Each year, prior to enjoying the firm’s Thanksgiving lunch, the attorneys and staff at Christian & Small take a few moments to recognize and honor that year’s recipient of the firm’s Terri Lowrey Spirit Award.
In 2011, Christian & Small lost a beloved family member and long-term employee – Terri Lynn Lowrey – after a long and courageous battle with breast cancer. To honor Terri’s life and the impact she made on those around her, the firm created the Terri Lowrey Spirit Award, which is given annually to an individual who embodies the spirit and qualities that we all admired in Terri – honesty, a giving nature, compassion, grace, determination, cheerfulness, perkiness, faithfulness, fun, loyalty, intelligence and selflessness. The firm solicits nominations from attorneys and staff, and a committee determines the winner each year based on these nominations.
The first Terri Lowrey Spirit Award was presented to Lois Medders at the 2012 Thanksgiving luncheon, with Terri’s best friend Jane Edgerton receiving the award in 2013. Dana Lindsey was our 2014 recipient, and Jenny Stone received the award in 2015. Last year we recognized Partner Richard Ogle with our first posthumous award.
In the past few weeks we received several worthy nominations for the Terri Lowrey Spirit Award, but this year one person received five nominations – making the selection committee’s choice very easy. We are proud to announce that Partner Duncan Y. Manley is the 2017 recipient of the Terri Lowrey Spirit Award!
Here are just a few of the compliments Duncan received from his various nominations:
- One person stands out as being the embodiment of the firm and exhibits all of the qualities we loved in Terri. Mr. Manley is there for each and every employee, be it staff or attorney, no matter the situation. He is compassionate, honest, and even fun and perky.
- Mr. Manley always goes above and beyond to help us be better people and to support our firm. When we take up donations for any need, he always makes a large donation and follows up to be sure we have an adequate total sum. He attends most all visitations when relatives of employees pass away, and it meant the world to me when he attended the visitation when my father passed away last year. Everyone likes to feel special from time to time, and he indeed accomplishes that.
- Duncan is always cheerful and always interested in what is going on in your life, rarely talking about what he is doing himself. Even as a senior partner, he is always pushing himself to learn more as a lawyer and encouraging firm members to increase their knowledge by reading articles and participating in CLEs. He has client loyalty in a day and age when that trait is hard to find. He has been loyal to this law firm since the day he joined and continues to give his all by marketing existing and new clients with the same amazing results he has always had. It would be especially fitting for him to receive this award as he supported Terri, who was his secretary for years before and during her illness. I am proud to tell people in the community that Duncan Manley is my partner.
- Mr. Manley has given of himself in many ways – personally, financially and emotionally. He supports attorneys and staff both in their jobs and in the organizations and events that are important to them – many times contributing to an organization or event that was important to a member of the firm. He recently learned that one of his first secretaries was seriously ill, and he made it a priority to visit with her just days before she passed away. He truly has been a great asset to this firm and a wonderful example of a faithful and loyal attorney, mentor and friend.
In the years that we have mourned Terri’s death, the following quote has been a comfort and guiding light to our firm:
“While it is true that most people never see or understand the difference they make, or sometimes only imagine their actions having a tiny effect, every single action a person takes has far-reaching consequences.” – Andy Andrews, The Noticer.
We congratulate Duncan again on this well-deserved honor and thank him for his commitment and service to this firm, our clients, and to all of our attorneys and staff. He is truly a nonstop advocate for our clients, our community, and Christian & Small.