Dear Members: It’s been awhile so let’s recap. Elections were exciting! We actually had more than one person running for a few of the offices! We are a team - that being said, you do not have to hold a special title to be part of the team! Contact any of us to get involved. We have some wonderful new faces on the Board and their excitement is contagious! We have already been receiving some wonderfully fresh ideas. I am extremely excited about the direction this association is going. Congratulations to all new officers and chairmen. We are so happy to have you aboard and we know it is going to be a great year for Long Beach LPA! Annual Conference was fantastic! We made many new friends from Imperial County LPA - thanks to our social butterfly, Cristina Reynosa. Imperial County LPA and San Diego LSA did a fantastic job on the conference the venue was wonderful. You will read more about that in the Governor’s Report. We also had quite a presence at Conference! Excellent work ladies!

We won, we won, we won! Third year in a row that Long Beach LPA won Chapter Achievement for our division. Congratulations out to Denise Aguilar, CCLS for being appointed to LSI’s CCLS Certifying Board. Long Beach definitely has a presence in LSI. Ann Boccia Rosado remains the Editor of the Legal Professionals Handbook, and I was just appointed to a new chair position for LSI, Website Editor. Ann and I will be members of the Marketing Committee. If you have been following all the

events of the past year, you will know that we have a lot of work ahead of us. Please send us any suggestions you may have regarding the website and marketing LSI. I hope to see you at the June meeting. It is a very relevant and interesting subject for our time. May not be “legal procedure,” but interesting in our lives nonetheless. ~ Cathleen

Pres ident ’s Message In this issue:

Officers/Chairmen

2

June Meeting 3

Birthdays 4

Upcoming Events 5

Professional Liaison Report

7

Article: Newbie at Conference

8

Renewal Form 10

Article: When You Veer Off Course

11

Proposed Bylaw/Standing Rules Changes/Revisions

14

Legal Procedure Update

17

CCLS Test App. 19

Hotline Numbers and Notaries

23

Advertising 24

Benefits 25

Long Beach Legal Professionals Association Founded 1929

Founding Chapter of LSI - Educating California’s Legal Professionals May/June 2012

Volume 66, Issue 1

The Driftwood

2

2011-2012 Board o f Directors

Code o f Eth ics

Elected Officers Presidents: Alice M. Widmark, CCLS (amwccls@sbcglobal.net) Cathleen McGrath Siler (csiler@aalrr.com) Vice President/Membership: Tiffany Snider (Tiffany@kaiserlaw.com) Governor/Parliamentarian: LeQuita Hodge, CCLS (LeQuita.Hodge@sedgwicklaw.com) Executive Secretary: Cristina Reynosa (collegegirl225@yahoo.com) Treasurer: Mary Wong (mwong@aalrr.com) Appointed Officers/Chairs Driftwood/Website Editor: Cathleen Siler, Board Member Historian: Daphne Carroll-Pollack (daphne.jaflaw@gmail.com), Board Member Director of Public Relations: Michelle Cassara, CCLS (gmacass@verizon.net), Board Member Professional Liaison: Trudy Klefstad (ofcworks@ix.netcom.com) Program/Charity: Debby Tankersley, CCLS (DTankersley@jdtplaw.com) Advertising/Ways & Means: Cristina Reynosa Education Chair: Denise Aguilar, CCLS (daguilar57@att.net) CCLS: LeQuita Hodge, CCLS Contact Information: Cathleen McGrath Siler, President Alice M. Widmark, CCLS, President 12800 Center Court Drive, #300 1016 W. Santa Cruz Cerritos, CA 90703 San Pedro, CA 90731 562-477-7873 (cell) 310-547-0965 562-653-3407 (office) amwccls@sbcglobal.net mcsiler@yahoo.com VISIT OUR WEBSITE: http://www.longbeachlpa.com LSI website: http://lsi.org

LEGAL SECRETARIES, INCORPORATED

It shall be the duty of each Member of LEGAL SECRETARIES, INCORPORATED to observe all laws, rules, and

regulations now or hereafter in effect relating to confidentiality and privileged communication, acting with loyalty,

integrity, competence, and diplomacy, in accordance with the highest standards of professional conduct.

