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The MCBA welcomes new staff members
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: December 7, 2017
It’s been just over five months since Youngstown native Renee Kenneally took the reins as the new executive director of The Mahoning County Bar Association.
Kenneally started in mid-July replacing longtime executive director Linda Pregi, who retired after more than 20 years of service.
“I knew I had big shoes to fill when I started,” said Kenneally. “Linda did so much to keep things running here.
“My goal is to continue her work, while expanding the membership by adding new events that keep existing members interested and attract attorneys just out of law school.”
Kenneally’s new assistant Linda Mikula took over for Pregi’s daughter, Stephanie Polonus, who held the position for close to 10 years.
“When I heard that this job was opening up, I knew it was something that I would enjoy doing and had experience with,” said Mikula. “I enjoy helping people with their questions and working with spreadsheets.
“This job is affording me an opportunity to do both.”
The Mahoning County Bar Association President Tracie Schmidt said Kenneally and Mikula have both “hit the ground running.
“They are working very hard to learn what they need to know and are keeping things running as seamlessly as possible.”
“Renee and Linda are the only two people in the bar office,” said Schmidt, a partner at Friedman & Rummell Co. “They are responsible for fielding numerous calls on a daily basis, they handle all the communications that go out to bar members, oversee and organize events and CLEs, attend committee meetings and even some after-hour events for the bar.
“We really lucked out when we found them,” she said. “Renee is very knowledgeable about the legal profession and Linda is eager to jump in and bring new ideas to the association as well as assist Renee in any way possible.”
Kenneally, who lives in Boardman with her husband Mike and their two sons Connor and Evan, brings a variety of legal and other relevant experience to the job.
The Chaney High School graduate spent the first seven years of her career at Mahoning National Bank as the accounting department secretary.
She later served as a claims secretary at State Farm in Boardman.
After taking time off to care for her sons, she took a job as a legal secretary at her brother Scott Cochran’s firm Atway & Cochran.
“Renee learned quite a bit during the 13 years she worked for my firm,” said Cochran, now a sole practitioner. “She also got to know all the players in the legal community.
“I think her skill set combined with her personality make her the right fit for the job,” said Cochran. “She is very pleasant to deal with, has a great work ethic and is a fantastic typist.”
Prior to starting at the bar association, Kenneally was a legal secretary at Scullin & Cunning.
“I knew Linda and her daughter Stephanie very well,” said Kenneally. “When Linda told me she was going to retire I realized my past experience would be beneficial to the bar association as an employee.
“I see my new job as event planning for lawyers,” said Kenneally. “I enjoy planning all the events for the lawyers and everyone at the bar association has been very nice and helpful to me.
“I would say the most challenging part of my job is serving as secretary to the Certified Grievance Committee.”
Mikula began her job as Kenneally’s assistant in mid-July.
Born in Sharon, Pennsylvania and raised on the west side of Youngstown, she is also a graduate of Chaney High School.
Over the years, she worked for a wide variety of businesses, doing the bookkeeping, providing customer service and handling administrative and office management duties.
Mikula served as the program administrator for the business travel program at Cold Metal Products in Youngstown. She also held the position of office manager at Stadium Volkswagen, which earned her an award for outstanding customer service and was the assistant to the warranty administrator at Myers Equipment in Canfield.
When she learned of the job opening at the bar association, she was working for Star Extruded Shapes, where she performed various clerical duties.
A freelance artist, Mikula studied commercial art at the vocational school now known as the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center.
Her work has appeared in the Butler Institute of American Art’s 1996 directory of regional artists and at local venues like the Peter Allen Inn & Event Center.
Mikula, who lives in Austintown with her husband Mark and has two sons, Nicholas and Dominic, is also a published poet and a former art instructor.
She said she is excited about embarking on the newest chapter of her career at The Mahoning County Bar Association.
“I plan to give the job my all and try to help as many people as possible,” said Mikula.