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06/08/2020

CSCA - May 2020 Final Report of Ad Hoc Committee

Dear Colleagues,

A few weeks ago, we submitted our report to the CSCA Executive Committee. After it was shared with the membership, we received messages from a few members with additional information. Although that information does not change our primary conclusions, we came to understand that a section of our report was written in a way that could be interpreted as casting some degree of blame on past members of the Executive Committee or the Past Executive Director (2009-2014). For that, we sincerely apologize.

Based on the information that has been provided to us, we can affirm that the Past Executive Director (2009-2014) and the individuals who were on the EC during the time period in question fulfilled their responsibilities to the association in a professional manner and as outlined by current bylaws and practices. We deeply regret any implication to the contrary. Please know that we never intended to suggest that any blame for the failure to file taxes rests on their particular individual shoulders. We are sorry for any hurt that our original report caused these valued members of our association. We should have been more careful, and we apologize.

May 2020 Final Report of Ad Hoc Committee

As we look to the future, we do believe that we can improve the current institutional structure to ensure that administrative and operational tasks get completed. We all value the contributions of our members who have made us the success that we are. We are an organization that relies on the goodwill of others. We just need to go a little beyond that when it comes to finances. In 1992, a court awarded our association only a quarter of the money that had been stolen by a former Executive Director, in part, because our association had not exercised sufficient fiduciary oversight (Miller, 2007, p. 92). At that time, we were advised to provide more oversight regarding financial operations. Although CSCA did take steps, this current incident illustrates that we need to strengthen our procedures even more. We propose that a refined system of checks, balances, and oversight be instituted.

In closing, we would like to acknowledge that this moment in our association’s journey has been difficult and stressful. We’re grateful to Chad Edwards and Chad McBride for all that they have done to restore CSCA’s legal and non-profit status. We hope we can begin healing and moving forward to what’s next for our wonderful association.

Sincerely,

Christie, Deanna, Don

Dr. Christina S. Beck
Dr. Donald Ritzenhein
Dr. Deanna Sellnow

Miller, L. (2007). How the South helped save the North when the lights went out. Southern Communication Journal, 72, 87-93.

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