Past Regional News from Region 11
News from the November/December 2011 issue of ACCED-I Connections:
Albright College, Reading, PA, dedicated their newly renovated Science Center on Friday October 14, 2011, with keynote speaker, Robert J. Full, University of California at Berkeley, Ph.D. Professor Full is an instructor of Integrative Biology and also director of the Poly-P.E.D.A.L. Laboratory which studies the Performance, Energetics and Dynamics of Animal Locomotion (P.E.D.A.L.) in many-footed creatures.
SUNYIT, Utica, NY, hosted a “Kids in Chaos” conference on Tuesday, October 11, 2011, featuring nationally-renowned public speaker, physician, and author, Gabor Mat̀e. Dr. Mat̀e addresses professional and lay audiences all over North America, and his four books are all Canadian bestsellers, published internationally in nearly twenty languages. His presentation at SUNYIT was an informative talk about how negative experiences during childhood may affect that individual in their adult life. The audience consisted of over 250 parents and professionals from a variety of organizations in central New York.
Lois Kubinak, CCEP, Albright College, PA, will present at the ACCED-I 32nd Annual Conference in Denver, CO, March 25-28, 2012. Her session proposal, Creating a Culture of Excellent Service with your Student Employees, will be an informative presentation for anyone who employs student workers!
On Friday, October 21 Harrisburg Area Community College inaugurated Dr. John J. "Ski" Sygielski. Michael Baker, director of the C. Ted Lick Wildwood Conference Center, coordinated the logistics for all of the catering and outdoor activities including an outdoor reception under a big top tent. The Wildwood Conference Center partnered with the Culinary School to cater the outdoor reception. videos.pennlive.com/.../hacc_president_dr_john_sygiels.html
Lois Kubinak, CCEP, Albright College, PA, is the new Region 11 director-elect! We know that Lois will make a great regional leader for Region 11.
The Region 11 Fall Summit took place at Georgian Court University on October 2-4, 2011. Thanks to Georgian Court University for a great experience! Here you can find feedback from the summit.
New from the June-August issue of ACCED-I Connections:
Congratulations to Michael Baker
Michael Baker, director of the C. Ted Lick Wildwood Conference Center at Harrisburg Area Community College, was appointed to the board of directors for the Middle Pennsylvania Chapter of Meeting Professionals International. He will serve as the vice president of education for the 2011-12 year.
Michael also received the association's "Tomorrow's Leader" award. This award is presented to a member of the chapter who has made contributions to the association at the international and/or chapter level (s). The recipient also reflects the goal of professionalism as stated in the association's strategic plan.
Fall Summit
Save the date for the Region 11 Fall Summit at Georgian Court University in Lakewood, NJ on October 2 - 4, 2011. More information coming in early fall.
News from the April/May issue of ACCED-I Connections:
Albright College, Reading PA - New for Summer 2011 – Visit Albright College for a day … we extend an invitation to our colleagues and friends, along with their staff or student workers to visit Albright College this summer. This is an opportunity for you or your student workers to interact with our staff and discuss common processes and practices in summer conferences. Albright College is located in Greater Reading, PA and within one hour’s drive of Harrisburg, Lancaster, Allentown, about an hour and a half from downtown Philadelphia, and two hours from Baltimore. Our staff will begin training Monday June 13 and welcome any who are interested in visiting our campus until Friday August 12. Please contact Lois Kubinak, CCEP, at lkubinak@alb.edu or (610)914-7840 to arrange a date and time for your visit. We’d love to host you and look forward to receiving ACCED-I visitors this summer!
SUNYIT, Utica, NY - SUNYIT and The Levin Institute at the SUNY Global Center in New York City co-hosted a town hall forum Monday, March 21, 2011, entitled "New York in the World: Our Community, Our Future," on the SUNYIT campus, followed by a reception.The focus of the event was on job creation, a challenge that concerns all stakeholders in the region and in New York State, including students who will be looking for jobs in today’s difficult economic environment, as well as local business leaders adapting to the global context. Levin Institute President Garrick Utley and SUNYIT President Wolf Yeigh chaired and moderated the discussion. The session included a presentation of the results of an extensive research effort on the impact of the global economy on New York State including the Utica/Rome region.The New York in the World project is led by the Levin Institute and consists of ongoing research provided by the Center for an Urban Future and public engagement events, which includes numerous Town Hall style meeting across New York State. This event at SUNYIT was the first of these meetings that will be held through 2011. The New York in the World project is aligned with other efforts in New York and at the State University working to revitalize New York's economy. In his first State of the State address on January 5, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said: "Higher education will be the key economic driver. We look to partner with our great SUNY system, especially across upstate New York in making this a reality." SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher said: "New York in the World represents the continuation of an essential conversation about what we in New York can do to revitalize our economy and reposition our state to create new jobs, spur innovation and global trade, retain talent in our state, and ensure a better tomorrow for future generations."
ACCED-I Region 11 - Region 11 has had many achievements this season! Mary Cranwell, Georgian Court University, is ACCED-I's new president! We wish her well in this capacity and have no doubt that she will be innovative and engaging!
