This year we will strive to provide a balance between networking and information sharing and gathering for new and experienced affiliate leaders. Back by popular demand will be the speed dating activity that Misty Adoniou, ALC chair, initiated last year. In addition we will hear from the TESOL leadership and will have three breakout sessions led by affiliate leaders and TESOL staff.

Based on the feedback from last year we have included the New Affiliate Leaders Orientation, led by Valerie Borchelt, TESOL professional relations manager, as part of the Wednesday workshop so affiliate leaders have one less session to attend during the convention. In addition, TESOL affiliate leaders from Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, and the United States will lead breakout sessions on membership & fundraising and sociopolitical advocacy. Thank you to Ragsana Mammadova (AzETA), Arifa Rahman (BELTA), and Linda Foley-Vinay (MATSOL) for agreeing to lead what I anticipate to be informative and engaging sessions.

We will conclude our workshop with strategies for organizing one’s time as an affiliate leader at the convention. I am looking forward to meeting both new and returning affiliate leaders at this first of several affiliate events at TESOL.

Karen Cadiero-Kaplan, Chair-Elect, Affiliate Leadership Council, kcadiero@gmail.com