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September 10, 2026
For Geoff Kunkler, service to the legal profession is both a personal commitment and a professional responsibility.
As a partner in Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP’s Family Wealth and Estate Planning Group, Kunkler has spent his career helping individuals and families plan for the future. He joined CPM in 2014 and became a partner in 2018. Before that, he practiced at a boutique firm, where he focused on wills, trusts and estates.
His work in charitable planning and giving, combined with his experience in board governance, made serving on the Columbus Bar Foundation Board a natural fit.
“I strongly believe in the missions of both the Columbus Bar Association and the Columbus Bar Foundation,” Kunkler said. “Given my background and experience in both charitable planning and giving and board governance, I was delighted when the opportunity to join the board of the CBF arose.”
Now, as president of the Columbus Bar Foundation, Kunkler is looking forward to putting that experience to work while helping shape the Foundation’s future.
“I hope some of my expertise and connections can further the mission of the Foundation,” he said. “We have some exciting opportunities in the early development stage and I am looking forward to seeing those opportunities through and shaping the Foundation into the future.”
A Strong Sense of Responsibility
For Kunkler, the Foundation’s mission hits close to home.
Throughout his career, he has viewed giving back to the profession as something that comes with being a member of the legal community. That perspective was reinforced by his experience at CPM.
“Giving back, particularly to my profession, has been ingrained in me throughout my career, particularly at CPM,” Kunkler said. “To the extent I can both help my peers and the profession, as well as future members of the bar, I feel I have a strong duty to do so.”
That sense of responsibility is one of the things Kunkler brings with him to his role as president. He sees the Foundation as an opportunity to support not only today's lawyers, but also the future members of the profession and the broader Central Ohio community.
He is particularly passionate about the Foundation’s tradition of recognizing attorneys who have practiced for 50 years — an opportunity to celebrate the careers and contributions of lawyers who have helped shape the profession.
At the same time, Kunkler is excited about what the Foundation can build next.
The Foundation launched a formal grant cycle and process last year, which Kunkler said was very successful. As the program enters its second year, he looks forward to refining the process and continuing to support organizations working to advance the Foundation’s mission.
There is also another project in the works, although Kunkler is keeping the details close for now.
“We do have another very exciting project in the works, but we’re still in the infancy stages,” he said. “I look forward to further developing the project and eventually announcing it once it becomes a bit more viable.”
Growing a Community of Support
One of Kunkler’s priorities as president is strengthening the Foundation’s Fellows Program.
The program offers members of the legal community an opportunity to become permanent supporters of the Foundation and its work. Kunkler hopes to build on a renewed effort to recruit Fellows that began last year, while creating more opportunities for Fellows to connect with one another and engage with the Foundation.
“We would appreciate your continued support in the rejuvenated effort to increase our number of Fellows and grow the program,” Kunkler said.
Growing the Fellows program is part of a broader goal for Kunkler: creating a strong and sustainable foundation for the organization's future.
He hopes to increase and diversify the Foundation’s sources of funding while also exploring new events and opportunities for engagement.
Fortunately, Kunkler believes the Foundation is starting from a strong position.
“We are in a great spot, so I hope to keep things moving in a positive direction,” he said.
Celebrating the Profession
For Kunkler, one of the most rewarding aspects of Foundation involvement is the opportunity to bring members of the legal community together.
That spirit will be on display at the Columbus Bar Foundation Annual Meeting & 50 Year Breakfast on October 6, an event that Kunkler describes as a celebration of both the profession’s history and its future.
The annual event recognizes attorneys who have practiced for 50 years while also giving the Foundation an opportunity to share its accomplishments from the past year. It also marks the beginning of a new year of leadership, with the swearing-in of new Foundation leadership and Fellows.
“It not only allows recognition and celebration of our peers who have practiced for decades and truly shaped our profession and community but also allows the CBF to showcase the great work we have done in the prior year,” Kunkler said.
For Kunkler, the event is about more than recognizing milestones. It is about celebrating the people who make up the legal community and coming together to support the profession’s future.
“It’s truly a great event and we would love to see as many people as possible show up to join in the celebration,” he said.
As Kunkler begins his term as president, his priorities are clear: continue the Foundation’s momentum, strengthen its community of supporters, explore new opportunities and, above all, continue giving back to the profession that has been such an important part of his own career.
For Kunkler, that work is not simply about what the Foundation can accomplish today. It is about helping ensure that the legal profession and the community it serves remain strong for the generations of lawyers to come.