NCACE’s annual business meeting was convened at 12:25pm on May 2, 2023 by Jane Matthews, NCACE President. Executive team and committees stood to be recognized. Jane shared many thanks.
Motion to approve 2022 business meeting minutes was made by Lee Brown. Seconded by Kathleen Fenner. Motion passed.
Dana Hutchens delivered treasurer’s report. While the checking account has a lot of money now,
accounts payable from the conference will be due afterward, which means it will reduce soon when those accounts are paid. NCACE is in good financial shape.
New Business
Two constitutional amendments, one to Section 1 and the other to Section 3-B, were proposed as follows:
PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO SECTION 1:
The Executive Board Officers shall be a President, Past-President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Past-Treasurer, and a minimum of 4 Regional Reps (1 West, 1 East, 2 Central) with a maximum of six representatives, 2 per region. The duties and responsibilities of each officer shall be described by the President.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO SECTION 3-B:
The terms of the Secretary and the Regional Representatives shall be two years. The Regional
Representatives shall serve alternating terms such that if there are two representatives from the region one will be the incumbent and the other will be newly elected. The term of Treasurer shall be three years, with the third year of the term serving as Past-Treasurer. The Secretary shall be elected in odd numbered years; the Treasurer, in even numbered years. The Treasurer shall be bonded by a recognized bonding agency in an amount to be established by the Executive Committee.
A motion to pass both amendments was by Jenny Sloop Johnson. Seconded by Lori Sykes. Motion passed.
NCACE Year in Review
Jane delivered the NCACE Year in Review, which included highlights of
• Improved transparency on how to get involved in the organization
• Streamlined systems for the organization: updated website, membership platform, and Google Drive
• Made proposed changes to the Treasurer’s role to improve efficiency, workload, and checks & balances
• Officially kicked off NCACE Affinity Groups
Committee Updates
Secretary’s Update - Deanna Knighton, Duke University
We now have a Google Workspace tied to NCACE, and we pay for the storage each month. Each executive board role and each committee has a folder to use. In the past, we’ve used Dropbox and options housed within a specific university. Now, we have our own, and it also comes with use of Google Meet, which is handy if we need to host a meeting of 100 people. We have 30 GB of storage, too.
Eastern Region - Angie Walston, Barton College & Lee Brown, East Carolina University
• Fall 2022 Webinar: Defining the Enrollment Cliff. Expert panel to share information about the looming enrollment cliff - what it is and how it may affect your organization.
○ 11 members in attendance○ Recording shared in the December issue of The Flying ACE newsletter
• Sponsored a Roundtable Session on Defining the Enrollment Cliff on the first day of the Annual Conference
Central Region - Cierra Wilson, Blue Cross Blue Shield NC & Roderick Lewis, UNC-Chapel Hill
● Hosted Employer Site Visit at the Clorox Company for members to learn about recruitment opportunities, best practices for partnering with HBCUs and networking.
● Partnered with UNC’s C3 Community to unpack ways in which employers and career professionals can create a culture of belonging for students in a hybrid environment.
Western Region - Candice McPhatter, Amazon & Marcus Sanderlin, Wake Forest University
Staying true to the market, the Western Region Reps embraced a hybrid strategy for regional engagement. We began the year with a virtual experience and held an in-person session to close the year. Across both events, we strived to highlight market trends and insights, while fostering high energy and dynamic conversations.
● Fall: Engaging Diverse Talent Early: What's the Secret Sauce?!? (Virtual)
● Spring: Power Pivot -- Helping Students Navigate Toward their Ideal Career in an Ambiguous Job Marketplace.
Conference - Cate Marshall, UNC-Asheville & Geralyn Mitchell Jordan, Appalachian State University
● 12 breakout sessions & 17 roundtables
● 200 registrants
● 4 conference scholarships awarded
● SPONSORSHIP: $21,000 from lead/gold/silver/bronze sponsors, $500 for the college scholarship staff fund, $3000 for the student scholarship fund, and $500 for printing programs
● 1st-Ever Employer Expo!
○ Stop by tomorrow to connect and learn more about these organizations!
● Sponsors were recognized and thanked.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - Keyara Stevenson, NC A&T State University; Milena Offredo, Verizon Wireless; & Sarah Wild, HCL Technologies
● Surveyed NCACE members to gather insights and goals and establish Affinity groups for the year
● Presented DEI Webinar "Find Your Community in Affinity Groups"
● Launched Affinity groups in January for HBCU, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and Professional with Disabilities
● DEI mixer held yesterday evening for current and prospective Affinity group members
Leadership Institute - Lori Sykes, Wake Forest University; Alison Doherty, Elon University; Amy Bull, Wake Forest University; & Courtney Sullivan, Duke University
● Held March 9-10, 2023 in Greensboro, NC
● 21 participants representing 15 colleges and universities
● Topics discussed include Leadership vs Management, Navigating Difficult Conversations, Navigating Office Politics, DEI workshop, Panel Discussion: Leadership in Times of Change, TruMotivate Assessment
Membership - Sue Brien, Duke University & Ashley Turner, Belk
Current Active Members: 318
● Employer: 28
● College or University: 286
● Other: 4
Mentor Program - Lori Brasile, UNC-Charlotte & Jenny Sloop Johnson, Duke University
● Quotes were shared from mentor/mentee survey.
