News from the Executive Council

by Kaye Evleth

My last few articles have highlighted the happenings at the national level of IPMA through the actions of the Executive Council under the leadership of Jerry Hoddenott and Wayne Etheredge. As Wayne reported at the IPMAAC Conference, following our lead, IPMA’s home page will be up and running this summer and links to IPMAAC’s home page will be created. Additionally, IPMA’s Fax-on-Demand, which is successfully operating, includes information on IPMAAC activities and membership. These happenings were initiated by the Executive Council, but are implemented by IPMA staff.

IPMA staff is critical to the success of IPMAAC programs. With the passing of the reins at IPMA Headquarters from Don Tichenor to Neil Reichenberg, I would like to highlight the positive, cooperative relationship that has developed over the past few years between IPMAAC and IPMA leaders and staff. Several changes have allowed IPMAAC to concentrate more on programmatic issues and less on administrative operations, and have made IPMAAC a more active and visible participant in IPMA programs and activities. I’m proud to have been a part of this.

Much recent effort has gone into more closely coordinating IPMA and IPMAAC programming. I served as a representative of IPMAAC on the IPMA Long Range Planning Committee, charged with setting the course for the Association’s future. Several IPMA committees have been recently created or redirected to implement these goals and IPMAAC is involved in these, too. Currently, Jim Johnson represents IPMAAC on the Technology Committee, Marianne Bays represents IPMAAC on the Professional Development Committee, and I represent IPMAAC on the Chapter/Section Relations Committee. Additionally, recognizing the Assessment Council’s special expertise in testing, IPMAAC has and will continue to be heavily involved in IPMA’s APA Standards Committee.

Learning more about IPMA and how to tie IPMAAC goals and objectives into the broader association’s plans and capabilities has also increased IPMAAC’s effectiveness is accomplishing desired administrative change. In 1993 IPMA and IPMAAC entered into a financial agreement aimed at providing a foundation for more simplified and stable administrative operations. The “deal” we negotiated involves IPMA staff provision of specified support services to IPMAAC at a fixed annual cost, subsidized by IPMA funding. This agreement clearly recognizes both the value of IPMA to IPMAAC and of IPMAAC to IPMA.

Accomplishment of several recent changes have been facilitated by closer working relationships with IPMA. Last year, IPMA supported our goal of increasing student membership by not only supporting the creation of a reduced IPMAAC student membership fee and conference fee waiver for students, but also by concurrently reducing the IPMA student membership fee. As another example, IPMA staff assumed a more active role in planning IPMAAC conference host activities this year - providing research as well as contracting and implementation support to us. They also worked in close support with IPMAAC in implementing all of the changes to the ACN that readers have seen this year. Neil Reichenberg has indicated that he wants to continue IPMA staff’s positive involvement in IPMAAC operations and will seek proactive cooperation by looking for ways to assist IPMAAC in implementing our ideas whether they be in the area of training, technology, an expanded ACN, or another area of programming.

As I am ending my three-year tenure as IPMAAC’s representative to the Executive Council, I want to give a special thanks to Marianne Ernesto who has worked through these changes with us. I am excited by the corner IPMA is turning to meet the challenge of the 21st century and by IPMAAC’s full involvement in the Association’s efforts.

(IPMAAC President’s Note: In Boston, Kaye Evleth received a certificate of appreciation from IPMAAC for her many positive contributions during her tenure as our Representative to the Executive Council. Kaye has our gratitude for helping the IPMAAC Board of Directors to develop strategies and tactics for closer alliance with IPMA that improve our present operations and also position us well for the future. Thanks, Kaye!)