FLORIDA STATE LAW DEBORAH “DEBBY” KEARNEY (’81) ALUMNI MAGAZINE & ANNUAL REPORT 2020 MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN Unprecedented Times The 2019-2020 academic year I am thankful for each member of the FSU started here at FSU Law with much Law community who has contacted me, promise, but recent months have been some of the most trying in whether to offer words of encouragement our nation’s history. As this maga- and support for our students or to offer zine goes to print, the law school is suggestions on how we can work toward immersed in efforts to keep our com- munity members as safe as possible positive change at the law school, in our through the COVID-19 pandemic; local community and nationally. We must to plan for our return to hybrid fall classes; and to engage in hard conversations and promising all work together to successfully weather col laborations in order to determine the best path forward the pandemic and to prevent oppression, in the aftermath of the horrific killings of George Floyd, injustice and racism. Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, among many others. As the article on COVID-19 in this magazine details, the law school has been operating mostly remotely since March. Focus newsletter, which more broadly detailed my reaction to I have been heartened by the strength, ingenuity and resil- recent events and the law school’s commitment to change, ience of our faculty, students and administrative team in the we are also motivated to find a way to use our legal skills to wake of the pandemic. Learning and mentoring continued advocate for reform. In June, we held a panel discussion on strong through the end of the spring semester, with many police brutality and reform, featuring a special appearance faculty members reporting that the quality of final exams by prominent civil rights attorney and alumnus Ben Crump they evaluated this spring was stronger than ever. We have (’95), who is representing the families of Ahmaud Arbery, also found unique and special ways to celebrate students’ Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. This panel was the first accomplishments, to work with clinic clients, to identify in a series of educational panels planned to discuss issues of valuable job opportunities for students and recent graduates, systemic racism present in the criminal justice system. I am to provide virtual support to the graduates who are preparing especially grateful to the students who are working with us for bar exams, and to remain connected to and supportive of to ensure that future panels most effectively address the legal one another. issues that currently capture their passions. Although Zoom classes have been more successful than we Throughout these trying times, I have received many could have ever imagined, our surveys of students and profes- messages of support and concern from alumni. I am thank- sors indicate that a majority of community members want to ful for each member of the FSU Law community who has be on campus in the fall. Our administrative team is currently contacted me, whether to offer words of encouragement and working tirelessly to ensure our facilities can remain clean, support for our students or to offer suggestions on how we regularly sanitized and safe, with occupants focused on social can work toward positive change at the law school, in our lo- distancing, face coverings and enhanced personal hygiene ef- cal community and nationally. We must all work together to forts. Due to social distancing requirements and other CDC successfully weather the pandemic and to prevent oppression, recommendations, many of our fall courses must nevertheless injustice and racism. Thank you for standing with us. In the meet remotely. Additionally, any student who wants to take meantime, please stay safe and be strong! classes exclusively online in the fall due to health and safety concerns will have the option to do so. Our top priority re- mains the health and safety of our faculty, staff and students. More recently, we have been working as a community to process the oppression and injustice against our Black Erin O’Hara O’Connor neighbors, to promote desperately needed social change, and to further advance diversity, inclusion, and equity at the Dean and McKenzie Professor College of Law. As I mentioned in an issue of our FSU Law TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENTS DEAN AND MCKENZIE PROFESSOR Erin O’Hara O’Connor FEATURES ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS COVER STORY Shawn J. Bayern ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR ACADEMIC 2 Deborah “Debby” Kearney: Destined for Public Service PROGRAMS AND STUDENT ADVANCEMENT Nancy L. Benavides ALUMNI FOCUS ASSISTANT DEAN FOR ADMINISTRATION 4 Kareem J. Spratling: Improving Communities Through the Catherine J. Miller ASSISTANT DEAN FOR ADMISSIONS Law and Service Jennifer Kessinger 6 Bruce and Wendy Wiener: All Roads Lead to Giving