board of directors in January, and I find the overall report to be
informative and instructional.
In the independent evaluation, Texas-based Weaver and Tidwell, an
assurance, tax, and advisory firm, told the board what it thinks the
State Bar is doing right and where we can improve.
What does this mean for you? More control over the communications you
receive from the State Bar and better online access to State Bar
information and details about our operations.
The board of directors hired Weaver in mid-2018 to evaluate the bar’s
existing transparency efforts and processes. As part of the review,
Weaver surveyed active and inactive members and the public about their
perceptions of and experiences with the State Bar. Weaver’s work
culminated in a report that gave an honest and unbiased evaluation of
where we stand and where we need to be.
Weaver found the State Bar is in compliance with all state statutes,
laws, and policies related to transparency. Additionally, survey results
showed members are generally satisfied with the frequency and quality of
communication from the State Bar and more members are satisfied than
dissatisfied that “the overall transparency (i.e., the openness and
completeness of communications) of the State Bar is appropriate for my
needs.”
The State Bar Board of Directors, executive team, and all staff
members are committed to improving communication that will build
connections with and serve our members. To that end, State Bar staff
members already are implementing 10 changes that Weaver recommended to
improve our current policies and procedures.
You can read about the report, the recommended changes, and the
improvements underway on page 98 in this issue. You can read Weaver’s
full report online at texasbar.com/weaverreport.
It’s a new year and improvements are underway, but our commitment to
serve and support the more than 103,000 active members of the State Bar
of Texas remains the same. If you have additional suggestions regarding
transparency or other issues, please send them to me at trey.apffel@texasbar.com.
Sincerely,
Trey Apffel
Executive Director, State Bar of Texas
Editor-in-Chief, Texas Bar Journal
(512) 427-1500
@ApffelT on Twitter
Have a question for Trey? Email it to trey.apffel@texasbar.com and he may answer it in a future column.