Eileen Kerlin Walsh, Principal Attorney at Kerlin Walsh Law, was installed in January as President of the Oak Lawn Chamber of Commerce via Zoom. “It came without dancing or dinner or speeches, it came, just the same.” Well, a few speeches but we kept them to a minimum. That was fun, now the work can begin.
During her speech, Eileen shared about 
her modest Irish beginnings on a farm, and where she is now:
Hi! Thanks for being here tonight and thanks for the faith you have placed in me to lead the Oak Lawn Chamber of Commerce for the 2021 year. I will start with good news, I am not going to raise your taxes?
This is the 75th year our Chamber has been in existence! That’s a lot of history, longevity, endurance and perseverance and I accept the task of carrying the torch onwards. Becoming President is a privilege and one I am excited to undertake.
As I assume the role, let me take a moment to acknowledge outgoing President Dr. Katie Narbone and outgoing Executive Director Julie Miller. The level of intensive care and attention you gave the Chamber as we were plunged into the Pandemic will live in legend.
And to the Board Directors and Executive Directors, and Elected Officials and Community Leaders, thank you in advance for your partnership and counsel as this year unfolds.
Since we are staging this event via Zoom rather than gracing the Hilton Ballroom, we can tell that all is not yet well! We have many hurdles still ahead and I look forward to clearing them with you.
This role is a true honor for me, and one I would not have easily foreseen 30 years ago when I came to the United States as a young woman, on an interfaith exchange program, a program designed to help the youth of Northern Ireland during the Troubles, see the humanity in each other, and a better life for themselves.
On that program, I was assigned to work as a reporter on the Oak Lawn Village View newspaper for Annette Dixon, who became my mentor and friend and is kind enough to be here tonight.
Little did I know how that little acorn would grow! And all these years later I would be assuming the mantle of Oak Lawn Chamber President, as Principle of my own Law Office. For that I have many people to thank.
First, my darling Tom, my husband, protector, my Rock of Gibraltar and my best friend.
Tom trusts me unfailingly in all my endeavors, and keeps the home fires burning. Tom, I love you and I’d marry you again in the morning…or maybe a week, give me a chance to lose a few pounds, get a tan, that sort of thing.
And my four boys, all mess and noise but hearts of gold and a continual source of pride and joy. My son Tomas is here from Fort Sam Hurston in Texas and James, Oisin and Edward are Zooming from their classrooms, which is of course, home:).
My parents and siblings, the crucible the shaped me and continues to lift me day after day. My sister Bridget, my greatest cheerleader, and newly minted member of our Chamber!!!, is here tonight.
And my Kerlin Walsh Law Team, who help me take such good care of our client family. They raise me up in every way and make me look good. My office manager and right hand Christine, the very definition of loyalty, and a true friend, is here tonight.
In our 75 years as a Chamber we have come a long way and we still have a long way to go.
2020 presented tremendous challenges that many of us are still recovering from, but it also gave us new tools and skills to overcome hardship, build resilience and carry us through our darkest days. And those we can use as steppingstones going forward.
How does going forward look? We will continue to implement our 5-year Strategic plan, We will continue to develop our budding business advisory Council and the Mentorship program.
We will convert more of our events to a virtual platform…not just to keep operating until we reach safety in numbers again, but to develop permanent virtual events going forward.
We will continue to nurture our Baby Boomer and Greatest Generation members with our traditional events but also encourage future- forward technology offerings from our Millennials and Gen Zers, all the while staying true to our mission.
Let’s come together to ensure our ongoing success. We have a powerful brand, an Independent voice, the respect of our elected officials and support of our community leaders. Our legacy of standing up for this community and our members is unmatched. We business owners have the cloak of respectability society bestows on us, and we can lead, teach, heal and inspire with it.
Let’s continue to serve humanity. Need is still great in many corners of our community.
Let’s stay curious, and non-critical. Let’s hold the door for each other. Let’s keep our hearts open to love and beauty and possibility.
Together, we can be a positive collective voice. We can be a symphony.
We can be the sword and shield of our business members, the champion of our community and, in the process, enrich our professional and personal lives.
