To all my dear VDMIS members,

I have great news to share with you. Besides VDMIS newsletter co-editor, the position which I have taken on and been enjoying for years, I have a new appointment at TESOL: I have become a member of the Conferences Professional Council. It will be a 2-year term, starting from April 2016 till the end of the 2018 TESOL International Convention & English Language Expo to be held in March 2018 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

This is a new professional council at TESOL, which was created as part of the ongoing process of restructuring governance and will help to bring in some changes in the content and programs for the association’s conventions. The major responsibility of the council is to make sure that the content and programs of the annual TESOL convention and regional conferences are current and relevant to the diverse needs of our members.

This is how I got appointed. Ever since I finished my term as chair of VDMIS, there has been a voice in my head that has kept urging me to find some other opportunity to do something for TESOL. It just so happened that around the beginning of the semester, I got an email message calling for people to serve on this council. Without hesitation, I wrote up the application, and then I received my appointment letter in early May.

I am so honored to have this opportunity to serve the TESOL community. And of course to my dearest VDMIS members, even though I will be taking on a new job, my heart will continue to be with you all. Of course I will still be your co-editor.

Kenneth Chyi has been teaching English for more than 16 years. He loves to incorporate movies and digital media into language lessons, making grammar and vocabulary come alive for students. His other interests include language assessment and materials development. He received his MA from NYU and is currently teaching at Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan.