Our GCLC annual member meeting is Tuesday, July 21, 2026 at 4:00 pm Eastern over Zoom. Our member meeting is, as is our tradition, followed by an open Board meeting.Please plan to join us as we elect Board members and welcome new executive leadership, among much else!
To make sure you get the Zoom link to join the annual meeting, please renew your dues here, on the new website (see below). While you are on the website, be sure to check you member listing and let Melanie Atha (melatha65@gmail.com) know if you need to make any changes.
Nominees to join the GCLC Board are Sara E. Saltmarsh of Austin, Texas and Tyler Portner of Cleveland, Ohio.
Sara E. Saltmarsh has been a practicing attorney for 39 years and is an active member of the State Bar of Texas and The Florida Bar. She practices Family Law, Collaborative Law, Mediation, and Arbitration. She has been Board certified in Family Law since 1992 and is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Ms. Saltmarsh has mediated for over 25 years and is a trained collaborative lawyer and arbitrator. She is a Texas Super Lawyer, Texas Monthly Top Lawyer, and past Chair of the Family Law Section and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Section of the Austin Bar Association. She also currently serves as Chairperson of the Collaborative Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, Chairperson of the Collaborative Law Council of the State Bar of Texas, and President of Collaborative Divorce Austin. Ms. Saltmarsh is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas School of Law and serves as a coach and judge in the UT Law Trial Advocacy Program. Ms. Saltmarsh has had her own successful family law practice since 1992 and has been an Adjunct Professor of Alternative Dispute Resolution at the University of Texas School of Law since 2017.
Ms. Saltmarsh was the course director for the first SBOT Collaborative Civil Law Conference, held in Austin, on April 17, 2026.
Tyler Portner is an attorney and mediator focused on collaborative civil law, strategic dispute resolution, and proactive dispute prevention. Through his multi-jurisdictional practice serving clients in Ohio, New York, and Washington, D.C., Tyler helps individuals and businesses navigate complex legal matters with practical, cost-effective solutions tailored to their goals. His work emphasizes negotiation, mediation, contract strategy, and relationship-centered advocacy designed to resolve conflicts efficiently while minimizing unnecessary litigation. Tyler is committed to making legal services approachable through clear communication, thoughtful problem-solving, and client-focused representation. Learn more at tylerportner.com and on LinkedIn.
Sara and Tyler will join the rest of the Board of GCLC:
R. Paul Faxon
President
Wellfleet, Massachusetts
Marilyn Genoa
Vice President
Garden City, New York
Melanie M. Atha
Secretary/Treasurer, Executive Director
Green Cove Springs, Florida
Jeffrey Batts
Rocky Mounty, NC
Kristen M. Blankley
Lincoln, Nebraska
Kristen Boldt
West Des Moines, Iowa
Anita Dorczak
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Ana Luiza Panayagua Etchalus
Porto Alegre-Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Glenn F. Meier
Las Vegas, Nevada
Marc O. Sheridan
Mount Kisco, New York
Anne Shuttee
Dallas, Texas
