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ACE Update – June 2016

  • Meet You in Memphis
  • New Visual Identity to be Unveiled at Annual Conference
  • Learn About the Latest in Communication Research
  • What Are You Bringing for the Auction?
  • Leadership Opportunity: Help Plan Professional Development
  • Connecting with Elected Officials
  • Retiree Update: Jim Evans
  • ACE Member Publishes Pennsylvania History Book

Message From The President: 

As the 2016 ACE conference approaches, it is bittersweet to prepare my last update as ACE president. Although all of my goals for the year weren’t met, a lot of progress was gained in many areas.
I want to thank the ACE Board of Directors for its support over the last year. I can honestly say that every discussion and decision has been thoughtful, and with the best interest of members and the long-term strength of our organization in mind. Offering meaningful professional development and a positive member experience has always been our top priority. Moving forward, I am confident that focus will not change.

I also want to offer a huge thank you to the 2016 Memphis conference planning committee and co-chairs Craig Woods and Keri Collins Lewis. Their team’s enthusiasm and creative approach in putting together this year’s program was impressive. In less than two weeks we will experience inspiring keynote speakers, unique breakout sessions, new learning opportunities, and a little bit different off-site networking and socializing event christened - fACEs and plACEs.

Finally, I want to thank you, the ACE members. Your yearly investment in ACE dues is a testament to the value you receive, not just during the conference, but ongoing throughout the year. Our volunteer structure directly reflects that your time spent working within Learning Communities, and various ACE director and planning committees, is the life blood of ACE.

It has been an honor to lead this organization over the last 11.5 months. Hopefully I won’t mess things up in my race to the finish line.

Let’s have a great conference! I look forward to seeing all of you at #ACEMemphis.

Brad Beckman, ACE President

Meet You in Memphis

It's not too late to join us June 13-17 in Memphis for the 2016 ACE Annual Conference.

While the The Peabody hotel is full, our overflow housing is no Heartbreak Hotel. Just two blocks from The Peabody, the Madison Hotel is offering a conference rate of $169 through June 5 or until the block is full. To make a reservation at the Madison, call 901-333-1200 and refer to ACE 2016 to receive the group rate. This rate is not available for online reservations.

For more information, email registration@k-state.edu (please indicate ACE Conference in the subject line), or call 785-532-5569 or 800-432-8222 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday).

New Visual Brand Identity to be Unveiled at Annual Conference

Marketing Director Elizabeth Gregory North's creative team at Mississippi State University has been busy working on a new visual brand identity for ACE, based on research from the recent brand value survey.  Don't miss the business meeting on Thursday morning for the big reveal.


Learn About the Latest in Communications Research

Please join us on Monday, June 13 for the following research presentations during the 2016 ACE Annual Conference.
Time  Title  Authors
9:15-9:35
Exploring Perspectives of the Student Competencies Needed to Advocate for Agriculture Garrett Steede, Laura Gorham, Erica Irlbeck
9:35-10:00 Viewer Perceptions and Preferences for [Program] McKayla Brubaker, Quisto Settle, Elizabeth Gregory North
10:00-10:25 Who Knows More about Blueberries? Identifying a Knowledge Gap of Blueberry Health Benefits Shuyang Qu, Tori Bradley, Joy Rumble
10:25-10:45 BREAK  
10:45-11:05 Making a Case for McDonald’s: A Case Study Examining the McDonald’s “Our Food Your Questions” Laura Gorham, Courtney Gibson, Erica Irlbeck
11:05-11:30  A Framing Analysis of the Captain Citrus Campaign
Tiffany Rogers, Joy Rumble, Lisa Lundy
11:30-1:00 BREAK  
1:00-1:25 International Rural Development Non-Profit Organizations’ Use of Twitter:  Content Analysis
Joanna King, Courtney Meyers, David Doerfert, and Matt Baker
1:25-1:50 Tweeting with Authority: Identifying Influential Participants in Agriculture-Related Water Quality Conversations  Ashlan Wickstrom and Annie Specht
1:50-2:15 Encouraging Water Conservation through Communication: Exploring Thought Processing Routes of Residents who Conserve Water Emmett Martin, Joy Rumble, Laura Warner, Alexa Lamm













– Courtney Meyers

What Are You Bringing for the Auction?

