SACE/SWACE MERGER UPDATE

SACE/SWACE MERGER UPDATE: (as of 04/30/2007)

Merger Vote Announcement | Major Milestones in 2007 | 2006-07 Merger Task Force Members | Task Force Action Items & Assignments | Merger Background Information

2007-08 SoACE Board Elected and Logo Adopted!

We are pleased to announce the inaugural Board of Directors for the Southern Association of Colleges and Employers (SoACE):

2007-08 SoACE Board of Directors

Karen Thompson, University of North Carolina Wilmington, President

Donnie Brown, Tindall Corporation, President-Elect

Matt Berndt, University of Texas at Austin, Past President/Secretary

Jeff Wetherald, Sherwin-Williams Company, Past President

Patricia Blum, University of North Alabama, Director - Finance

Curt Schafer, Texas State University-San Marcos, Director - External Relations and Communication

Toni McLawhorn, Roanoke College, Director - Professional Development

Dana Smith, Lockheed-Martin Space Systems, Director – Employer

Nash Montgomery, Norfolk State University, Director – College

Jay Killough, Texas Tech University, Director – Technology

Additionally, we would like to unveil the logo for our new association:

The logo is included below, and depending upon your email system and software, may appear as an attachment or may even be blocked by your email system. If it does not display, you can view the logo by clicking this link:
http://swace.org/office/soace4.jpg

This logo was selected from more than 20 submissions and received the unanimous support and endorsement of the SACE and SWACE Boards.

MERGER UPDATE: Elections for first SoACE Board of Directors Underway

The SACE and SWACE Board of Directors unanimously approved the 2007-2008 SoACE Slate of Officers presented by the Nominations Committee.

Individuals listed below in plain type are directors who are continuing terms they began as members, respectively, of the 2006-07 SACE and SWACE Boards. Individuals listed in bold type and marked with an asterisk will appear on the slate which SACE and SWACE members will be receiving during March 2007. Paper ballots have been mailed to members in good standing of SACE and SWACE. Completed ballots are due back no later than April 12, 2007. The results of the election will be announced shortly thereafter.

Proposed 2007-08 SoACE Board of Directors

Karen Thompson, University of North Carolina Wilmington, President

Donnie Brown, Tindall Corporation, President-Elect*

Matt Berndt, University of Texas at Austin, Past President/Secretary

Jeff Wetherald, Sherwin-Williams Company, Past President

Patricia Blum, University of North Alabama, Director - Finance

Curt Schafer, Texas State University-San Marcos, Director - External Relations and Communication*

Toni McLawhorn, Roanoke College, Director - Professional Development*

Dana Smith, Lockheed-Martin Space Systems, Director – Employer*

Nash Montgomery, Norfolk State University, Director – College

Jay Killough, Texas Tech University, Director – Technology

SACE/SWACE Merger Approved! Nominations Sought for 2007-08 SoACE Board of Directors

The Plan of Merger – to merge SACE into SWACE, effective July 1, 2007, creating a new association called the Southern Association of College and Employers (SouthernACE) and converting all SACE and SWACE memberships to SouthernACE memberships – was approved by an aggregate vote of 94% For and 5.5% Against.

Following is a detailed accounting of how votes were cast in SACE and SWACE:

SACE

92% For (248 votes)

8% Against (21 votes)

SWACE

98% For (149 votes)

1% Against (2 votes)

1% Abstain (1 vote)

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2007-08 SoACE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

We have set up a link to an online tool to submit nominations for the open Board positions for the inaugural SouthernACE (SoACE) Board. This link will permit members to nominate any eligible member from either SACE or SWACE for the open positions in the 2007-2008 term. Open positions for this election were determined by comparing the two boards, seeing which multi-term positions were ending this year or in the subsequent year and determining whether any term overlap in like positions existed. It was important to ensure the terms of office would allow the election to yield a range of experience on the Board as well as a reasonable representation of former SACE and SWACE members on the new Board.

Please note that current SACE President-Elect Karen Thompson will be the inaugural President of SoACE. Current SWACE President-Elect Kasey Arceri, who was to assume the role of President in the 2008-2009 term, will be stepping down. This adds the position of President-Elect to this year’s ballot. In addition, the following SACE and SWACE Board members are in the middle of multi-year board terms and will complete their terms in the following like positions:

Patricia Blum

SACE VP of Finance as SoACE Director of Finance

Jay Killough

SWACE Technology Director as SoACE Director of Technology

Nash Montgomery

SACE VP of Membership as SoACE Director of College Membership

Therefore, the following positions will be elected for the 2007-2008 term:

o President Elect (3-year term – President Elect, President, & Past President)

o Employer Director (1-year term)

o Director of External Relations & Communication (2-year term)

o Director of Professional Development (2-year term)

To submit nominations for the SouthernACE Board of Directors, please go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?A=170781290E54596.

The deadline to submit nominations is February 9, 2007.

Membership Vote on SoACE By-Laws Pending in November 2006

Following a vote of confidence by the members of both associations in 2005, the SACE and SWACE Boards agreed unanimously in June 2006 to proceed with the merger of SACE and SWACE to form the Southern Association of College and Employers (SoACE or Southern ACE).

Merger Task Forces were chartered and, with the assistance of legal counsel, they developed by-laws and operating procedures for SoACE and an implementation process for merging our two associations. In October 2006 the SACE and SWACE Boards reviewed and approved these by-laws.

