WHEREAS, Executive Director Harvey Hurdle has decided to retire effective June 30, 2025; and

WHEREAS, Section 3.12.3.1 of the Bylaws of the Philadelphia Bar Association (the “Bylaws”) provides that “[t]he Board shall appoint and may remove the Executive Director with or without cause. . . .”; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Governors believes that it is in the best interest of the Association to conduct a nation-wide search for the next Executive Director; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 3.3.1 of the Bylaws, the Board wishes to create a Search Committee, to be composed as provided in this Resolution, to conduct the nation-wide search for the next Executive Director; and

WHEREAS, the Board wishes to approve the recommendation of the Chancellor, the Chancellor Elect and the Vice Chancellor regarding the appointment of the Search Committee Chair; and

WHEREAS, the Board wishes to authorize the retention of a professional executive search firm to assist the Search Committee in its conduct of the Executive Director Search.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, as follows:

1. Consistent with Section 8.3.1 of the Bylaws, the Board establishes a Search Committee to search for and recommend to the Board of Governors an individual or individuals to be considered by the Board for appointment as the Association’s next Executive Director; provided that (a) the Search Committee periodically shall report on its activities to the Board; and (b) the Search Committee shall be dissolved automatically when the next Executive Director’s employment begins.
2. The Search Committee shall consist of the Chancellor, Chancellor Elect, Vice Chancellor and such other members of the Association and prominent members of the legal community as the Chancellor, Chancellor Elect and Vice Chancellor collectively agree, with at least two of the three Chancellors agreeing on each member; provided that Search Committee appointments shall be made in consultation with the Search Committee Chair.
3. The Board appoints Marcel S. Pratt, Esq. to be Chair of the Search Committee.
4. The Chancellor, Chancellor Elect and Vice Chancellor, after consultation with the Search Committee, are jointly authorized to select and retain, on behalf of the Association, an executive search firm to assist the Association in conducting a nation-wide search for the next Executive Director, with at least two of the three Chancellors agreeing on such selection; provided that: (a) the total compensation to be paid to the search firm by the Association shall not exceed 45% of the first-year salary of the new Executive Director, which expenditure (i) is hereby authorized pursuant to Section 6.3.1 of the Bylaws, and (ii) which expenditure shall be paid from the Association’s reserves; and (b) the Chancellor or her designee are hereby authorized to sign a contract with the selected search firm in a form satisfactory to the Chancellor, Chancellor Elect and Vice Chancellor, after consultation with the Search Committee Chair and the Association’s counsel; and (c) pursuant to Bylaws Section 3.12.3.1, any recommendation from the Search Committee regarding who should be the next Executive Director shall be brought to the Board of Governors in order that the Board may appoint the next Executive Director.
5. The officers of the Association are, and each of them hereby is, authorized and directed, in the name and on behalf of the Association, to take any and all such further action, and to execute and deliver, after consultation with counsel for the Association, any and all such further instruments and documents, in the name and on behalf of the Association, and to pay all costs and expenses, as shall be necessary or appropriate to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of the foregoing resolutions.

PHILADELPHIA BAR ASSOCIATION
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
ADOPTED: November 19, 2024