Carmen Del Valle has been a fixture at Klasko Immigration Law Partners since its inception in 2004 holding various positions on the administrative team – currently as the Administrative Supervisor. She is often the first person you will meet when you visit the Philadelphia office and is one of the friendliest and most helpful faces at the firm – and that is a hard title to come by!
Since the Lisa Felix award was introduced, Carmen has been a frequent nominee. This year’s nomination centered on her helpfulness and “unusual commitment of time and energy in service to others at the firm.” In their submission, her nominator said,
“Since the day I met her, she has always gone out of her way to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. Forgot an umbrella for your commute home? Carmen will find one for you. Need help with something and not sure who to ask? Carmen will find someone for you – and if she can’t, she will help you herself. Having a bad day and need a shoulder to cry on? Carmen is your person.”
Carmen has played a pivotal role in fostering a sense of community within the firm. As one of the founding members of the Social Committee, she has helped organize some of the firm’s most memorable events. The biggest challenge? The original casino-themed holiday party stands out. Carmen and the committee stayed late and arrived early to ensure everything—from the setup to the breakdown—ran smoothly. Long before the convenience of ride-sharing services like Uber, they even lugged the office Christmas tree many city blocks to and from the party venue.
These days, Carmen enjoys simply attending the firm’s events, with the Halloween party being her favorite. She loves seeing how creative everyone is with their costumes, which become more elaborate and impressive each year.
When asked for her thoughts about receiving the award, she says she was, “Overwhelmed, I got the news while I was with my daughter and was so emotional. I hope I can continue to honor Lisa by being friendly, generous, and positive even when facing challenging times.”
The Lisa Felix Award was introduced in 2022 as a special honor to preserve the memory and legacy of a very special person — Lisa Felix, an attorney at the firm, who passed in 2020 after a long illness. The annual award is presented at the firm’s summer event and recognizes a KILP staff member who embodies the spirit of Lisa Felix, who radiated unconditional, unwavering, and selfless kindness even in difficult times.
Carmen has many cherished memories of Lisa Felix, whose legacy lives on through this award. One particularly special moment was when Lisa, after admiring Carmen’s dress, purchased the same one and wanted to coordinate wearing it together. “Lisa was such a sweetheart. She was always overly thankful for help, even though I felt I was just doing my job. She was an incredibly kind person,” Carmen recalls.
Outside of work, Carmen rotates her hobbies to keep things fresh. She loves crosswords, jigsaw puzzles, sewing, reading, and binging TV shows – especially limited series.
Please join us in thanking Carmen for her kindness and selflessness – and congratulating her on this honor!