As you pack for ACE Memphis please consider picking up an item for the ACE Development Fund auction.

Not sure what to bring? Are you a foodie, photographer, or a bookworm? Have a talent for gift baskets? Enjoy sharing the work of local artists? Are you good at making things? Whatever makes you happy makes us happy.

Auction items will be displayed at the Peabody starting at breakfast Wednesday June 15, then moved to Agricenter International where members can place last-minute bids during the evening networking event. After dinner, the most popular items will be presented during the live auction.

A special promotion early in the week will give one lucky member the chance to choose a duck master to lead the famous Peabody ducks on their march from the marble fountain in the lobby to the rooftop penthouse Tuesday evening. Raffle tickets will be sold at the registration desk until the drawing takes place during lunch on Tuesday. The more you buy, the better your chances of winning.

Proceeds from the auction and raffle go to the ACE Development Fund and directly benefit the professional growth of our members. This year, three $1,500 grants were awarded for projects that will be completed during the coming year.

With the meeting less than two weeks away, your to-do list is growing. Thank you for considering these opportunities for giving. – Donna Sheffield

Leadership Opportunity: Help Plan Professional Development

If you would like to help ACE ratchet up its professional development efforts, the ACE Professional Development Committee is looking for three or four new members.  Anyone interested in joining the committee may contact Beth Raney and/or join a committee meeting at the conference on Monday, June 13 at 2:00 PM in Ballroom D. They would especially like a person from the Northeast and the North Central parts of the country, but welcome anyone interested that doesn't already have ACE leadership responsibilities. – Beth Raney

Connecting With Elected Officials

Here at Ohio State we are reviewing our legislative materials/annual reports to make them more effective and better aligned with online and social media channels. We would like to meet with those of you involved in this type of work during the upcoming ACE meeting to exchange ideas, best practices, examples, etc. Join us for appetizers Tuesday evening at 5:30, at a location to be announced. We'll share discussion notes with those of you who attend. Contact Mauricio Espinoza with questions. Mauricio Espinoza

Retiree Update: Jim Evans

Jim and Marlene Evans send their best from the Illinois prairie where they continue to enjoy their rural home. Daughter Dena and husband Bruce live nearby while son Lynn and his family live in southern Tennessee and son Loren and his family in southern  Indiana. A family popcorn project emerged after Jim retired in 1995, continuing an interest his father had pursued throughout his farming career.  Their small-scale operation serves a niche that features gourmet varieties of colored popcorn.

Jim's profession-related interests include the Agricultural Communications Documentation Center. It is an international resource and service housed in the University of Illinois Library. As a volunteer associate, he helps identify documents of interest, process citations into the online-searchable database and coordinate a monthly e-newsletter. The collection contains nearly 42,000 documents at this 35th anniversary year. Jim remains amazed by the literature of this field and encouraged by the growing research agenda. He also continues to enjoy contacts with students, faculty, alumni and others.

A couple of special thoughts come to Jim's mind for your consideration:

  • Would you like to find a home for some of your professional papers and your collection of materials related to agricultural communications? Nearly 40 individuals (many of them ACE members) have contributed valued materials to the ACDC collection.
  • Would you like to consider serving as a volunteer associate in the Center? They have a dedicated core staff, supported by grassroots volunteer teamwork. Volunteer associates can serve from many places and in many ways, tailored to their interests.

Please let Jim know at evansj@illinois.edu or 217-684-2354 if you would like to visit about these and other possibilities.

ACE Member Publishes Pennsylvania History Book

Ellen Maurer, retired from the University of Wisconsin-Madison is celebrating the publication of her new Pennsylvania history book, Snicklefritz.

Ellen writes, "You can go to the website to see the book and read three excerpts. It will also take you to Amazon, which now lets people review the whole interior and even search for names throughout the book." 

The 8-1/2 x 11, 500-page book, was 10 years in the making and has more than 1,000 illustrations including historic photos, documents, diaries, and love letters. Contact Ellen at eamaurer@wisc.edu.

Newsletter editor: Suzanne Steel. Send submissions, upcoming webinars and ideas to steel.7@osu.edu. Contributors this issue: Brad Beckman, Courtney Meyers, Donna Sheffield, Bob Furbee, Beth Raney, Ellen Maurer, Jim Evans

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