Dedicated to Joan Moore, PLS

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Linda Duarte - 5/6 Lisa Uyesugi - 5/11

Janet E. Crutcher - 5/14 Debby Tankersley, CCLS - 5/14

Shannon Kennedy - 5/18 Michele Deveney - 5/31

Isela Velasco - 6/5

Paula Delp, CCLS - 6/19 Charlene Y. Fleming - 6/20

Louise Marak - 6/27

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Unless otherwise noted - all events are at

The Grand Event Center 4101 E. Willow Street

Long Beach, CA All Board meetings are held at various restaurants in Long Beach on the first Wednesday of the month. Let Cathleen know if you would like to join us.

June 12, 2012 - Mingling with Muslims in Your Community - Speaker Deputy Sherif Morsi - Muslim Community Affairs Unit - Homeland Security July - Dark August 14, 2012 - Saving Trees & Time Speaker Lili Daniel, Product Training and Research Coordinator, One Legal LLC

SAVE THE DATE!! SGVLSA will be hosting a Mixer on Wednesday, June 27, 2012 at the Bonaventure Brewing Company in Downtown L.A. This event will be joined by local Associations, Greater Los Angeles Association of Legal Administrators (GLAALA), Los Angeles Paralegal Association (LAPA), and many others. Save the date and look for further details to follow!

If you have any topics you would like to have discussed at a meeting or know of a great speaker, please contact our Programs Chair, Debby Tankersley (contact info on page 2).

Upcoming Events

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Congratulations Sandra T. Jimenez

LSI President 2012-2014

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Professional Liaison Report By Trudy Klefstad, Professional Liaison Chair Hello, everyone. After a long hiatus from attending membership meetings and being more involved, I am back and re-volunteered as your Professional Liaison Chair. Thank you to the LBLPA Board for accepting.

I would like to report on the efforts made to re-establish our relationships with our local bar associations.

Recently, I contacted Debra Williams, Executive Director, of the Long Beach Bar Association (LBBA). She was unable to attend our Installation since she, along with committee members, was scheduled to interview applicants for the LBBA scholarship award. We hope to see her soon at one of our meetings. Debra is excited about LBLPA and LBBA working together again. She related that she could use our help in future events scheduled, such as the Golf Tournament in September, MCLE Super Saturday in October, Judges Night in November and the Staff Appreciation Lunch in December. As some of you long-time members know, we have volunteered our assistance in all these events in the past. Once Debra provides me with the dates, I will let you know.

LBBA’s 2012 officers are: President Angela Villegas, President Elect Hon. Amy C. Yerkey, Vice President Patricia L. Aguila, Secretary-Treasurer Christopher C. Campbell, and Immediate Past President David R. Haberbush. The Barristers is a section of LBBA and the officers are: President Matthew D. Fischer and President Elect Heather M. Brown.

I also communicated with Jo Ann Fitzpatrick, President of Women Lawyers of Long Beach (WLLB). Michelle Cassara (a last-minute stand-in for Alice Widmark – thank you, Michelle!) and I attended WLLB’s installation dinner on April 24 at The Petroleum Club. After an inspiring speech by keynote speaker, The Honorable Lee Smalley Edmon, Presiding Judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court, Jo Ann and her fellow officers (Katerina Kogan – VP/Program Chair, Lisa Angelo – VP Foundation, Margo Bergkvist – Treasurer, Robin Diem – Secretary, Heather Mills and Carolyn Reinhardt – Membership Co-Chairs, and Claire Vermillion – CWL Chair) were installed and sworn in by Judge Stuart Rice. Jo Ann’s theme this year is “Lawyers in Service to Our Communities” with a focus on highlighting the working woman. Jo Ann will be attending our May mixer and LBLPA will present her with an honorary membership certificate at that time. [On a side note, Judge Edmon was nominated by WLLB for the Joan Dempsey Klein Distinguished Jurist Award (Judge Klein is the Presiding Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Three, and is the founding President of California Women Lawyers.]

Personally, I so enjoyed the warm reception I received from past officers of WLLB who attended at the installation dinner. I worked with many of them for years both on behalf of LBLPA and also as Assistant Editor for WLLB’s newsletter. It was great to see many familiar faces and catch up on news.