We had four people receive their CCEP certifications, being awarded with all of their peers cheering them on at the Annual Conference in Orlando! They are: Debbie Blackstock, CCEP, Arcadia University; Lois Kubinak, CCEP, Albright College; Kathy Kollar-Valovage, CCEP, Bloomsburg University; and Walt Martin, CCEP, Rowan University!
Mike Baker, HACC, is now serving on the ACCED-I Board of Directors, and we wish him well and have no doubt that he will be as innovative and engaging as Mary Cranwell will be in her role as president!
Our Fall Summit will be held at Georgian Court University on October 2 - 4, 2011, and our ACCED-I President Mary Cranwell, is delighted to have Region 11 at her campus! Stay tuned for more information Region 11!
ACCED-I has a new division of membership now, the Alumni designation, for those conference and events professionals who have retireed from their respective campuses and still want to stay active with ACCED-I. Thank you to Region 11's Jean McCurry for brainstorming with Monica Nesbit Schultz to make this happen! With all these achievements, it is no wonder that Region 11 rocks!!!
C. Ted Lick Wildwood Conference Center - HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College -
The C. Ted Lick Wildwood Conference Center at Harrisburg Area Community College recently completed an Operational & Future Blueprint Analysis. Mike Towers of Towers-Hall LLC (a hospitality industry consulting firm located in Pittsburgh, PA) was employed to review the operations of the Wildwood Conference Center. The goal of the analysis was to review the business plan and then identify ways to improve profitability and increase awareness/usage among college constituents and the community as well as to identify potential renovation/expansion opportunities for the facility. After three months, the analysis was completed on March 31. The final report is being assembled so that an action plan with specific goals, action steps and outcomes can be implemented as part of a new three year business/marketing plan.
News at Region Eleven from the January - March 2011 issue of ACCED-I Connections
Walt Martin to Serve as Regional-Director Elect
I am very pleased to announce that Walt Martin, Rowan University (NJ), has been elected our next Regional Director-Elect in a walloping result over “Write-In Candidate _______________” . There was a little controversy over some alleged votes for W.I.C. submitted using invisible ink, however, after the ACCED-I Central Office determined that an invisible person was not eligible to hold office, the outcome became a foregone conclusion.
Regardless of the opponent (and my attempt at humor), Region 11 is quite lucky to have Walt’s energy, professional experience and commitment to our organization for the next two years he will serve. My thanks to Walt for all of his past service to ACCED-I and for stepping up to this role. In March 2011, Walt will join then Regional Director, Connie Castellano, creating another great team in the Region 11 leadership tradition. CONGRATULATIONS WALT!
Please remember to submit your proposals to host our Fall 2011 Regional Summit Meeting to Connie Castellano, castelc@sunyit.edu, . In the meantime, best wishes for the holiday season ahead!
-Ron Diment, Region 11 Director
News at Region Eleven from the November/December 2010 issue of ACCED-I Connections- From Regional Director and Anchorman Ron Burgundy-Diment
The big news in Region 11 is our wildly successful Fall Summit held October 24-26 at St. Vincent College (SVC) in Latrobe, PA. The St. Vincent Event and Conference Services staff – Kathleen Pantalone, Chris Hartman, Angela Zalich and a host of student staff and dining services staff did an amazing job putting together a valuable educational program and some great Western PA hospitality for the 54 attendees from 30 different institutions. Connie Castellano, CCEP, regional director-elect, added her support as program co-chair.
From the welcome reception at the Winnie Palmer Nature Preserve on Sunday evening guests were shuttled to the “mystery trip” – a haunted hayride and hike through a cornfield maze. It was a spine tingling, gory, horrific, LOUD, and frightening experience which featured the not-so-usual local ghouls and zombies on a beautiful full-moon-lit night. Thankfully, everyone got out alive, and was ready for just about anything early Monday morning.
Bill Hisker, St. Vincent College professor of management, served as the opening keynote speaker, and appropriately digressed on “Humor in the Workplace”. This was followed by everyone’s favorite – the opportunity to network, teach and learn in a variety of roundtable topic discussions. Attendees could participate in two separate sessions on an array of topics previously requested (business operations, contracts and risk management, finance and budgeting, internal cooperation, marketing, and summer camps and conferences). Facilitators included some veteran planners AND some of the Unique Venues team – Yay to Chuck Salem, Lisa Morrell, and Jeanne Feathers who were in the neighborhood having come from just down the road in Johnstown, PA. As a matter of fact, we were all in Mister Rogers Neighborhood since the conference was held on campus at The Conference Center at SVC which includes the Fred Rogers Center dedicated to the portrayal of the incredible life and work of one of America’s foremost early childhood educators.
Kathleen Pantalone was the featured afternoon keynoter and focused on Minimizing Time – Maximizing Results: How to Effectively Manage a Student Workforce. We all related and benefitted from her experiences and insights. From there we were bussed through the beautiful Laurel Highland Mountains (at peak leaf -color season) to Falling Waters, a national historic landmark and one of the most famous home designs of Frank Lloyd Wright circa. 1937. The timeless design, functionality and mountain-side setting of this property were breathtaking.
Tuesday was get-away day, and we finished up with an eye-opening session on Social Media delivered by David Safin, SVC director of multimedia and marketing. One final review of the best of the roundtable discussions ended the conference.
