At the risk of embarrassing my friends, or, rather, with the certain knowledge that I will embarrass my friends, I want to say how deserving NTAP, and in particular, Gabe, Becky and Steve, were of the Innovations in Equal Justice Award they received at the Equal Justice Conference last week. It was a real honor and privilege that the folks at the ABA and NLADA asked me to present the award. NTAP is the most important vehicle that brings technology innovation to the legal aid community. (Admittedly LSC TIG funding fuels a lot of the innovation, but it is NTAP that puts it out there for the rest of us to use.)
When they asked me to do the presentation they gave me a bunch of sheets of paper with information about NTAP. They were mostly dry and statistical or historical. I put them aside so I could talk about Gabe's singing voice at Tech social gatherings and more important things.
It wasn't until after the presentation I discovered that one of the sheets I hadn't read was testimonials about Becky, Steve and Gabe. Here are a few quotes:
"Becky's ability to instantly grasp underlying principles, to motivate users, and to bridge the natural communication gaps that arise between end users and technology providers is absolutely unparalleled and utterly invaluable."
"A fearless pioneer in every sense of the word, (Steve Gray's) natural habitat on the bleeding edge is always tempered by an innate appreciation for the limitations of technology adoption across a wide community with diverse skills and resources."
"(Steve's) efforts to build and sustain active communities of interest, on-line and off, speak both his prodigious talents and his commitment to the power of openness and collaboration."
"(Gabe Hammond represents) the rare marriage of acute intellect with expansive heart, she seems animated at all times by an inner light that brings clarity and comprehension to areas of confusion."
"Gabe has been an essential element in the success of initiatives too wide-ranging to characterize simply, and too numerous to count."
