Barb Yong became a member of the TMA Chicago/Midwest Chapter over 12 years ago and has been an integral part of the chapter’s growth and success throughout her tenure.   From 2007 to 2009, she was co-chair of the Women’s Group (now known as NOW – the Network of Women); from 2010 to 2013 she served as a Director as well as co-chair of the Membership Committee and Secretary in 2012 and 2013.  In 2014, she once again took on more than one leadership role serving on the Scholarship Foundation Board as well as co-chair of the Pro Bono Committee.   And, to this day, Barb continues to serve as a leader in more than one area.  She is completing her third year as a member of the Scholarship Foundation Board but has also served as Vice President of Programs (2015) and Vice President of Education (2016). 

Just looking at the list of committees and roles she has held in the TMA Chicago/Midwest Chapter over the past ten years, one knows that she has taken her involvement seriously.  But what doesn’t show on the list, but is well known to anyone that has worked with her on TMA projects, is that she gets the job done, with a smile on her face, with everyone on the team in a good and participating mood and she stops to thank the team at the end.  As TMA member Bernadette Barron stated in her nomination letter, “Barb is a good person and she cares.  She is involved in TMA because she wants the people around her to succeed, whether that person is an accomplished lawyer, lender, consultant, auctioneer, etc. or someone just starting out.  She spends more time mentoring young and seasoned professionals than anyone else I know – and most of those people are TMA members.  She is someone the Chicago Chapter can be proud to call their own.  Barb has been a friend, mentor, professional colleague, co-chair, event host and my overall “go-to” person for the last 12 years.  She is the person who you call when you want to stop after work because of a good or rough week, need someone to help you organize an event, get a quick (and correct) answer to a professional question or drive with you to one of the many out of town conferences – or just help get a project done right, on time and having fun along the way.”

Though the chronical list of her contributions is the “official list”, it does not encompass the years of service Barb has given as a committee member, the many pro bono assignments, events planned with the NOW Committee, participating as a judge of the TMA Global Essay Contest, drafting numerous questions for the legal section of the new CTP exam, serving on the regional conference committee (MARC) for several years and helping to form the TMA Memorial Scholarship Foundation. More so, the list does not convey the level of energy and commitment she has brought to each of these positions.  Ms. Yong is truly a role model for all volunteer leaders, young and old.