Connie Castellano, CCEP castelc@sunyit.edu, is currently accepting proposals from potential host schools for Fall Summit 2011 next year, so please contact her for details.
Finally, News Flash, Region 11 has just been informed that we will serve as the hospitality committee for the 2013 ACCED-I Annual Conference in Toronto! We sometimes miss our Ontario and Quebec Region 11 members, but look forward to contributing to some Canadian hospitality in a couple of years. BTW, kudos to Loredana Carbone, Concordia University, Montreal, who made the trek to our Fall Summit 2010!
Absolutely Respectfully Submitted,
Ron Diment, Region 11 director
New from September/October issue of ACCED-I Connections:
Here is our Region 11 News at Eleven (in no particular order).
2010 Region 11 Fall Summit - hosted by Kathleen Pantalone and Chris Hartman
Location: The Conference Center at St. Vincent College, Fred M. Rogers Center
Date: October 24-26, 2010
Registration Fee: $175
Contact: events@stvincent.edu, (724)532-5030
Website: www.stvincent.edu/events
Lodging Info: Wingate by Wyndham, Latrobe, ACCED-I Region 11, $73/night, www.wingatehotels.com 3970 Route 30, Rt 981 and Rt 30, Latrobe, PA, (724)539-0400.
Welcome new member Nan Alderson (nan.alderson@curtis.edu) to ACCED-I and Region 11! We are delighted to have you join us, and hope to see you at St.Vincent College in October and/or in Orlando next March at our ACCED-I Annual Conference & Expo.
With all of the "eventful" summer moments shared by ACCED-I members on the listserv these past few months, to me, this one tops them all! Move over Dave Treber. Connie Castellano reports that it has been a crazy couple of weeks for me lately. We had a bank robbery this summer at a nearby bank, and the gunmen ended up on the SUNYIT (Utica, NY) campus making their way into the dorms. One was caught and the other managed to get to the wooded area behind our campus center where my committee was setting up for the Faculty/Staff Picnic! We were locked down in our buildings for most of the day until we were evacuated by federal marshals and state police. They finally caught the other guy, and he is currently in jail. We re-scheduled our picnic but are hoping for another captive audience.
-Ron Diment, Villanova University, News at Eleven Anchor Dude
From June - August 2010 issue of ACCED-I Connections:
2010 Region 11 Fall Summit submitted by Chris Hartman
Location: The Conference Center at St. Vincent College, Fred M. Rogers Center
Date: October 24-26, 2010
Registration Fee: $175
Contact: events@stvincent.edu, (724)532-5030
Website: www.stvincent.edu/events
Lodging Info: Wingate by Wyndham, Latrobe, ACCED-I Region 11, $73/night,
www.wingatehotels.com 3970 Route 30, Rt 981 and Rt 30, Latrobe, PA, (724)539-0400
Margene Weiss, Daemon College, and her husband have returned from 2 weeks out of the country. He lead a Cretan Mediterranean Diet Study Tour (for 10) to Crete & Athens, where they toured everything first hand, met chefs and attended cooking school. Then they stopped in Rome on their way home. Margene has thoughts about hospitality from this trip that she will share with ACCED-I colleagues in the near future.
Dottie Warner reports that, along with their diplomas, Dickinson College graduates were treated with a humorous surprise, when President Bill Durden announced that they would each be receiving one of the college's infamous cafeteria trays as a parting gift. "This tray is decorated with Dickinson symbols and has been in service for decades. Not only will you possess a lifetime material witness of the broader changes that this tray symbolizes (referring to the fact that during the 2009-2010 academic year Dickinson went tray-less in the cafeteria), but you will never again be tray-less!" he said of the "collector's item", adding "You can use it at your graduate and professional schools while they go tray-less. Use it as a great sled in winter." In addition, Durden joked, "By recycling these trays, we yet affirm sustainability."
On April 11th, Sarah Goodrich, CCEP, East Stroudsburg University, Barb Romano and Ebony Scott at Cornell University attended the Skunk Cabbage Half Marathon. Both Ebony and Barb cheered Sarah on. It was great for Sarah to see some familiar faces when she crossed the finish line. On May 16, she ran the Run for Red full marathon (26.2 miles) in 4 hours 25 minutes. The race supported the Monroe County (PA) Red Cross, was very cool to run in her own "backyard".
Renee Crowe, a newcomer from Lancaster Bible College (LBC), reports LBC will be hosting 18 outside groups with an estimate of 3340 guests visiting the campus this summer. The largest group is the Southern Baptist Conference for the Deaf. This will be very challenging since I do not know sign language!
Lancaster Bible College is also starting a new program for adult learners called iLEAD (International Leadership Education and Discipleship).The graduate school, degree completion program, and the Institute for Biblical Enrichment are being combined into one department to form iLEAD. The purpose is to offer adult education at all post-secondary educational levels, appropriately designed for adult learners, for the purpose of developing servant ministry leaders for global impact. These programs include, but will not be limited to, conferences, lay institutes, continuing education, degree completion, graduate, and doctoral programs of study. All programs are taught from a biblical worldview perspective and are consistent with the mission of LBC.
