Finding Success amongst Everyone

On May 7, 2023, Erica Bass became a hero to her husband and her family. She and her husband, George, went to bed that Sunday night like usual. Fifteen minutes later, George made a couple sounds that puzzled Erica. When she turned on the light, she found George was unresponsive, not breathing, and had turned purple. She called 911 and performed CPR for the twelve minutes it took EMS to get there. George had a massive heart attack. He flatlined three times while EMS was performing CPR. Once stable enough to go to the hospital, he stayed for five days in the Cardiac ICU. He credits Erica for saving his life. "She is my hero".

Erica is a hero to the family and to Cunningham Bounds, where she is the Director of Accounting. One of Erica's qualities most valuable to Cunningham Bounds is her commitment to the firm. Without fail and, at times, to a fault, she puts the firm's needs before hers. From day one, she has shown unwavering dedication to the firm's mission to help clients injured or wronged by others and hold wrongdoers accountable. As a member of the management team, she has played an essential role in the firm's day-to-day operations and the overall success of Cunningham Bounds. She is compassionate and wants everyone in her department and the firm to succeed. Their success is her success.

As the accounting team leader, Erica models the characteristics of a great leader to her team. She is dedicated, hardworking, and committed to excellence – and she expects the same from those around her. She holds others accountable for their actions – and does the same for herself. She leads by example – not just by words. When someone on her team needs help, they know they can count on Erica to stop what she is doing and lend a hand. Erica has held every position in the accounting department at the Firm. This increases her credibility because her team knows that Erica held their positions before them. Erica is the type of leader who is not going to ask something of her team that she is not willing to do as well. When someone makes a mistake, Erica uses it as a learning opportunity to build their job knowledge to prevent it from happening again. Everyone at the Firm knows they can always ask Erica for help or guidance.

"I did not truly find success career-wise until I came to Cunningham Bounds in 2019. As a military wife, we were transferred every two to three years. It was hard to get established and start growing in an organization before we were up and moving again," explains Erica. "I was a stay-at-home mom for the eleven years my husband was active-duty Navy. Once he retired and we settled down in Mobile, AL, I started working back in the accounting field. I worked for a non-profit for eight years before coming to Cunningham Bounds." Erica's life is nothing short of a brilliant story, and she takes inspiration from her mother. "I used to say my mom was dealt four cards in a game of 5 card poker. At times, she struggled. But her determination and yes, her stubbornness, made her push through the hard times and preserver. She taught my sister and I to be the independent and strong women we are today," adds Erica. "Professionally, the person who inspires me every day is Lucy Tufts. Lucy broke the glass-ceiling becoming the first female partner of our Firm. She has been described as a bulldog in the courtroom fighting for her clients. But what inspires me is the compassion and empathy she has towards others. She has become a mentor to me and shows me every day what it means to be a female leader."

With this brilliant mindset, Erica leads the company to great heights. The mission of Cunningham Bounds is to help clients and families of clients who have been injured, killed, or wronged by the actions of others and hold the wrongdoers accountable. In the fight for those clients, the attorneys and staff are committed to nothing less than excellence. Each day, Erica takes her role in that fight to heart and gives 100% to the firm and its clients. She knows every detail matters and takes pride in noticing every detail.

Erica believes that people should always continue to learn. Last year, Erica went back to grad school in her "free time." She will graduate in May 2024 from Liberty University with her Master of Arts in Executive Leadership. She was recently accepted into the Doctoral Program at Liberty and will start pursuing her Doctor of Strategic Leadership in May after graduation. She truly believes in looking at every situation as a learning experience and an opportunity to continue growing as an employee and person.

For the road ahead, Cunningham Bounds will remain the same as it has been for over 65 years—to provide clients with the absolute best legal representation possible and to obtain the justice they deserve. Cunningham Bounds has recently opened a new office in Atlanta, Georgia, where they plan to provide Georgia clients with the same excellent representation, they have provided clients in Alabama and across the country for decades.