As always, I welcome your ideas and if you wish to contact me, please do not hesitate to send me an e-mail at ofcworks@ix.netcom.com. Thank you for the opportunity to be of service to renew our relationships with our local bar associations.

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Newbie at Conference By Cristina Reynosa

Legal Assistant/Office Manager/Notary Public

Executive Secretary to LBLPA

After finishing my schooling and earning my degree, I decided to join the Long Beach Legal Professionals Association as a means of staying up to date with the latest court rules and regulations and furthering my education as legal professional beyond my degree. When I joined the Long Beach Legal Professionals in 2010, I was just happy to be a part of a group that cared so much about what they do and that prides itself in the further education of the legal professional. I was eager to get my feet wet and do whatever I could to help out. I was appointed Advertising Chair for the Association and sent over 100 letters to local businesses whose services catered the legal profession. Fast-forward to 2012, I was elected Executive Secretary to the Association and continue to serve as the Advertising Chair and also as the Ways and Means chair. During every meeting that I attended, I always heard our board members speak of conference and how much fun they had and how informative it was. After hearing such reviews, I always wondered if I would, dare I say it, take a Friday off of work to go to a conference and stay the three days? Cathleen, our president, told me that if I was going to go to a conference for a first time, then the Annual Conference was coming up and it would be perfect. I thought about it and decided what the heck, let’s go to conference. I have never been to a conference and was totally unfamiliar with what it was, what I would do and so forth. I arrive at the hotel, check-in, leave my luggage in the room, and it is off to registration. When I got there, I was in awe! There were so many members at conference! I picked up my registration packet and went to the first workshop, a workshop geared for the newly elected officials and how to perform their duties. I met people from different associations there and we were given basic guidelines to follow, if you will, when performing our duties - taking minutes and so on. After the workshop, we went to see the exhibitors where I got some pretty awesome SWAG! Then came the newbie luncheon and we got to know one another a little better. After the luncheon was over, we went to a reception on the Bahia Belle Boat and it was totally decked out in 50’s decorations. When you walked in, it was as if you were going to a dance at Rydell High School in Grease. We met some more people there and everyone was so friendly. On Saturday, we attended the general assembly meeting where all the delegates were seated and we watched LSI conduct business. Watching LSI conduct business as they followed Roberts Rules of Order was great! It was an experience that I wish everyone could have. It truly is unlike any other! I was so happy to see so many people involved in LSI.

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Newbie at Conference (cont’d)

Following the general assembly, we all headed out to legal specialization classes. I took the Law Office Administration class and later found out that the attorney who was speaking at this was none other than Patrick Kearns, Esq. of Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman and Dicker, LLP, a defense lawyer with whom we have had cases against in the past. I learned a lot by attending this as I am sure everyone else did as well. Later that evening, we went to the Banquet and that was just amazing! So many fellow members from all over California - all socializing! Our Banquet Speaker was the Honorable William McCurine, Jr., Magistrate Judge - USDC South District. He was very entertaining and spoke of how important legal secretaries are to the profession. And then came the entertainment, and I must say, I was speechless. Hillsdale Middle School’s Honors Drama Class performed the music from GREASE for us. On Sunday, we attended Brunch and Installation, and then it all came to an end. The new LSI officers and appointed chairs were installed and we all said our good-bye’s. During the conference, I met wonderful people, all part of the Imperial County Legal Professionals Association! I met, Vanessa, a probate referee assistant; Melissa, a criminal law secretary; Lidia and Lorna, court clerks; Veronica, a law office administrator; Espie, LSI’s newly appointment Historian; and Sandra Jimenez, LSI’s newly elected President. I feel like the friendships that I have made here will last me a life time and would highly recommend that everyone attend at least one conference so that they too can see how great being a member at the local and state level is! And so, until we meet again my fellow friends at the next conference, which is the 1st Quarterly Conference in Pleasanton, CA, take care and become an active participant! You will gain so much. Like LSI, LBLPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing educational, professional, and personal development programs to its membership, consisting of attorneys, legal assistants, paralegals, legal secretaries, legal administrative assistants, court reporters, law office administrators and anyone in a law-related profession.

