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Trace Informal Welcome to Monday Briefing, a weekly digest from ACPE Executive Director Trace Haythorn

Each week, you will receive related articles, updates on ACPE transitions, and helpful links to keep you connected, better informed, and well-resourced for the week ahead.
The Organizational Redesign Process Continues!  For those who attended the annual meeting, you participated in a two-day process led by Donna Dunn and Glenn Tecker of Tecker International that continues to unfold. As described at the conference, the Board of Representatives through the Organizational Design Work Group (ODWG) needs your input on three models that have evolved from this work. We want to know what you think are the advantages and disadvantages of each (much like what we asked of participants at tables at the conference).
 
We will keep the survey open for a month, sending reminders along the way. Once closed, members of the ODWG will summarize the feedback and make a recommendation to the Board based on that feedback for a model to serve the association as we imagine the next generation of our work. The final model will incorporate the feedback from the surveys, and the summary will be provided to the membership to keep the process transparent.
 
Once the Board makes their decision (hopefully in August), we will work with our attorney to make the necessary changes to our bylaws. The revised bylaws will then be circulated to the membership for comment and review, leading to a vote prior to the national leadership meetings in November. In the meantime, if you have questions feel free to reach out to David Carl, Chair of the ODWG or Carlos Bell, President of the Board of Representatives.
 
Thank you for your thoughtful engagement of this process! To complete the survey, please click here: SURVEY.
Some Feedback from the National Conference:  When all was said and done, over 450 people attended our national meeting in Denver, with another 60 joining us virtually on Friday for our morning work session and the member meeting. For those who attended the workshop and responded to the evaluation, 90% rated the experience as good, very good or excellent, with at least 1/3 ranking the experience as excellent. The positive comments sounded much like this response: "Hard work but necessary for our organization. Well managed and paced. Good leadership by the consultants." Negative responses tended to feel the work and/or process was too laborious without enough breaks. Some participants struggled to make connections between the process and their own work in their center, wanting more explicit ties to change leadership.
 
People were deeply appreciative of Carlos Bell's installation as president as well as his inspiring address. His refrain of "the power of we" helped galvanize the shared and participatory nature of the work from the previous days.
 
The Foundation for ACPE donors who gathered for a reception on Wednesday night also noted how inspiring their gathering was, especially after an anonymous donor offered a $5000 matching grant for the night. In other words, the gathering was challenged to raise an additional $5000 before the reception ended. By the end of the gathering, an additional $18,000 were raised for a total of $23,000 towards this year's annual campaign!
 
Participants tended to appreciate Denver as a conference site, though many wanted more time to explore the city. The hotel was a little confusing in terms of its layout, but the staff and the support of our national office helped people overcome some logistical frustrations.  It goes without saying that we simply could not make an event as large and complex happen without the incredible volunteer leadership and support of our colleagues from the South Central Region. Thanks to Stu Plummer and his team for all they did to make this event such a success. And while I'm at it, so much both seen and unseen is done by Terry Izaguirre and the national office staff. We are blessed to have such a talented, dedicated and delightful group of people who are so deeply committed to serving our association.
Congratulations Bill Gaventa!  So many of our members give of their time and resources to their local communities, their educational institutions, and to national nonprofits. We are excited to share one such story. Bill Gaventa, currently of Waco, TX, has been elected as President of the Board of Directors for the American Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD). AAIDD's mission is to promote "progressive policies, sound research, effective practices, and universal human rights for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities." It is a delight to know that ACPE is represented by one of our own as president of another national association. To learn more about Bill, click here .

Are you serving in a national leadership position with another nonprofit or association? Let us know so we can celebrate your good work with our colleagues as well!
A Poem for the Moment: " The Summer Day", by Mary Oliver.
The humidity and the temperature have both reached uncomfortable levels here in Atlanta and whenever we reach this time of year, I'm always reminded of Mary Oliver's poem. It seems like the ideal poem for so many students in their first hit of CPE. It seems even more important as we wonder together about the life and the future of our association.
A Link for Your Reflection:  For those who grew up listening to Simon & Garfunkel, and for those who just love a good song with some depth to it, give this a  read/listen .
The horrific events in Orlando are counter to everything ACPE strives to teach and support. May divine wisdom break through the grief of this moment, leading our communities, our nation and our world into a new day, one free of violence and hatred, one rooted in love, peace, hope and joy.
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