Patty McFadden from Penn State Great Valley shares:
July 14: "Picnic in the Park: Eating Fresh" – Conference Center at Penn State Great Valley is showcasing our Conference Center and our on-site weekly Farmers' Market with a themed lunchtime open house called "Picnic in the Park: Eating Fresh". The complimentary event features our select caterers who provide the light fare, local hotels, and local vendors who can assist with event planning. This year's event features a local celebrity speaker who will provide nutritional tidbits and a cooking demonstration using healthy fresh ingredients.
Every Thursday through mid-November: Farmers' Market at Penn State Great Valley http://www.sgps.psu.edu/market/default.ashx – in our parking lot, 30 E. Swedesford Road. Over 20 local farmers and vendors offering fresh, locally grown fruits, vegetables, cheeses, baked goods, plants, soaps, candles, and much more.
Lois Kubinak, Albright College, wants us to know her office's Facebook Business Page has launched......
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reading-PA/Albright-College-Summer-Conferences/121007914585830?ref=ts. In addition, they are planning for a typical summer camp season, many returning athletic groups, music camp, and a handful of new (first-year) programs.
Connie Castellano, CCEP, from SUNYIT reports SUNYIT has a number of construction projects so it is taking a lot of our bigger spaces offline. Therefore, it will be a light summer as far as conference groups on campus. However, I am working on a new marketing concept with our public relations director, and am co-chairing the transfer, graduate, and freshman orientations so that is keeping me busy!
Kate Chilton reported that SUNY Plattsburgh hosted the SUNY-wide Conference on Instructional Technology for 500 + attendees and 40+ vendors May 25 - 28!
And also hosted the SUNY Education Deans and Directors from June 9 - 11.
Our second annual Global Supply Chain Management Conference will be held June 15 - 17. Then she hopes to take a day or two off.
Georgian Court University is proud that their new Wellness Center received Gold LEED status recently. The facility houses athletics, physical education, exercise science and dance programs and is used as a multi-purpose facility for both internal and rental functions. Energy saving features and renewable products abound including a grass-thatched roof.
Conferences & Special Events is working towards a paperless policy for rental groups, encouraging groups to post handouts to websites and distribute CDs or flash drives instead of paper proceedings. We hope to enforce a total paperless policy by 2012.
MANY THANKS to all of our reporters! Be Cool this summer!!
-Ron Diment, Villanova University, News at Eleven Anchor Dude
From April/May 2010 issue of ACCED-I Connections:
Submitted by Charlotte Knudsen, Messiah College:
Congratulations to Christina Hartman, St. Vincent College, and Anna Peagler, Westmoreland County Community College, who were selected to be winners of the first Region 11 Scholarships to attend the ACCED-I Annual Conference in Louisville last month!
Each scholarship represents the cost of registration for the conference. Given the current state of travel money at our respective institutions, it is hoped that monies earned from our regional conference can continue to annually subsidize this great opportunity for Region 11 professionals to attend the Annual Conference.
Congrats to Connie!
Connie M. Castellano, SUNYIT, Utica, NY, has been awarded a Leadership Mohawk Valley "Follow the Leader" award, at a ceremony on Wednesday, March 10, 2010, at Radisson-Utica Centre. The Follow the Leader award honors those individuals who have graduated from the LMV program and have demonstrated excellence in the workplace and/or the community.
Way to go Janet!
Janet Yordy is now assistant director of the events management office at Bucknell University.
Awesome job Patty and welcome Linda!
Patricia McFadden just celebrated her 20 year anniversary with Penn State Great Valley! Also, their conference coordinator Katie Davis left Penn State Great Valley to go to Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband’s job. Our new conference coordinator is Linda Cornwell, also a PSU grad.
Changes at Rider University with 3 ACCED-I members promoted!
Jill Shockley - director of internal operations
Karson Langenfelder - director of study tours and conference services
Susan Ansberry - assistant director of study tours and conference services
From Chris Hartman at St. Vincent:
The Fred M. Rogers Center, home of the Conference Center at Saint Vincent College and the host site for the 2010 Region 11 Fall Meeting receives LEED® Gold Certification! The Fred M. Rogers Center has received the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED® GOLD rating for its design and practices in being a "GREEN" building. "The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating system is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green building."
From January - March 2010 issue of ACCED-I Connections:
Here is the news from Region 11:
We have a new regional director elect for Region 11! Congratulations to Connie Castellano from SUNYIT at Utica! Thanks to all for being willing to serve. Thanks to the Region for voting!
Be on the alert for the 2010 Region 11 meeting site proposal ballot that will be coming out soon.
On October 4, 5, 6, 2009, we had our Region 11 fall meeting at Wildwood Conference Center in Harrisburg, PA. It was a great learning and networking experience for everyone who attended! Mike Baker did a phenomenal job as the site director. There were lots of good sessions pertaining to leadership, social networking, promoting your campus to outside groups and to your internal colleagues. Everyone had an opportunity for fun and relaxation at the local brewery and casino. We also got a chance to see the highlights of the upcoming Annual Conference in Louisville, Kentucky in March 2010. Thanks to everyone who attended the conference!
Janet Yordy, presidential events manager at Bucknell University graduated from the Protocol Officer Training Program at the Washington School of Protocol.