Cristina Reynosa, LBLPA with

Melissa Hernandez and Veronica Escalera from

Imperial County LPA

Denise Aguilar, CCLS and

Alice Widmark, CCLS

Right:: LeQuita Hodge,

CCLS applauding the

winner of the costume

contest - a new CCLS

and LSI Member at

Large!

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When You Veer Off Course Lissa Rankin, April 17, 2012

I was recently at the home of my mentor Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, along with a group of beloved physicians committed to finding meaning in medicine, and we were talking about living with your mistakes.

As part of the discussion, Rachel told a story about the Concorde, the now retired turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airline that used to jet across the Atlantic at lightning speed.

The Perfectly Imperfect Concorde

Apparently, the jet goes too fast for human pilots to keep up with it. One wrong move and the Concorde is way off track. So back when it was still flying, the Concorde was flown by two computers that talk to each other. One autopilot would say something like “Hey! We’re off track! Get back on course!” And the other autopilot would say, “Recalculating. Getting back on track.”

Apparently, you could hear them talking to each other. They prattled on during the entire flight, yada yada yada - “Off track!” “Correcting course!”

One guy on a tour of the Concorde asked why they were constantly talking to each other. Wasn’t the Concorde ever on course?

The tour guide said “Yes, about 1% of the time. The other 99% of the time, the jet veers off course, requiring constant autocorrection.”

When asked what time the plane would arrive in New York by the concerned man, the tour guide said, “At 10 pm, plus or minus three minutes.”

You Can Be Off Course & Still Reach Your Destination

In other words, it’s not about constantly sticking to the straight and narrow. You veer left. You stray right. You swerve and sway and bump up and down in the air pockets.

Nobody blames the Concorde for getting off course. There’s no shame game or guilt or Gremlins whispering evil-nothings. The Concorde’s computers aren’t screaming at each other, going “You IDIOT! You’re off course! AGAIN!”

No explanation needed. Forgive the fact that you’ve veered off course.

Make amends.

Auto-correct.

Move on.

The secret to arriving at your destination is constant auto-correction in the face of the inevitable mistakes we all make. The error is not so much in getting off course. That part is inevitable.

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We're human. Nobody is perfect, not even the Concorde. The error comes in not being conscious, aware, pre-sent, and humble, in not looking right and left to see where you are, in not checking in with your Inner Pilot Light to see where you might be off course, in not being brave enough to take action, to mindfully auto-correct.

We All Make Mistakes

You broke the law.

You abused your child.

You cheated on your spouse.

You picked the wrong career.

You agreed to the arranged marriage and turned your back on true love.

You injected that heroin.

Your scalpel slipped.

You drove too fast and hit someone.

It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time

I was once in family counseling because someone I love had made a few mistakes. When one of us would ask, “Why would you do such a thing?” the therapist would inevitably interrupt and answer on that person's behalf. His answer - “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

Over the years, I've found his answer strangely comforting, because isn't that the truth? Even if we have an inkling that what we're about to do is unethical, out of integrity, illegal, or otherwise “wrong,” part of us really does think it was a good idea to hit the child, shoot up the drug, betray the spouse, or act like a speed demon in a car. It doesn't excuse the mistake. We can't just sweep it under the carpet because it seemed like a good idea at the time.

But it can help us find compassion for ourselves when we veer off course. Only when we forgive ourselves can we learn to find peace in the face of inevitable mistakes. If the Concorde doesn’t autocorrect, it gets way the hell off course lickety-split. But as human beings, we’re lucky. We don’t travel at the speed of light, so fortunately for us, when we veer off course, it’s usually slow and ragged. Rarely does a mistake happen in split second timing. More commonly, it happens in bite-sized chunks, leaving us with plenty of time for gen-tle, loving self-adjustment. Even if the mistake does happen in an instant, there's time afterwards to make things right, to ask for forgiveness, to get help, to stop the behavior, to right the wrong.

Have you made a mistake?

Too often, when we veer off course, we figure we've blown it so badly that we might as well veer further off track. If you've already hit the child, you might as well do it again. If you've already betrayed your wife, you might as well get it on again with your mistress. If you got high once, you might as well get high all the time. The more off course we get, the harder it is to face what we've done, so the more likely it is that we'll keep steering off track.