● 14 mentor/mentee pairs in the 2022-2023 year
● improvements for 2023-2024: additional early communication about role of mentee and mentor in setting agenda for monthly conversations
Newsletter - Leslie Rand-Pickett, NC State University
● Monthly newsletters sent to membership using the Wild Apricot platform
● Submissions accepted via a Google form that is shared with Social Media and Website teams
● Highest readership for September and February issues
Philanthropy - Sara Concini, NC State University & Katie Wohlman, Lenoir-Rhyne University
● Raised $300: Holiday donation drive/competition to support Nourish NC, a Wilmington-based not-for-profit whose mission is: Providing Hungry children with healthy food – empowering them to succeed in the classroom and in their community. Kudos to the Western Region winners!
● Conference Philanthropy project: provide items or monetary donations for Host Homes, a Raleigh-based not-for-profit that supports college students who are in housing transition/unhoused with supplies to 'spruce up' a temporary or permanent residence.
Professional Development - Nadia Chamberlin, Duke University & Katie Freedman, Queens University
● Conference Professional Development Highlights:
○ 4 Employer site visits: Enterprise, Pendo, NC Museum of Natural Sciences, and Duke Energy
○ 12 Breakout sessions approved for NBCC credits
● Congratulations to this year’s scholarship recipients!
○ Graduate Students:
- Lee Anne Tourigny, Graduate Assistant: Coordinator for Disability Outreach, UNC-Charlotte
- Courtney Blackstock, Graduate Intern, Career Development Center, Appalachian State University
- Kirstin Sheldon, Graduate Assistant Career Coach, University Career Center, UNC- Charlotte
○ Professional Development:
- Ruth V. Brown, Employee Relations Specialist, North Carolina Central University
Social Media
● In August 2022, social media team launched a new branding palette to unify NCACE brand among all social media platforms and website. This branding guide is part of a strategy to strengthen brand awareness and build membership for the organization.
● We have increased use of social media to market regional events and organization updates, and we are currently reviewing new tools to streamline activity for 2023-2024.
Technology + Website
● Transitioned membership process to Wild Apricot
● Launched conference registration through Wild Apricot
● Activated payments through the website
● Continue to build out the website to offer resources and opportunities to members
Research & Policy - Patrick Madsen, UNC-Charlotte & Catherine Allen, Duke University
● Compiled research articles relevant to NCACE constituents
● Created page on NCACE.org highlighting relevant research and resources
● Identified additional committee volunteers with a shared interest in research and policy
● If you are interested in being part of the committee for next year, please reach out to Kathleen Fenner.
Operations Academy - Courtney Mulveney, NC State University
2023 Participants: 9 Accepted
● The NCACE Operations Academy is an experience that begins in May with virtual trainings and ends with a late July in-person working session.
● The academy provides professionals currently employed at a career center with a deeper understanding of strategic planning, operations, budgeting, and human resource management with the context of a career center through a simulated experience.
Director’s Summit - Patrick Madsen, UNC-Charlotte & Brooke Buffington, Elon University
● Held at Elon University on Friday, December 16th
● The Directors' Summit is a great opportunity for "career directors" from across the State of North Carolina (colleges, universities, and community colleges) to gather with the intent of sharing information, developing a strong network of career colleagues, and hearing from professionals in the field.
● Sessions included topics on influencing social change in our profession, building a talent pipeline for our offices, and staff retention and office culture.
2023 Awards - Christy Curts, Central Piedmont Community College; Patrick Madsen, UNC-Charlotte; Caitlin Gangi Rost, Fifth Third Bank; Dana Hutchens, Wake Forest University; & Meredith Oakley, East Carolina University
● Innovation Award
o University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s University Career Center
o Accepted by Michelle Wann at UNC-Charlotte.
● Outstanding Employer
o Novant Health
● Outstanding Professional
o David Earnhardt, UNC-Asheville
● Furney K. James Outstanding Service Award
o Allison Binkley, UNC-Chapel Hill
● Presidential Recognition Award
o Travis Wright, Novant Health
Presidency passed to Kathleen, and she presented Jane with a token of appreciation.
Motion to approve slate of officers was made by Dana Hutchens. Seconded by Jenny Sloop Johnson. Motion passed.
Thank you to Belk for sponsoring lunch.
Motion to adjourn was made by Sara Concini. Seconded by Ashley Turner. Motion passed. Meeting was adjourned at 1:16pm.