Committees
ACN Committee Descriptions
ACN committees actively advance our goals of growth and professional development for the profession.
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This committee is chaired by the ACN president-elect and includes the current president, up to five past presidents (as much or as little as each individual wants to stay involved), and an affiliate member appointed by the chair and current president. They are a think tank for the organization. They work closely with the board of directors and other committees, because the Advisory Committee’s strategic direction and “advice” can cross all areas of the organization. They are typically responsible for working with staff to lead the strategic planning process and provide initial thought and direction on cross-committee initiatives.
This committee is chaired by the president-elect and is charged with working with the ACN executive director to ensure proper fiscal responsibility for ACN and the Professional Improvement Foundation. He/she reviews the annual review/audit of ACN and reviews other reports on the financial health of the organization. This chair has electronic access to all ACN financial reports.
The Nominating Committee consists of the current president (chair) and the immediate past president. This committee makes member recommendations to the board – with the assistance of staff and other advisers – for president-elect and other new board positions.
The Ag Media Summit Committee coordinates the location, program and sponsorship opportunities for the annual event held in the summer. ACN members can serve on the AMS Sponsorship or Program Committee and assist with those committee needs.
There are three ACN representatives on the AMS Steering Committee each year, typically designated as the past president, the current president, and another appointed ACN member. Every other year, one of these also serves as the AMS Steering Committee chair (in off years, the chair is a Livestock Publications Council representative). The years that ACN holds the Steering Committee chair position, then ACN also holds the AMS Program Committee chair position.
The chair guides the organization’s Design Awards program including reviewing and updating categories and guidelines, ensuring the quality and consistency of the program, and addressing concerns. He/she works closely with the awards program manager to accomplish these goals. He/she should also help publicize the awards program and encourage members to participate. The committee will create the script and presentation for the ceremony at Ag Media Summit. The chair typically serves as the presenter for the awards at the ACN Awards Program during Ag Media Summit. The chair may also be tasked with other duties as they relate to design professional development for members, including recommendations for professional development sessions at Ag Media Summit and other meetings.
The chair guides the organization’s Digital & Social Media Awards program including reviewing and updating categories and guidelines, ensuring the quality and consistency of the program, and addressing concerns. He/she works closely with the awards program manager to accomplish these goals. He/she should also help publicize the awards program and encourage members to participate. The committee will create the script and presentation for the ceremony at Ag Media Summit. The chair typically serves as presenter for the awards at the ACN awards program during Ag Media Summit.
The chair guides the organization’s MarComm Awards program, including reviewing and updating categories and guidelines, ensuring program quality and consistency, and addressing concerns. He/she works closely with the awards program manager to accomplish these goals. He/she should also help publicize the awards program and encourage members to participate. The committee will create the script and presentation for the ceremony at Ag Media Summit. The chair typically serves as presenter for the awards at the ACN awards program during Ag Media Summit.
The chair guides the organization’s Photography Awards program, including reviewing and updating categories and guidelines, ensuring the quality and consistency of the program, and addressing concerns. He/she works closely with the awards program manager to accomplish these goals. He/she should also help publicize the awards program and encourage members to participate. The committee will create the script and presentation for the ceremony at Ag Media Summit. The chair typically serves as presenter for the awards at the ACN awards program during Ag Media Summit.
The chair guides the organization’s Writing Awards program, including reviewing and updating categories and guidelines, ensuring the quality and consistency of the program, and addressing concerns. He/she works closely with the awards program manager to accomplish these goals. He/she should also help publicize the awards program and encourage members to participate. The committee will create the script and presentation for the ceremony at Ag Media Summit. The chair typically serves as presenter for the awards at the ACN awards program during Ag Media Summit.
The committee works closely with staff to coordinate the newsletter’s editorial content. Specifically, with content for the professional development and social media sections, member profiles and other features.
Inclusion is vital to communicate an authentic, complete and fair representation of agriculture in the United States. Diversity complements discovery, and agricultural communications becomes stronger when its members embrace the inherent differences connected to gender, race, socio-economic standing, ideology, experience and education. The mission of the Diversity Advancement Committee is to listen to and convey these perspectives in order to help lead food and farming forward.
This committee’s purpose is to encourage and promote undergraduate interest in ag journalism and communications, specifically by working with advisers of Ag Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) chapters across the country. The chair assists in reviewing curriculum as requested and may participate in the annual ACT conference. The committee is responsible for the application process and selection of the ACN/ACT Past Presidents Scholarship and James Evans Scholarship recipients. This includes working with staff to update the application form, making funding recommendations, and interviewing finalists at the Ag Media Summit to select the James Evans Scholarship recipient. The committee also organizes other programs for students, including student ACN members.
This committee serves as a liaison between ACN and the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ), of which every ACN member is a member. The committee chair typically serves a 3-year term to provide continuity between ACN and IFAJ. He/she is a member of the IFAJ Executive Committee and as such, attends the biannual IFAJ Executive Committee meetings, held in January and during the IFAJ Congress. The chair (or, if the chair delegates, the committee members) should communicate IFAJ news to members, increase interest in the organization and its programs, and encourage members to attend the IFAJ Congress and participate in its activities. This committee is also responsible for developing contacts and fostering relationships with journalists in countries that are not necessarily part of IFAJ.
This committee is responsible for the nomination process and selection of the ACN Distinguished Service Award, ACN Lifetime Achievement Award, and ACN Fellows. This committee oversees the ACN archives held at the University of Illinois and other duties related to the history of ACN. This committee may also develop new programs to recognize both current and retired members.
The Member Services Committee is responsible for developing professional development ideas and programs outside of the annual Ag Media Summit. This can involve activities such as regional meetings and webinars. The chair works closely with other committees to ensure members’ professional development needs are met.
In addition, this committee has Special Interest Group subcommittees to serve the diverse ACN community. They include editorial, freelancer, MarComm, photography, regional workshops, and young professionals.
To recruit/retain/renew current and potential members of the ACN. This committee will also be responsible for providing direction and feedback on member services and on how well the association markets itself.
This committee recommends to the board regarding issues affecting partner members and includes the two ACN board members representing partner members. The chair and committee members may also be tasked with other duties related to partner member professional development, including recommendations for professional development sessions at Ag Media Summit and other meetings.
Special Interest Groups serve as a community within the Ag Communicators Network for people with a common interest, profession or knowledge.
Special Interest Groups serve as a community within the Ag Communicators Network for people with a common interest, profession or knowledge.
Special Interest Groups serve as a community within the Ag Communicators Network for people with a common interest, profession or knowledge.
Special Interest Groups serve as a community within the Ag Communicators Network for people with a common interest, profession or knowledge.
Special Interest Groups serve as a community within the Ag Communicators Network for people with a common interest, profession or knowledge.
This committee works closely with staff to solicit sponsors to support the organization’s ongoing programs and to build relationships with partner members.