Back ASSISTANT DEAN FOR CAREER SERVICES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 8 Abb Payne: Accomplished Leader and Businessman Debra Henley ASSISTANT DEAN FOR STRATEGIC LAW SCHOOL FOCUS INITIATIVES Glenda Thornton 10 Resilience and Creativity in the Wake of COVID-19 ASSISTANT DEAN FOR ACADEMIC PROGRAMS Maribel Roig FACULTY FOCUS DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Hovik J. Arakelian 12 Q&A with Professor Elissa Philip Gentry EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT Becky B. Shepherd DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENTS AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Christi N. Morgan 14 FSU Law in Photos COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Bill Lax 18 Top News WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Hannah Akin Christi N. Morgan 25 Featured Alumni Beth N. Pannell William Vinopal 31 Annual Report GRAPHIC DESIGN Perry Albrigo, Pomegranate Studio Please send editorial contributions, including Class Notes submissions and changes of name and address to Office of Development and Alumni Affairs, College of Law, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306- 1601, email: [email protected]. 2020 1 COVER STORY Deborah “Debby” Kearney: Destined for Public Service By Christi N. Morgan 2019 Exemplary the election—and as general counsel for Public Service the 1998 Florida Constitution Revision Career Award Winner Deborah Kearney Commission. “I’m proud of all my jobs, but the one that was most special to me was as general counsel of the Constitution Revision Commission—it was a once- in-a-lifetime thing,” said Kearney. “It took so much of the work I had done in the Governor’s Office—which was a lot because I was there for seven-and-a-half years, so I had seen a lot about almost every area of the law—so that when I got to the Constitution Revision Com- mission, there was hardly a part of the Constitution I didn’t have some working knowledge of. I had a familiarity with a broad scope of our Constitution that I don’t think very many people get to have.” Despite serving in high-ranking positions and reporting to elected of- ficials, Kearney never allowed politics to motivate her work. “From the begin- ning, I think it was my first boss who said, ‘Don’t get involved in the politics; eborah “Debby” Kearney (’81) attorney for the Florida House Judiciary that is the fastest way to the dusty road.’ devoted her entire legal career to Committee—a job for which she was I really took that to heart.” Kearney Dpublic service. Before she retired recruited—and she created a reputation felt not only was it her responsibility as from Citizens Property Insurance Com- for herself such that former colleagues a lawyer, but it was also her personal pany in January 2015, she had served and managers recruited her over and desire, to always produce the best work as general counsel in all three branches over again throughout her entire career. she could for every client. of state government. She served both Highlights of her illustrious 35-years “I always tried to give my best legal Democrat and Republican leaders at of service include serving as general advice, no matter who my client was— numerous state agencies, the Governor’s counsel of the Florida Department of Democrats, Republicans, non-partisan, Office, the Florida House and Senate, State during the 2000 presidential elec- whatever—nobody ever asked me to do and the Florida Supreme Court. Ke- tion—where she tirelessly worked on anything untoward or overly political. I arney began her legal career as a staff more than 40 emergency cases related to just did my legal work as best I could. 2 FLORIDA STATE LAW COVER STORY My key was to work smart, work hard years as a retiree traveling extensively, sex trafficking, and was appointed in and treat everyone with dignity.” including to Europe and a three-week 2019 to the Census 2020 Complete Although she spent more than three drive across the country with her sister. Count Committee for Tallahassee/ decades working in state government, She remains engaged with Florida State Leon County. when she started law school and even University, supporting the College of Especially since the national spread early in her career, Kearney thought she Law and School of Theatre in a variety of COVID-19, Kearney spends much would eventually enter private practice of ways. A cultural arts enthusiast and of her time at home with her husband, as a property lawyer. Satisfaction and a benefactor of Opening Nights and Jim Kearney, a retired State of Florida a growing interest in her government manager who Kearney describes as “the work changed her plans. Kearney found best manager of people I’ve ever seen.” gratification in doing the right things in The couple married in December 1982 her public service jobs. “And the posi- and the following spring they bought tions seemed to just open up one right the Tallahassee house in which they after another,” Kearney said.