Krista Lepper the ‘Google’ for Missouri Bar committees

Krista Lepper considers herself The Missouri Bar committees’ “Google” – if they have any questions, they go to her.

As the bar’s committees/sections liaison, Lepper works with 45 open enrollment committees and sections to plan spring and fall committee meetings, brainstorm committee needs and outreach opportunities, and post on the committees’ and sections’ corresponding connect.MOBAR online communities. She assists committee chairs by explaining their roles and responsibilities, sending emails with deadline reminders, and answering questions.

“When we host the new chair orientation, I tell them to think of me as their Google,” she said. “If you have a question, just email me or call me and let me find the answer for you. Chairs could spend hours overthinking and trying to find an answer when we could have it to them immediately in most cases.”

Before Lepper took on this position five years ago, it did not exist. Lepper said committees have found her role beneficial since she can lessen the chairs’ workload and relay information in an easy-to-understand way. Instead of sending a single email that could make committee chairs go into information-overload mode, she sends multiple smaller emails throughout the year to help them stay on track.

“I feel like I’ve been able to take this huge task of having a committee meeting and break it into bite-size pieces that are easy for these volunteer leaders to process,” she said.

Lepper is no stranger at the bar. She worked in the membership services department, assisted with the fee dispute and compliant resolution programs, and helped organize the annual Solo & Small Firm Conference between February 1998 and March 2007. After leaving the bar, she worked for the Missouri Nurses Association as director of association operations – where she worked with the board and committees, as well as handled the organization’s publication and website. She returned to The Missouri Bar in May of 2016.

Her time at The Missouri Bar and the Missouri Nurses Association helped prepare her for her current role, Lepper said.

“I was told once before that I was a fixer,” she said. “I like fixing things and I like solving people’s problems, and I do feel like I fill that role.”

Lepper encouraged lawyers to consider joining one of The Missouri Bar’s dozens of open enrollment committees.

“If you've been considering committee membership but you’re unsure, make plans to attend the Fall Committee Meetings,” she added. “The meetings are free to attend and many include CLE programs!”

Click here to review the list of committees and sections and join.