ACE State Representative:
Useful Tools

Member Directory

Local ACE members and their contact information, as well as the official ACE listservs, can be found by searching the the online membership directory. Please also feel free to contact the ACE Executive Director to obtain the latest member information.

Critique & Awards (C&A) Program

This program generates many questions – usually right before the January entry deadline – so be sure to have the information handy. All C&A information is available online.

Keep your boss informed

Talk to your office leader or program director about ACE activities at least once or twice a year. This is a subtle way to seek support, and it reinforces your leadership role in a professional organization.

Consider Mentoring

We recommend that each new state rep work with an ACE member who has been a state rep in recent years. This person can provide information, answer your questions and share experiences. Share your experiences with others in your state so they learn about the state rep role in ACE. If you’re interested in being mentored (or being a mentor), contact the Membership Director.

Develop your Personal Elevator Speech about ACE

What do you like about ACE? What drives you to join year after year? Write it down and practice saying it out loud to help you articulate the benefits of ACE membership. Here is what one state rep put together -- feel free to use or revise:

• Here’s what I like about ACE: It’s the only organization specifically for professionals who do the same things I do on a day-to-day basis, who deal with the same issues that I do, and who care about the future of our profession. 
• The ACE conference is the only place I can go to meet and get to know other people who work in land-grant-related communications offices across the country -- and even around the world. Its’ Critique and Awards program is the only program where I can submit my work to be evaluated and weighed against that of my peers. 
• The work I do every day is better because I interact with those people -- through listservs, webinars, and in person at conferences. And I appreciate the opportunity to share my experience with them in the hope that in some way it is helpful. 
• Over the years, I’ve taken part in both the professional development and the leadership opportunities made available to me through ACE. Both have helped me become a better professional and have allowed me to give back and, I hope, improve the profession for the future.