The Tampa Bay American Inn of Court announces J. Meredith Wester, Esquire as the recipient of the 2015 Abraham Lincoln Award, which is an annual award honoring the member who best exemplifies the goals of the Inn in promoting legal excellence, civility, professionalism, and ethics in the practice of law. Ms. Wester was one of the founding members of the Tampa Bay Inn of Court in 1993 and served as its Treasurer (2005-2012) and Executive Director (2012-2014). She is a shareholder at Mechanik, Nuccio, Hearne & Wester, P.A. where she concentrates her practice in commercial litigation. Since her admittance to the Florida Bar in 1991, she has served as the Chairman for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Florida Bar Grievance Committee, has been a member of the Hillsborough County Bar Association, including service on the Board of Directors, a board member of the Hillsborough County Bar Foundation, and a member of the Hillsborough County Trial Lawyers Association. She has served as an appointed board member of the Governing Board for the Southwest Florida Water Management District Northwest Hillsborough County Basin Board and has served as the founding Secretary for the FBI National Citizen’s Academy Alumni Association and founding President of the Association’s Tampa Bay Chapter. She served as Treasurer of PACE for Girls, President and co-founder of the Hillsborough County Head Start Foundation, and was appointed to serve on the Hillsborough County Children’s Advisory Board. She is a graduate of the University of South Florida where she received her Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude. She received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Stetson University College of Law.