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Dan M. Alsobrooks
Thanks for the Memories
What an incredible experience. Representing the nation’s prosecutors in visits to 25 states and three foreign countries, before legislators and government officials on the local and national level, appearing on national TV and newspapers and even having articles published in national magazines. It does make a country boy proud to rub elbows with people like the attorney general of the United States. I’ve had the chance not only to share a podium with such folks but ideas and concerns as well. I have to admit that early on my very human reaction was to feel like I was a real important fellow. But, I soon realized that the seat in high places wasn’t mine, but yours. I was invited and listened to only because, as NDAA president, I was seen as the representative of prosecutors in every city, county and state in America. The respect directed at me was only because I was your stand-in.
Of course, there is absolutely nothing meaningful about the fact that the year I served as NDAA president was also Bob Hope’s 100th year. There is a certain similarity in prominent facial features (although his nose curves up and mine down), but I am adopting his theme song—only one year, yet so many wonderful memories. The down side of being NDAA president for only a year is that it’s not nearly enough time to complete your goals. The upside is that no one could stand this pace for more than a year.
There were several specific initiatives you elected me to move forward. Here’s my assessment of how we did this year:
- Together, we have built on the momentum our board has created in waging the vital media war to show the public that America’s prosecutors are the true defenders of public safety and citizens’ rights. And we must continue to do so. Consistent with the mandate of this war and thanks to our media relations director, we are now hosting a radio show in Washington on WMET, 1150 AM.
- Our legislative efforts on critical issues like loan forgiveness for prosecutors, the so-called “Innocence Protection Act” and protecting and enhancing the Ernest F. Hollings National Advocacy Center have never been better. We’ve done this by teaming the source of our greatest political influence, individual elected prosecutors and assistant prosecutors, together with NDAA’s expertise in Congress and then bringing in a specialist to lobby for us on very specific issues. Our Capitol Conference in early May saw the most intensive face-to-face advocacy ever by NDAA members.
- We have started a process to form a consensus on the long-term goals and priorities of our association, with a strategic planning session attended by several of our board members, key prosecutor coordinators and NDAA staff. A special committee has explored structural changes in our branches, NCDA and APRI. Strategic planning is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it must be clear by this time to most NDAA members that to pull our weight in a time of competing interests, we cannot shift our priorities every year and expect to make much headway.
We have forged ever-stronger ties with the state prosecutor coordinators. Their support for NDAA within their individual states is helping NDAA reach out to each and every prosecutor in the country.
The enthusiasm generated for the national memorial (to prosecutors who have made the ultimate sacrifice) to be located at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina, is a tribute to the high regard our members feel for their calling. That enthusiasm has been backed up by funding from over 30 state prosecutor associations, and this has helped us over the big hurdle in the project—the cost. We now have a final memorial design that has been approved and the memorial should be installed and dedicated next year.
When I started my campaign to lead NDAA, I used Teddy Roosevelt’s “man in the arena” quote as a touchstone. There is another TR-ism that I like: “Aggressive fighting for the right is the noblest sport the world affords.” (That puts me in pretty good company because Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld has a bronze plaque with these words on his desk at the Pentagon.) I want to thank some of those “aggressive fighters for the right” for the memories of the last year:
- Bob Johnson. The momentum he has built behind the Prosecutor’s Memorial is incredible.
- John Kaye has made NDAA a player in international prosecution.
- Bob Honecker. He has also contributed in uncounted ways to what NDAA is today.
- Prosecutor Coordinators. These folks are a group of talented and knowledgeable people, who can often see critical issues affecting our profession long before those of us with our nose to the counsel table. Without them, we cannot keep the lines of communication open between the policy makers at NDAA and the troops down in the trenches.
- The NDAA, APRI and NCDA family. All of these organizations and their consistent leadership over the years are the sine qua non of anything that advances the cause of prosecutors in this country. The Archimedes Principal, “Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand and I can move the world,” sums it up. The length of our lever depends on the degree of dedication and involvement of NDAA members. But NDAA, APRI and NCDA are our place to stand and without them we move nothing. These institutions are made flesh in the person of their leaders and their talented staffs.
- U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft and the Department of Justice officials who have worked so closely with NDAA. General Ashcroft has revived the Executive Working Group of state and federal prosecutors. He and the major officials at DOJ, such as Deputy AG Larry Thompson and Criminal Division Chief Mike Chertoff have worked directly with NDAA leaders on our mutual concern at the EWG meetings. The attorney general has shared the stage with me at the Partnership for Safe Neighborhoods meeting, and the Juvenile Justice Conference. Hopefully, he will be with us many more times in the future.
- J. Tom Morgan and Gary Walker. What a job these two have done to move the ball forward on our top priority, Loan Forgiveness. This may be the most exciting effort our organization has ever undertaken. A lot of that excitement is because this is a real grass roots effort of the board and membership. The J. Tom and Gary show has been a great one so far.
- And last but certainly not least, my constituents back home, my local and state bar associations, the Tennessee district attorney generals and Knoxville Chief Counsel John Gill. Without them I wouldn’t be writing this article. All 30 of Tennessee’s chief prosecutors are good friends and their professional and personal support made it possible for me to be elected and to serve as NDAA president.
Thanks for the memories.
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