Eastern Communication Association

ECA: Looking Ahead to 2021, 2022, and 2023

Dear Members and Friends,

I hope this message finds you at some level of peace as we settle into what will be our “new normal” for the foreseeable future. As we have been “undoing” the beautiful conference Jennifer Waldeck planned for us, the Executive Board met to consider how to move forward with our 2021, 2022, and 2023 conferences. We consulted with ECA Conference Planners Jennifer Waldeck (2020), Amanda McKendree (2021) and Pam Lannutti (2022) to prepare for the upcoming years. This plan takes into account our faith in Jennifer to plan and implement a conference in 2023 on our behalf while balancing constraining factors, the most significant of which is our contracts with Hyatt Regency properties for 2021 (Cambridge) and 2022 (Buffalo).

The Executive Board forwarded our proposed plan to the Executive Council for a vote. An overwhelming majority of our Executive Council members voted in favor of our plan for moving forward.

Based on the support of the Executive Council, our future is as follows.

• Our 2021, Amanda McKendree, and 2022, Pam Lannutti, Primary Planners will plan the years for which they were elected.
• Jennifer Waldeck will plan 2023, preferably in Baltimore, MD, thus eliminating the need to elect this position during 2020.
• The 2024 Primary planner will be elected in 2021 as scheduled.
• Katherine Thweatt and Leeanne Bell McMannus will serve as President and Immediate Past President until March 28, 2021.

In consideration of this plan, Interest Groups (IGs) will need to conduct business virtually that would have taken place during the 2020 Interest Group Business Meetings. We believe the common action items between our IGs involve the following.

• Election of 2022 Interest Group Planners
• Election of other roles as needed, such as Secretary and representative to Executive Council
• Solicit volunteers for readers, session chairs, session respondents
• Call for Nominations for
  • ECA Representative to NCA's 2022 Nominating Committee
  • ECA's Four-Year College Representative to the NCA Legislative Assembly

Jennifer Waldeck will communicate with her 2020 planners with further details, but in particular on reporting the results of business meeting action items. Amanda McKendree will follow up with her 2021 planners.

Thank you in advance for your continued support of and work on behalf of ECA. I am humbled by your professionalism, concern, and actions demonstrated during this moment of crisis.

Well wishes,

Katherine S. Thweatt, EdD
ECA President

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