My name is Susan Kistler, the American Evaluation Association’s Executive Director, and I’m posting a bonus contribution this week. This is the perfect time to reflect and thank all of those who have made 2012 a banner year for aea365.
Lesson Learned – Leadership Is Key: This year, June Gothberg served as the lead curator for aea365 for much of the year. June helped us to double the number of sponsored weeks, laid the foundation for building an ongoing relationship with Statistics Without Borders, and introduced us all to the Guskey Community of Practice. June did it all expertly, with enthusiasm and with tact. And, June contributed one of the top 10 aea365 posts of all time: Creating Presentations Potent for All. Thank you June!
Lesson Learned – Evaluators Are Generous: Over 300 individuals shared their knowledge and expertise via aea365 during 2012. Check out the aea365 archives at any time to read any of this year’s past contributions (or even those from 2011 or 2010). Thank you authors!
Lesson Learned – aea365 Brings People Together: It has served as the icebreaker for conversations, “I read your post last month!” As the jumping off point for weaving networks, “Do you know Karen? She wrote a great piece for aea365 about that. Let me introduce you.” And as a way to draw out the secrets of some of our more reticent colleagues, “You don’t need to write a long article, just share what you told me, in your own voice. I know others would find it useful.”
As I have written before, I’ll be stepping down as AEA’s Executive Director in the spring of 2013. When I look back on my nearly 15 years with the association, aea365 is the program I am most proud of having been part of bringing to fruition. Thank you to everyone who has made it happen, whether as writer, reader, curator, commenter, or even critic. I am deeply appreciative.
Susan, thanks to your stewardship, AEA is becoming the standard against which other professional associations will be measured.