ACN elected new and returning board members in June.

Board President Shailushi Ritchie, founder and CEO of Sevah Consulting, shares thoughts on our growth in members from across the U.S. and Canada and plans for the coming year. 

You might be wondering what ACN's Board and Committees are working on for our membership this year. Here's a teaser:

• We experienced exceptional membership growth outside Chicago. This is great for our national visibility and presence, but also poses challenges in delivering programming, supporting networking, and creating community among all members.
• Program committee is exploring ways for all of ACN's programming to reach members outside the Chicago area. We'd love it if members, particularly those outside Chicago, who might be interested in helping to develop this approach join the team!
• Save the date and plan to join us October 20, 2022 to celebrate our ability to return to in-person events. We would love it if our outside-of-Chicago members could join us, but there will also be a meaningful way for anyone who is not attending in person to participate. (Please do reach out to Program committee members if you're interested in helping.)
• Our AJEDI (Access, Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) work continues. The Board has committed funds to start the work on the equity, inclusion, and diversity challenges we are aware of and to identify those we aren't aware of.
• We continue to explore ways to partner with nonprofits and agencies that serve nonprofits, including community foundations and state nonprofit associations. This is another area where we invite interested members to support the work and help ACN foster connections in different areas of the country.
• Communication committee and our association management firm are working overtime to share news, information, and announcements. I especially want to raise up Tricia Fusilero’s video profiles of members - did you know we have a YouTube page? The team has been keeping our website updated, social media posts at the top of our feeds, and more.

We have amazing leadership in the Board of Directors, Committee Chairs, and volunteer members making ACN's vision come to life.

As the Board President, I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has worked to make ACN what it is and who are offering their time and expertise to take it into its next phase. Thank you!