Summer Story from Suzanne McCabe, director, conference & event services and college discovery program, King’s College:
I had a group on campus for the day and I got a call from the registrar for the group, asking if we had a private room with an electrical outlet where one of the attendees could use her breast pump. Never had that request before! I hung up the phone from that request and my phone rang almost immediately. It was the piano tuner who had come to tune several pianos for a group coming to campus the following week. "Suzanne, did you know the grand piano is missing from the Chapel?" The grand piano is missing?! How does a grand piano disappear? Of course, it turns out it had been taken out for some work over the summer, and no one in Campus Ministry had let us know about it. So my most memorable day of the summer of 2009 was the day of the breast pump request and the missing grand piano. You never know what might happen in a day of the life of Conference & Event Services!
News from Georgian Court University (GCU):
Caitlyn Swart has joined Georgian Court University as conference services coordinator. Caitlyn will have primary responsibility for all outside rentals of university facilities.
Conferences and Special Events (CSE) at GCU completed a vibrant Christmas season and attracted over 5,000 guests to attend concerts, theatrical performances, and a vendor fair in a three week period. CSE was responsible for decorating the 153 acre campus and buildings, including the 26 foot Christmas tree in the Casino auditorium.
A message from Connie M. Castellano, CEP, SUNYIT:
News from November-December 2009 issue of ACCED-I Connections:
Janet Yordy, Presidential Events Manager at Bucknell University graduated from the Protocol Officer Training Program at the Washington School of
Protocol.
Connie Castellano is working on her Master's degree, through an online program at Marist College for Communications in Organizational Leadership. She is loving the program!
Summer Story:
I had a group on campus for the day and I got a call from the registrar for the group, asking if we had a private room with an electrical outlet where one of the attendees could use her breast pump. Never had that request before! I hung up the phone from that request and my phone rang almost immediately. It was the piano tuner who had come to tune several pianos for a group coming to campus the following week. "Suzanne, did you know the grand piano is missing from the Chapel?" The grand piano is missing?! How does a grand piano disappear? Of course, it turns out it had been taken out for some work over the summer, and no one in Campus Ministry had let us know about it. So my most memorable day of the day of the summer of 2009 was the day of the breast pump request and the missing grand piano. You never know what might happen in a day of the life of Conference & Event Services!
Suzanne McCabe
Director, Conference & Event Services and College Discovery Program
King's College
Here is what we have going on at the Educational Conference Center at Luzerne County Community College:
What's Cooking on Campus?
Have you ever looked for a facility to host a special event, corporate gathering, or social function? The Educational Conference Center at
Luzerne County Community College is the perfect location. With a new a new chef, redesigned menus, and recent upgrades, come see what the best kept secret in Luzerne County is all about.
Join us on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 from 11:00 am-2:00 pm to sample culinary creations from our new menu, meet the chef and tour the facility.
Call 1-800-377-5222 x602 to reserve a space and for additional details. This event is free and open to the public.http://www.luzerne.edu/workforce/ecc/
2009 Fall Regional Meeting
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On October 4, 5, 6, 2009, we had our Region 11 Conference at Wildwood Conference Center in Harrisburg, PA. It was a great learning and networking experience for everyone who attended!
Mike Baker did a phenomenal job as the site director. There were lots of good sessions pertaining to leadership, social networking, promoting your campus to outside groups and to your internal colleagues. Everyone had an opportunity for fun and relaxation at the local brewery and casino. We also got a chance to see the highlights of the upcoming National Conference in Louisville, Kentucky in March 2010. Thanks to everyone who attended the conference!
Thank you Mike Baker!
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News from September-October 2009 issue of ACCED-I Connections
Reminder that Region 11 fall meeting will take place on October 4 - 6, 2009 at Wildwood Conference Center at the Harrisburg Community College Campus in Harrisburg, PA. 1 Hacc Dr., Harrisburg, PA 17110-2903. Mr. Mike Baker is the contact person for this conference. His phone number is (717)780-2649 and his email address is mdbaker@hacc.edu. Registration information will be sent out soon. I hope to see many of you at this conference!
News from Bloomsburg University
Bloomsburg University of PA's conference services office has relocated to the Monty's facility on BU's upper campus.
News from California University of Pennsylvania
California University of Pennsylvania held a preview of the new Convocation Center on August 25, 2009. The schedule of events included:
8:30 a.m. - Complimentary Transportation from four remote locations
10:00 a.m. - President's Reception
10:30 a.m. - Campus Tours
Noon - Food tasting by AVI Foodsystems
2:00 p.m. - Transportation Departs to parking areas.
The 142,000-square foot building will include a 6,000-seat arena and will be the largest indoor venue between Pittsburgh and Morgantown. The Convocation Center is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2011 and will have room for Commencement ceremonies, NCAA and WPIAL tournaments, trade shows, concerts, and other events. The building will also be equipped with state-of-the-art technology and facilities to support executive-level conferences.
From the June-August 2009 issue of ACCED-I Connections:
The crazy summer conference schedule has begun for many of us. We now have summer student training and commencement behind us. Here is some other news from folks in Region 11:
Please contact Michael Baker at mdbaker@hacc.edu if you would like to do a session at the Region 11 conference in Harrisburg, PA at the Wildwood Conference Center October 4-6, 2009.
