July-August 2011

PowerPoint training courtesy of TDCAF

Jennifer Vitera

TDCAF Development Director in Austin

Need some help with your PowerPoint skills for trial? Here’s your chance to polish your presentation while supporting the foundation!

    We are proud to offer “PowerPoint for the Courtroom,” a training CD created by Todd Smith, Chief Investigator in the Lubbock County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, Course Director for TDCAA’s Digital Evidence School, and all-around technology guru. This CD walks through almost every element of PowerPoint, from creating new slides to importing and editing video clips. It’s a must-have for every office, and it’s only $25!

    And thanks to Todd’s generosity, a portion of the sales of each disk will benefit the Texas District and County Attorneys Foundation, which you know is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational foundation. The money raised will go directly to advancing the education, training, and resources for Texas prosecutors and law enforcement personnel. Please visit our website for details at www.tdcaf.org.

Texas Bar Foundation supports TDCAF

We are thrilled to announce that the foundation has received a grant for $10,500 from the Texas Bar Foundation in support of the Domestic Violence Training Initiative. Back in March, each prosecutor’s office and each VAC received a copy of the Family Violence Training Manual for free, courtesy of the Foundation and the Dow Chemical Company. The Texas Bar Foundation’s donation will cover the cost of 1,000 additional copies of the book, which we will divide among the state’s 333 prosecutor offices.

    Since its inception in 1965, the Texas Bar Foundation has awarded more than $12 million in grants to law-related programs. Supported by members of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Bar Foundation is the nation’s largest charitably-funded bar foundation.

    The Domestic Violence Training Initiative will also include a three-day seminar aimed at prosecutors, investigators, and victim assistance coordinators to help them effectively investigate and prosecute domestic violence crimes as well as more compassionately and effectively provide assistance and information to domestic violence victims. We are still looking for corporate contributors, private donors, and foundation partners from across the state to support the initiative. Our total budget goal for this program is $100,000.

    Please contact me at vitera at tdcaa dot com if there is someone in your area to whom we can send more information regarding this effort.

Leadership Texas update

Last issue I mentioned the Leadership Texas Program in which I am participating. This past month I traveled to Midland and Odessa where I met with local leaders and learned more about the state of energy in the Permian Basin and various aspects of the future of energy, including oil and gas, water, coal, and nuclear energy. We stopped by the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum, toured a working oil well, visited the new Midland County Courthouse hosted by the Honorable Mike Bradford, and attended a dinner at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Perryman. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people in the area and plan on going back in the next few months for TDCAA/ TDCAF introduction meetings. Thank you to Teresa Clingman, the district attorney in Midland County, for taking time to visit with me in Midland, and a big thanks to Bobby Bland, the district attorney in Ector County, who set up several introduction meetings in Odessa. I will be in Corpus Christi this July where I also plan on visiting with members and corporations along the way.

    Also, a big thank you to Mike Guarino (TDCAF Advisory Committee) and Bert Graham (TDCAF Board of Trustees) for helping with TDCAF introduction meetings in Galveston in May.

Save the date

The 3rd Annual Foundation Golf Tournament will take place Wednesday, September 21 (the week of the Annual Criminal and Civil Law Update) in Corpus Christi. (The exact location of the tournament will be announced later.) We are also planning on adding a silent auction to the TDCAF dinner this year. Funds raised through the golf tournament and silent auction will support the 2011 Annual Campaign. We are asking members to please help the foundation identify corporations and individuals who might be interested in sponsoring or donating an auction item this event. Sponsorship levels are: Platinum: $10,000; Gold: $5,000; Sterling: $2,500; and Bronze: $1,000.

“Why I Give to TDCAF”

By now you have received the 2011 Annual Campaign brochure or postcard, which is your invitation to be a part of the foundation. It is committed to continuing and improving the excellence TDCAA provides in educating and training Texas prosecutors, law enforcement, and key personnel. Please check out personal stories from just a few our members who support the foundation at www.tdcaf.org.

    Just like last year, we’ve got two different fundraising goals for our membership groups, one for elected prosecutors and one for investigators, key personnel, and victim assistants. Last year the investigators took home the win, but 2011 is a new year—though, as of May, our Investigators are in the lead in their fundraising efforts. It’s not too late to give them a run for their money, key personnel staff and victim assistance coordinators! Send in your donations today!