When You Veer Off Course cont’d

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But darling, please don't do this. Forgive yourself for what you've done right this moment. Accept this hug (((((((YOU))))))). Forgive what you've done. Now start making it right - not tomorrow, but today.

Don’t wait until you’re 1,000 miles off course. It’s harder to find your way when you do. And if you've al-ready lost your way, don’t wait another moment to tune in to your inner guidance system and auto-correct.

We’re all off course in some aspect of our lives, and when we are, we wind up sick, unhappy, and numb. Do yourself a favor and slow down. Pay attention. Tune in. Check in with the destination. Make sure it’s the one you really want. Be willing to adjust constantly.

Where are you off course? What baby step can you make today to auto-correct?

Trusting your inner compass,

Lissa

http://www.owningpink.com/blogs/owning-pink/when-you-veer-course

Lissa Rankin, MD: Founder of OwningPink.com, Pink Medicine Revolutionary, motivational speaker, and author of What’s Up Down There? Questions You’d Only Ask Your Gynecologist If She Was Your Best Friend and Encaustic Art: The Complete Guide To Creating Fine Art With Wax.

When You Veer Off Course cont’d

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Proposed By law/Standing Rules Amendments /Rev i s ions

Pursuant to Article XV - Amendments to Bylaws - of the LBLPA Bylaws (Revised March 2010):

“These Bylaws may be amended or revised by a two-thirds vote of the Members voting at any regular meeting in the following manner:

Proposed amendments shall be submitted to the membership in writing at least fifteen (15) days prior to the regular meeting at which they are to be voted upon.”

The Executive Board of LBLPA has voted on and approved the following bylaw changes to be submitted to the membership for approval. These changes to the Bylaws will be voted on at the March 2012 Election Meeting:

Article 4 Membership, Section 3. Classes of Membership, Paragraph (d) Life, Paragraph (3) Past President:

“Past President: A Past President desiring to retain Active Membership may do so by the payment each year of $15.00 local dues and LSI’s per capita tax, and then have full active membership privileges, including the right to vote and run for elected office.”

Pursuant to paragraph 11 – Revisions of LBLPA’s Standing Rules (Revised March 2010):

“11.1 Revisions: Standing Rules may be revised or amended pursuant to motion made and adopted by a majority vote of the Members voting at any regular or special meeting of the membership.”

The Executive Board of LBLPA has voted on and approved the following changes to the Standing Rules be submitted to the membership for approval. These changes to the Standing Rules will be voted on at the March 2012 Election Meeting:

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Proposed By law/Standing Rules Amendments /Rev i s ions

16

Proposed By law/Standing Rules Amendments /Rev i s ions

17

DO YOU WANT UP TO THE MINUTE UPDATES ON THE COURTS AND ANY NEW/CHANGED RULES? CHECK OUT YOUR NEW WEBSITE - WWW.LONGBEACHLPA.COM We also post a link on Facebook every time we enter a new post!!!! Go there now and check it out.

Lega l Procedure

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Volunteers are needed in INSURANCE DEFENSE, CORPORATIONS, BANKRUPTCY and REAL

ESTATE. If you are interested in lending your knowledge or assistance, please call Cathleen Siler.

Notaries

Michelle Cassara, CCLS (gmacass@verizon.net)

Linda Duarte (duarte6000@aol.com)

Charlene Fleming (cfleming@artianolaw.com)

Dianne Gardner (dianne@rothenberglaw.net)

Christine Hutchinson (cmcarda@hotmail.com)

Esther Juarez (ejuarez@gglts.com)

Trudy Klefstad (ofcworks@ix.netcom.com)

Joy Peeraer, CCLS (j.peeraer@yahoo.com)

Cristina Reynosa (collegegirl225@yahoo.com)

Cathleen Siler (csiler@aalrr.com)

Tiffany Snyder (TSnyder@KSElawyers.com)

Monique Talamante (mtalamante@lbinsolvency.com)

Debby Tankersley, CCLS (DTankersley@jdtplaw.com)