Barbara Joan Masse, College of Saint Elizabeth, reports that her son Gregory is getting married June 27, 2009 in Simpsonville, South Carolina.
Alexandra Pelberg, MS, assistant director, Drexel Conference Services, Drexel Business Services at Drexel University reports that in May 2009 she completed The Meeting Planning Certificate Program with Temple University.
From the April/May 2009 issue of ACCED-I Connections:
Submitted by Charlotte Knudsen:
The 2009 ACCED-I Annual Conference in Boston was highlighted by many exciting events that included something for everyone. Some people who arrived on Saturday, March 21 participated in the Regional Leadership training while others enjoyed the "Historic Pub Crawl."
The inaugural institute held on Sunday addressed Sustainability issues. This was a good opportunity to cover various aspects of Sustainability, discuss some good "hands on" tips, and learn more about the subject in depth. The full-day format allowed for some excellent sessions.
On Sunday evening, the Leadership Team was recognized at the regional meeting. Ron Diment was named regional director elect. Mike Baker made a short presentation about the next Region 11 Meeting being held at HACC Conference Center in Harrisburg on October 4, 5, 6, 2009. The others on the leadership team are Walt Martin, Erica Harrison, Janet Yordy, Susan Pardee, and Connie Castellano, CCEP. Thanks again for your work with our Region! Then it was off to dinner at Durgin Park, where we had great food and fun (and a few brave souls actually faced the fierce Boston winds and walked home!). Thanks Jeff Barta for choosing this delightful dinner spot!
The Monday sessions and business luncheon all ran very smoothly. The sessions included “Strategies for Staff Scheduling” with good tips on how to schedule your students during the crazy summer months. The Boston Aquarium was a marvelous treat! The fish were beautiful and there were plenty of opportunities to mingle and network with our colleagues.
Tuesday was the last day of the conference with more great sessions, including “Engaged Student Learning” and “The Art of Network Marketing”.
The conference came to a conclusion with the gala evening event. The regions had their pictures taken prior to this event.
I would like to invite all of you to view the various sessions from the conference on the web in the Member Resources section after you login to the ACCED-I website. This is great opportunity to review the information if you were unable to attend the conference or if you missed a session due to a conflict.
Thanks to everyone who attended this conference in the great city of Boston. It was amazing to be able to walk in the Boston Commons, the Gardens, and Beacon Hill, not to mention the Freedom Trail and feel the history of the city oozing from the bricks. I hope you all enjoyed it and took home valuable material. I would especially like to thank the "first timers" and hope that you find the learning experience a good reason to return to the next ACCED-I conference in Louisville, KY!
From ACCED-I Connections, November/December 2008
On October 5th, in
We were all up bright and early to attend our opening session which was a talk entitled, "Y is Me" by our speaker, Ryan Hanson. He was very engaging and soon had all of us participating in a discussion about the generation "Y" (1980-2002). Ryan owns his own company which provides unique and different events for clients such as corporations, individuals, and other groups that are looking for something different. He shared a formula that he uses as a guide to plan events. He said that truly great events are those that display creativity and innovation. He was a very enjoyable and informative guest speaker.
Next, we had two sessions, a "Panel Discussion: Cultural & Performing Arts Programs on Campus" by Connie Castellano and Mary Perrone, and "An Evolving Rural Conference Program Re-built Through Strategic Partner Relationships" by Katherine Kollar-Valvage.
This was followed by lunch and the Region 11 business meeting conducted by Jeff Barta and Charlotte Knudsen with an ACCED-I presentation by ACCD-I Board Member, Mary Cranwell, promoting new memberships through the 2010 initiative, the 200 Annual Conference in Boston, and the CCEP program.
After lunch we had a "Sustainabilityand Energy" talk from Joe Fox, the SUNY energy director, and "Getting to the Bottom Line: Is Your Conference Operation Profitable?" by Barbara Romano.
We then left for our tour of the Saranac Brewing Company, a company that was started in 1888 and still owned by the same family today. It was truly an adventure being able to see an original "speakeasy" from the Prohibition days, viewing the brewing production plant, and sampling the results of their efforts.
We then went on to enjoy a delicious dinner at Delmonico’s Steak House near the Mohawk River and the famous "
On Tuesday morning we got up early and began our last day of the conference with the ever popular roundtable discussions. These are always very helpful and informative.
After the roundtables, we were provided a bagged lunch which was very much appreciated since many of us had a very long drive ahead of us.
I would like to thank Connie Castellano, the regional host, and Mary Ann Miller for their hard work in making this conference happen and for their hospitality throughout the conference. I believe that everyone went home with information they can use on their campuses, good network connections, and as one conference attendee told me the information learned can be used "out of the gate".
Click here to see photos from the meeting. Thanks to all who attended!
From ACCED-I Connections, September/October 2008
Mark your calendars! The Region 11 meeting took place October 5 - 7, 2008 at State University of New York Institute of Technology (SUNYIT) in Utica, NY.