Our next step toward the creation of SoACE is the vote by the SACE and SWACE membership on the SoACE by-laws. To proceed with the merger and the creation of SoACE, members of both associations must vote to adopt these by-laws.

Following are links to the SoACE Bylaws and to the Organizational Structure endorsed by the Merger Task Force and the SACE and SWACE Boards:

SoACE By-laws

SoACE Organizational Structure

In November 2006, SACE and SWACE members with paid 2006-07 membership (as of November 17^th) will receive a paper ballot and postage paid return envelope via U.S. Postal mail. Members are asked to review the SoACE by-laws and complete and return their ballot, in the postage paid envelope provided by December 22, 2006.

In mid-January 2007, SACE President Jeff Wetherald and SWACE President Matt Berndt will communicate the results of the by-laws vote in a joint communication to both organizations.

January 15 - Results of By-laws Vote officially announced to SACE and SWACE members

February 8 - SoACE Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) presented to the SACE and SWACE Board for review and approval

February 15 - Proposed SoACE Officers and Directors presented to General SACE and SWACE membership for vote

March 15 - 2007-08 SoACE Officers and Directors Election Results Notification

July 1 - SACE and SWACE officially merge and become the Southern Association of Colleges and Employers (SoACE)

Following is a list of merger-related action items and the Task Force members charged with leading the efforts toward completing each action item. If you have specific questions or input you would like addressed or included by the Task Force, please contact the Task Force Members assigned to each Task directly via email (email addresses above).

Nomination of 2007-08 SoACE Officers and Directors............................... Randy & Tracy

Scope of Services Contract with Baldwin-Hunt Associates........................Karen & Kasey

2007-08 Operating Budget.....................................................................Patricia & Steve

Selection of Accounting Firm..................................................................Patricia & Steve

SoACE Logo Competition........................................................................Randy & Toni

Development of SoACE Website..............................................................Patsy & Tony

President....................................................................................Karen & Kasey

President-Elect............................................................................Tracy & Toni

Past President.............................................................................Patricia & Steve

Director – Finance........................................................................Patricia & Steve

Director – Technology...................................................................Patsy & Tony

Director – Eternal Relations and Communication..................................Patsy & Tony

Director – Professional Development.................................................Tracy & Toni

Director – Employer.......................................................................Karen & Kasey

Director – College.........................................................................Karen & Kasey

Awards.......................................................................................Patsy & Tony

By-Laws.....................................................................................Karen & Kasey

Conference.................................................................................Karen & Kasey

Consulting Services.......................................................................Patsy & Tony

Diversity.....................................................................................Tracy & Toni

Finance......................................................................................Patricia & Steve

Historian......................................................................................Patricia & Steve

Marketing & Communication.............................................................Patsy & Tony

Membership – Employer...................................................................Karen & Kasey

Membership – Four-Year Colleges..................................................... Karen & Kasey

Membership – Two-Year Colleges..................................................... Karen & Kasey

Nominations..................................................................................Patsy & Tony

Professional Development................................................................Randy & Toni

Research......................................................................................Patsy & Tony

Site Selection...............................................................................Karen & Kasey

State Association Liaison................................................................Randy & Toni

Strategic Planning..........................................................................Karen & Kasey

Technology...................................................................................Patsy & Tony

The following downloadable documents chronicle the history of the deliberations and recommendations that have lead to the vote to merge SACE and SWACE into a new Southern Association of College and Employers (SACE)

The BOND Report (2003)– First presented in 2003, the BOND (Building Our New Direction) Report was the result of the collaborative efforts of all of the ACEs to strategically look at our profession and make recommendations regarding association structure, management, programs and activities that would most benefit our profession and promote the ongoing viability and relevance of the Regional ACEs and NACE.

2005-06 SACE-SWACE Merger Task Force June 2006 Report – In June 2006, the 2005-06 SACE-SWACE Merger Task Force presented this report to a joint meeting of the SACE and SWACE Boards. This report represented of summary of their research, finding and recommendations with regard to merging SACE and SWACE in SoACE.

The 2005-06 Merger Task Force included Marcia Harris (UNC Chapel Hill), Denise Dwight Smith (UNC Charlotte), Patsy Hammett (Milliken), and Tony Michaels (Burlington Industries-retired) from SACE and Tony Magaro (Southwest Research Institute), Theres Steifer (University of Arkansas), Lois Berggren (IBM-retired) and Daniel Orozco (Texas A&M University)

2005-06 Task Force Recommendations – This matrix-like document provides a detailed accounting of the work completed and recommendations made by the 2005-06 Merger Task Force.

Draft Standard Operating Procedures for SouthernACE – This draft set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) was created by the 2005-06 Merger Task Force and is being used by the 2006-07 Task Force as the foundation for the Standard Operating Procedures that will be presented to the SACE and SWACE Boards in the first quarter of 2007 for adoption.

SWACE Town Hall Meeting Presentation – This PowerPoint presentation was used to summarize merger activities to-date for SWACE members and was presented at the June 2006 SWACE Conference in New Orleans as part of a SWACE Town Hall Meeting.

SACE Town Hall Meeting Notes – This document summaries the content of the SACE Town Hall Meeting about the Merger convened at the December 2006 SACE Conference in Atlanta.