Kevin Meenan passes the gavel of the NDAA presidency to Dan Alsobrooks this month after a most extraordinary year for all of us. The events of last September 11 and the months that followed placed a heavy unanticipated burden on him, requiring him to change course and re-define priorities so that America’s prosecutors could meet new challenges. He did so with a steady hand, and his remarkable performance is a reminder of the responsibilities that NDAA presidents assume when they accept that gavel.
NDAA presidents set the course of NDAA during their terms and monitor the association’s principal activities, including the National Advocacy Center and the important work of the committees.
In recent years, they have come to Washington, DC, with increasing frequency to testify before Congress, meet with the U.S. attorney general and other top-ranking federal justice officials, and to attend meetings of the Executive Working Group and conferences at the White House and other government agencies. They speak for this association at criminal justice-related meetings, as well as in news releases, op-ed articles, TV interviews and statements to the news media. They also speak at state prosecutors’ organizations throughout the nation on issues of mutual interest.
This does not include the many hours in airport terminals and rental cars, the lost luggage and missed meals.
These are just a few of the many time-consuming activities that are carried out for one principal purpose: To lead NDAA in assisting America’s local prosecutors in every possible way and to speak on their behalf at the highest levels of government, on issues of interest and concern to them.
Kevin Meenan presided over this association during one of the most tragic events in this nation’s history and one of the most critical and difficult periods for America’s prosecutors: the terrorist attacks of last September 11 and the extraordinary adjustments in our nation’s criminal justice system that followed. Local prosecutors around the nation were asking: “What can we do? What should we do?”
President Meenan sought and provided the answers with his customary energetic, analytical and action-oriented approach. He met several times with Attorney General Ashcroft, FBI Director Bob Mueller and Tom Ridge, director of the Office of Homeland Security, and continues to meet with them as well as with other high level federal law enforcement officials, to work out the details of local prosecutors’ roles in the national counter-terrorism effort.
Each president of this association down through the years has faced various types of complex issues and has made his own unique contribution.
As an example, let me mention a major contribution or two of each of the NDAA presidents over the last 10 years, noting that these were only a few of their many activities.
Bob Johnson (2000-2001): His fervent interest in prosecutorial ethics, exemplified by creation of the first federal/state-level ethics conference.
Stu VanMeveren (1999-2000): He instituted a re-organization and streamlining of NDAA committees.
John Justice (1998-1999): He was instrumental in stimulating national recognition of and interest in the student loan forgiveness issue.
Bill Murphy (1997-1998): In addition to his involvement in the many complexities of the completion of the National Advocacy Center, he led the charge against increasing federalization of local crimes.
John Kaye (1996-1997): He emphasized the increasing importance to local prosecutors of the growing internationalization of crime and the consequent importance of NDAA’s involvement in the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP).
Mike Barnes (1995-1996): He was deeply involved in the early planning of the National Advocacy Center and, additionally, voiced prosecutors’ objections to inhibiting provisions of medical records privacy legislation.
Dusty Deschamps (1994-1995): He was a powerful voice for prosecutors in the creation of the 1994 crime bill, making sure that local prosecutors’ interests were protected.
Bill O’Malley (1993-1994): This late, great prosecutor and leader played a major role in bringing NDAA and America’s local prosecutors into the computer age.
Bob Macy (1992-1993): He presided over the first major overhaul of the NDAA committee system in years, providing a sound framework for future changes.
As Kevin Meenan ends his momentous presidency and Dan Alsobrooks assumes the duties of this office, I cannot help but reflect on how fortunate NDAA has been in its choices of its presidents over the years. This month’s change of leadership follows that pattern.