From ACCED-I Connections, April/May 2008
Cheryl Faust and the entire
Monday – MSNBC makes contact with WCU
Wednesday – MSNBC conducts site-visit
Friday – MSNBC/WCU have formal contract agreement
Monday – MSNBC production crews/truck roll into campus
Tuesday- continuation of stage / production set up with rehearsals
Wednesday, finishing touches and live broadcast from 5-6pm EST of MSNBC's Hardball Tour!
This doesn't include the number of times walk-through's were conducted with the Public Safety department and the Secret Service.
Sounds a lot like Kathleen Pantalone's session in Vegas!
Our colleagues at Villanova was the next site (on 4/15) and as of last press, the "Hardball" team was trying to get confirmation from Senator Hillary Clinton to participate at a college/university campus perhaps in the western part of the great state of PA. Without endorsing the show and/or any political candidate – this is great press for all of our schools!
Anna M. Peagler, director of events and catering at
Westmoreland is also the host for the Microsoft Across America Tour Bus on
The fall regional meeting will be held at SUNY-IT in
At
On a personal note, Keelie Schock, assistant director of conference and event management at Susquehanna has been accepted into Bucknell's graduate program leading to an MSED degree in College Student Personnel starting this fall. Congrats again.
In closing, a quick story from Dottie Warner, director of event planning & the
"At 4:30 p.m. on Monday, March 24th, Dottie Warner was sitting quietly at her desk anticipating the end of a busy work day when her phone rang. It was a representative of the Hillary Clinton campaign wondering if
We end where we began; politics, politics, politics.
From ACCED-I Connections, January - March 2008
Submitted by Mary Cranwell:
Applause, applause and a bucket full of gratitude to our hosts for the regional meeting, Lehigh and DeSales Universities. Mike, Mary Kay, and their teams were gracious hosts and the programs both informative and insightful. Highlights included presentation by Kathleen Pantalone's "Pomp, Circumstance...and The President", an informative presentation regarding risk management, including a risk management toolkit, presented by Lehigh University's General Counsel, Frank Roth, and director of Risk Management, Richard Freeman. Also, a very informative presentation about learning styles as well as roundtable discussions about scheduling options, and the first ever "World Cafe" event focusing on roundtable topics that were of interest to the group. And, thanks to everyone's efforts and treasures, the silent and live auctions yielded over $700 in donations to Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley and the DeSales Clinic. For useful information, camaraderie, and downright fun, nothing beats a region 11 fall meeting.
Congrats go to...
Jill Nowicki, Rider (NJ) University who has been promoted to assistant director of Event Operations;
Kathy Kollar Valovage, assistant director of Housing for Conference Services at Bloomsburg University, completed her second master's degree in December 2007 in Instructional Technology. She is currently enrolled in the CCEP certification program.
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg PA, is breaking ground in spring 2008 on a new 544-bed apartment complex on the upper campus. The currently unnamed apartments will open for the fall 2009 semester. What makes this apartment complex unique for the area is its Community Building which offers a fireside lounge, several meeting rooms, a fitness center, and a porch for barbeques/entertaining. Conference guests will be able to utilize the facilities in the summer.
Villanova (PA) University Office of Conference Services is now an ACCED-I Certified One-Stop Shop. Congrats!
Georgian Court University welcomes Niki Barnhill, MPA, as conference services coordinator.
Chris Stumpf, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, has been promoted to assistant vice president.
From ACCED-I Connections, October - December 2007
Kudos to:
Carole Lavinio, director of conferences at Wagner College (NY) was inducted into ODK (Omicron Delta Kappa), a national leadership honor society recognizing leadership of exceptional quality and versatility in college life. Wagner College, has been listed in five of the eight "Programs to Look For" in the 2007 issues of U.S. News and World Reports' Guide To America's Best Colleges which was released in August. The five areas are all key components of Wagner's signature curriculum: The Wagner Plan for the Practical Liberal Arts. This past summer, LeadAmerica joined the summer conference groups. LeadAmerica is the nation's premier youth leadership organization. At Wagner, they offered a Theater Arts Program which attracted high school students from around the country. Next summer, they are working for the first time with EAC, which is a market leader in the United Kingdom for summer vacation/language programs for teenage students from around the world. They have selected two venues in the United States for the summer of 2008. So, they have quickly gone from slow summers to booming and overflowing. So much so that they now need to explore the installation of temporary air conditioning units to be installed in a non air-conditioned residence hall that had traditionally only been used during the academic year.
Jenn Gradzki, coordinator, conference & events services, Rowan University (NJ) married Tom Harris on October 6, 2007 and will change her name to Jenn Harris.
