October 2001

Dale L. Carlisle: 
Staying the Course

by Allison L. Parker • WSBA Communications Specialist

When WSBA President Dale L. Carlisle attended a reunion earlier this year, a classmate said, "You know, I don’t remember you, but I recognize your smile and your voice. You’ve got a lot of enthusiasm and you’re always smiling." Carlisle believes enthusiasm is contagious, and he hopes his excitement for the WSBA will expand members’ participation in Bar activities.

A native of Walla Walla, Carlisle has practiced law with Gordon, Thomas, Honeywell, Malanca, Peterson & Daheim in Tacoma since 1965, including a seven-year stint as managing partner. He currently serves as of counsel to the firm, and focuses on real estate, corporate and securities law. Carlisle also served as an assistant U.S. attorney, an Air Force JAG officer, and as in-house counsel for a real estate development company.

A commitment to service has characterized Carlisle’s career. In fact, he continues to practice law because he believes it is a way to make an impact on the community. He has served on numerous county, state and national bar committees; is a frequent speaker at seminars; and has been an adjunct professor at Seattle University School of Law. Carlisle was director of the Broadway Plaza Development Association and served as Tacoma City Club president. He thinks those activities, among others, have prepared him well for the WSBA presidency.

"I’ve been the president of almost every organization I’ve ever belonged to, starting with the law school student bar association. Every time you do that, you learn to be humble, how to reach a consensus with other people, rather than be divisive. You learn the psychology of an organization," Carlisle explains. "I’ve been practicing for a while. I’ve done a lot of things at the local and state bar levels. I have the time to commit to the Association and the members.… I’ve kept track of the issues that affect lawyers. I want to help the Board of Governors work on those issues. It’s a challenge — and I look forward to this kind of challenge."

In recent years, WSBA presidents have taken on specific causes or objectives. Carlisle would like to expand member interest and participation in Bar activities. He also intends to continue the progress of the Long-Range Strategic Plan by using WSBA programs and services already in place.

He says, "The first thing I would like to do is have the members feel involved in the Association and feel that it’s relevant to them. This includes expanding peoples’ participation in committees and programs, and expanding member benefits. The Bar has a lot of programs and activities in progress. We also have a number of objectives. I want us to focus on the objectives, and achieve those objectives through the programs currently in place.…

Members can look forward to us continuing to have BOG meetings around the state, and continuing to have opportunities at those meetings to tell us what they think the Bar ought to be doing, to become involved, and to assist us in becoming relevant to them. They can look forward to having the Bar and the board focus on objectives. We will ask them to do their part via involvement in committees, etc.… If members don’t want to or are not comfortable coming to us, we’ll go to them. If they want to come to us, we’ll welcome them.… Every one of us is willing to listen to a member that has a problem with the Association or a suggestion for how we can better do our jobs. We welcome those comments.… The Association is not just one face. It’s the faces of all our staff, volunteers and 26,000 members."

Carlisle says, "I’ve had the good fortune to always do things that I have an interest in. It’s important to identify those things … and try to do them well."

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