2019 Accomplishments, Board Member Spotlight
2019 has been a busy year for ITGA; a year that gives me hope because of the dedication of our members. Many of you volunteered to serve on committees and shared your ideas, strategies and experiences. As a result, this has helped to nurture ITGA's mission of strengthening town-gown communities worldwide.

This upcoming year will be the most important year for ITGA as we face uncertainties in our communities. Thank you for the work you do on a daily basis and for your dedication to ITGAl

Remember to Save the Date: ITGA Connects: Courageous Conversations series will launch July 15th from noon-1:00pm (EDT). The first discussion will be facilitated by the People of Color Affinity Group. For questions, contact Beth@itga.org . Registration will open July 1st. This is free for ITGA members.

Below are some of the accomplishments we made in 2019, advancing the strategies outlined in Strategic Growth Opportunities :

  • Launched and structured new committees to support the work of ITGA including: the Student Advisory Committee; Small Towns and Small Colleges Affinity Group; and the Membership Committee.

  • The ITGA Outreach Committee launched a student intern program to benefit both the student experience as well as ITGA organizational needs. Funding was provided by campus work-study or related programs.

  • Partnered with ICMA and the NLC University Communities Council to advocate for assistance from Congress regarding the negative economic impacts of COVID-19 and a challenging 2020 Census Count.

  • Launched 2020 Census Webinars and fostered ongoing communication with the U.S. Census Bureau in an effort to provide members updated information.

  • Created "ITGA Connects 2020" calls on essential campus-and-community topics.

  • Through ITGA Data Digest, Janet Lillie, Ph.D, MSU, and Joelle Brown, M.A., IU, facilitated four focus groups to determine the impacts of COVID-19 in town-gown environments. See report.

  • Renamed the ITGA newsletter: Campus-Community Connections (or C3). Congratulations Douglas Shontz, State College, for winning the contest.

  • Through the Great Plays grant, ITGA funded 10 universities reducing the harmful effects of alcohol.

  • Hosted our first 2020 Virtual Conference. See program here.

ITGA's fiscal year goes from July 1 to June 30. We will continue to raise the profile of ITGA in the coming year. We want to hear your voice. Have ideas for ITGA? Contact Beth@itga.org .
Board Member Spotlight: Dr. Michael Fox
Michael Fox, Ph.D., Mount Allison University, has served two terms as Board of Director, New Brunswick, Canada. He has worked in the field of post-secondary teaching, research and administration for over 30 years. His teaching and research have focused on university-community relations, community planning and municipal affairs. One of my favorite books, Town & Gown: From Conflict to Cooperation, has served as a reference in my office for years. Other must-reads include the Studentification Guide for North America , co-authored with Professor Darren Smith, and Chapter 2 in the New American College Town: Fostering and Effective Town-Gown Relationship: Eight Leading Practices from ITGA . When asked about his tenure, "I can't believe I've been on the Board so long...but have enjoyed every minute of it. I deeply appreciate the role that ITGA has gained - and earned, in so many communities across North America and beyond." We will miss you Michael and applaud your accomplishments, past, present and future! Beth Bagwell, ITGA Executive Director
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Correction : Last week's press release was written by Laura Hobbs, Senior, DePaul University