Let Them Eat Cake - Margene Weiss, CCEP, director, conferences & events writes: Daemen College (NY) is celebrating it's 60th Anniversary this fall, a young college by most standards! Since we have embarked on our largest construction project to-date and one of the few environmentally certified LEED buildings in WNY, The Center for Information & Research, our President wanted the 60th marked in a lighthearted (and low cost) manner. So last week we celebrated by having three cakes on campus at different locations, enough for everyone! We hoped to appeal to commuters as well as residents. The day before, as I was putting up posters, I overheard students saying, 'You know, they're going to feed us cake tomorrow.' We arranged for Happy Birthday to be played on the carillon right at the 11:30 a.m. break so it could be heard all over campus. We picked three separate buildings and had a party in each lobby, with the official 60th banner and balloon bouquets! Each location featured a different flavor cake (chocolate ganache, vanilla with fresh strawberries, lemon filled), the President moved around greeting everyone. People actually sang Happy Birthday, student groups volunteered to slice cake and host, and we created a continuous loop DVD of photos over the years set to Big Band music of the 40's (picture nuns in formal habit). At the last minute the President decided he wanted to say a few things before we cut cake at each location, so we tracked his trajectory by cell phone. Many students actually moved around and tried cake at each location, a LOT of cake---even the computer guys emerged into the sunlight and walked around trying all three cakes. They were smiling as if the party was for them. The music was also heard at the high school across the street, during an important aptitude exam...so they walked over and told us to turn down our music...sorry. We went through 14 full-size sheet cakes in an hour and it was fun. Maybe too much fun.
Stephanie Pawlewicz has joined the Auxiliary Services Department at DeSales University (PA) in the newly created position of auxiliary services coordinator. Stephanie is responsible for the scheduling of the meeting and transportation needs of the DeSales University community. She is also leading the implementation of the University's newly purchased R25 Scheduling solution. Stephanie is a 2001 graduate of DeSales University.
If you haven't registered yet, make sure you go to the Region 11 website, from the ACCED-I home page. Our hosts, DeSales and Lehigh are rolling out the welcome wagon for what promises to be an educational, refreshing, and, as always, Region 11, a GREAT time!
From e-Communique, August/September 2007
Submitted by Mary Cranwell
Region 11ers will be following the star to Bethlehem – Bethlehem, Pennsylvania that is – November 4-7, 2007 for our regional meeting. Located in the beautiful Lehigh Valley, Bethlehem’s colonial roots, college town atmosphere, and central location in our region, will make this a great place for us to learn, network, and just have fun with friends. The folks at co-host institutions Lehigh University and DeSales University, as well as our Regional Director-Elect, Jeff Barta, are working hard on an engaging and enjoyable program. Registration information and schedule will be available soon. Keep checking our regional webpage on the ACCED-I website.
Congratulations go out to:
Jill Nowicki, manager of event operations, Rider University (NJ) on her engagement. The wedding is scheduled for June 8, 2008. Only an experienced event planner would dare to have her wedding right after commencement!
Michele McVay, associate director of conferences & special events, Georgian Court University (NJ) and her husband, George Arnold, on the birth of George Caden Alexander. Baby G.’s “fairy godmothers” in Conferences & Special Events report that he is stunning!
Erin Schuetz, coordinator of events and scheduling, Clarion University (PA) on starting her graduate studies in Student Affairs in Higher Education at Indiana University of PA. In her spare time, Erin is pursuing her CCEP.
Connie Castellano has been appointed the new director of the Gannett Art Gallery at SUNYIT. This will be in addition to her other duties as coordinator of campus & corporate events. She used to work at Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Gallery prior to conferencing, so she has experience in museum education/school programs & exhibitions. The gallery has an exhibition coming up in October on the islands and temple culture of Malta. Connie said, "One of our foundation members led an elderhostel to the islands of Malta and has become pretty good friends with someone who directs an organization that is responsible for the preservation and history of Malta. That person is organizing the exhibition to house at SUNYIT. We are organizing all kinds of neat gallery activities, tours, and programs around this exhibition. It will be very impressive!"
Hofstra University (NY) has implemented Resource 25. It combines scheduling of classes with the scheduling of events. Kathleen Dwyer, associate director of event management systems, would love to hear from other schools using R25 with Webviewer, and how they’ve resolved issues such as combining policies and procedures of all user departments. Contact Kathleen at Kathleen.S.Dwyer@hofstra.edu if you can help.
To better serve their Clarion University (PA) campus, the events and scheduling office has changed their name to “Office of Conference & Event Services."
From e-Communique, April/May 2007
Submitted by Heidi Mackowski, CCEP, CMP
Region 11 once again made a huge showing at the ACCED-I Annual Conference – we were 98 members strong – and 30 of our regional members were first-time attendees! Of the 98 attendees, 16 were presenters, and three hold positions on the ACCED-I Board of Directors.
We made a splash at the Awards Gala, with several nominees from the region, including Rachel Sullivan of the University of Pennsylvania for Outstanding New Conference and Event Professional and Heidi Mackowski, CCEP, CMP, of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford with co-presenters Katie Mackowski and Brian Candelaria for Session of the Year. In the winners’ circle were outgoing ACCED-I President Barbara Romano of Cornell University as Mentor of the Year, and Sarah Goodrich, CCEP, of East Stroudsburg University as Volunteer of the Year. Way to go, Region 11!
Our fabulous regional dinner was coordinated by outgoing regional director, Kathleen Pantalone of St. Vincent University. Unfortunately, she had to miss our Cuban-style meal at the Babalu Grill, where we all shared lots of laughter and great conversation. Many thanks to Kathleen for organizing this extra chance for our regional members to bond.
The fall regional meeting will be held November 4-7, 2007 in Bethlehem, PA and will be hosted by two member institutions – Lehigh University and DeSales University. It should be a great time, and having two hosts means twice the benefit to attendees! Look for more information soon.