Dear NACTA Members,

As 2019 comes to a close, we have an opportunity to begin anew in not only a new year but an entirely new decade. The NACTA Executive Committee is looking ahead to 2020 with fresh ideas and excitement for our progress forward.

We are at the mid-point in the first year of NACTA’s transition to a new management association, JulNet. The transition NACTA is engaged in was prompted by a visioning process in 2017 led by William Nelson, retired President of the CHS Foundation and former NACTA member. The visioning process resulted in a final report, “NACTA Transition Blueprint – 2017-2019,” accepted by the Executive Committee at the mid-year meeting held in November 2017. Mark Russell, NACTA President 2017-2018, implemented working groups around the seven action steps emerging from the study. The final report was shared with NACTA members at the 2018 annual conference held at Iowa State University. Subsequently, Ann Marie VanDerZanden, NACTA President 2018-2019, led the charge to begin addressing the action steps during her tenure as president. The Executive Committee focused initially on the management transition plan (Focus One: Create an Organization That Will Continue to Grow and Progress – pg. 14). The responsibility of facilitating the transition fell to me when I became NACTA President at the June 2019 annual conference. I am grateful for the assistance provided me by Ann Marie and by Marcos Fernandez, NACTA President-Elect. The Executive Committee is extremely grateful to Julie Hewett and her team as they partner with NACTA in this time of change.

A few upcoming items to highlight:

  • After a recommendation from a CPA and counsel from an attorney, the Executive Committee has voted to merge the NACTA Foundation into NACTA and reorganize NACTA into a single 501(c)3 nonprofit, charitable educational. This is expected to increase the efficiency of financial activities and reporting.
  • Daniel Foster (Eastern Region Director) is working with Jim Connors (University of Idaho) to revise our constitution and bylaws to fit with our move to a single entity and to align with Roberts Rules of Order newly revised.  Once revisions are approved by the Executive Committee, they will be posted for review by the membership for a vote at the 2020 annual conference.
  • Please submit an abstract, workshop proposal and/or nominate a deserving person to be considered for an award in our various recognition categories.
  • We are anticipating the annual conference at New Mexico State University.  Registration for the event will be opening soon but more information can be found here. See you in Las Cruces, New Mexico, June 16-19, 2020.

I look forward to all that we can accomplish together in the upcoming year and am eager to see where the next decade takes our exciting group of educators. 

Sincerely, 
Foy Mills
President, NACTA