Workers’ Compensation & CCLS Paula Delp, CCLS 310-568-8460

Admiralty & Transportation,

Federal Law, Appeals

OPEN OPEN

Family Law Marisa Katnic 310-540-8855

Probate Michelle Cassara, CCLS 562-682-7370

Civil Stephanie L. Thomas 562-653-3200/sthomas@aalrr.com

Hotl ine Numbers

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If any of our readers or vendors are interested in placing an ad in this monthly publication, please contact:

Cristina Reynosa c/o LEVY LAW FIRM, 4500 E. Pacific Coast Highway, 4th Fl., Long Beach, CA 90804

Tel: 562-951-5996 - e-mail: collegegirl225@yahoo.com

Please let our advertisers know you saw their ad in The Driftwood. Remember to support our advertisers - they support us.

AD RATES: 1 month 3 months 6 months 1 year

Business Card (1/8 page) $10 $25 $45 $85

Quarter Page $15 $40 $80 $150

Half Page $30 $85 $150 $245

Full Page $50 $150 $250 $450

Website Link $10 $25 $45 $85

The current advertising rates for ads placed in the Driftwood are:

Adver t i s ing

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LEGAL SECRETARIES, INC. BENEFITS DISCOUNT THROUGH

CEB Members of Legal Secretaries, Inc. are offered a

reduced cost for certain educational benefits, including seminars and publications, through

Continuing Education of the Bar. For more information refer to

http://ceb.com/LSI/

DWORKIN INSURANCE SERVICES EARL DWORKIN

467 Hamilton Avenue, Suite 1 Palo Alto, CA 94301

Phone: 650-329-1330 - Fax: 650-329-9957 Individual and Family Medical Insurance; Travel

Medical; Medicare Supplements; Dental Plans

STEVEN C. DANNENBERG, AFLAC Agent 11091 Rhyolite Drive, Suite 4

Redding, California 96003 Phone: (530) 339-5889—Office (530) 243-9879

Fax: (530) 243-9880 Portfolio: Accident, Sickness, Cancer, Dental, Hospital Indemnity & Heart Attack/Stroke -

Firms with 3 or more W-2 employees qualify for Retirement Planning § 125/Cafeteria Plans &

additional policies.

CAPITAL INVESTMENT ADVISERS EMERSON J. FERSCH, CFP, ChFC

5000 E. Spring Street, Suite 200 Long Beach, California 90815-5215

Phone: (562) 420-9009 (562) 420-9955 Comprehensive Financial Planning, Asset

Allocation and Investment Management, Long Term Care Insurance

and Planning

WORKING ADVANTAGE Toll Free: 1 (800) 565-3712

www.workingadvantage.com Discount on event tickets

Movie tickets; Theme parks; Broadway theatre; sporting events; Ski tickets; Hotel certificates;

Family events; Gift cards & more Member ID: call Corporate Office or LSI Vice President

FINANCIAL NETWORK INVESTMENT DANIEL R. HENDERSON, MBA, CFP

3478 Buskirk Avenue, Suite 300 Pleasant Hill, California 94523 Phone: (925) 944-9644 Ext. 153

Fax (925) 944-5675 Discounted JOHN HANCOCK Long Term Care Insurance/Life Insurance, annuities, retirement, Investment/estate planning, mutual funds, 401k

DAVID WHITE & ASSOCIATES Wealth Accumulation & Preservation

800-548-2671 - Ryan Gonzales ext. 2682 or Matt Kay ext. 2628 3150 Crow Canyon Place, Suite 2000

San Ramon, CA 94583 Investments, Retirement Plans, Education Savings Accounts, Medical, Life, Long Term Care and

Disability Insurance

LA FINANCIAL FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Post Office Box 6015

Pasadena, California 91102-6015 Phone: s: (800) 894-1200

PROVIDENT CENTRAL CREDIT UNION 303 Twin Dolphin Drive

Post Office Box 8007 Redwood City, California 94603-0907 Phone: (800) 632-4600 - (650) 508-0300

HERTZ CORPORATION Effective Date: June 1, 1996

CDP Card #447698 Phone (800) 654-2200 or your travel Agent

LBLPA

c/o Cathleen Siler

Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo

12800 Center Court Drive, Suite 300

Cerritos, CA 90703

Forwarding Address Requested

http://www.longbeachlpa.com