In my inaugural President’s Corner, I think it is fitting to mention BEA’s leadership team and some of our initiatives for the upcoming year. We have been working collectively to help BEA remain the premiere international academic media organization, driving insights, excellence in media production, and career advancement for educators, students, and professionals, and it’s an honor to continue working with BEA’s leadership in my new role.
First, I want to thank everyone that attended and contributed to the success of #2017BEA. We launched several new initiatives this year and they reinforced our mission and added valuable content to #2017BEA. Just two weeks removed from the conference, planning for #2018BEA is already underway. I hope you have the conference dates—April 9-12—marked on your calendar.
When I was elected president last fall, I created a personal mission statement to keep my energies focused during my term. It reads: Seek to increase the visibility and resources of BEA in order to provide increased pedagogical, research & creative opportunities for our members and celebrate their successes.
This mission statement reflects many of the initiatives the executive committee of the board of directors has identified during our strategic planning sessions over the last few years – at the annual convention, the new “super” regional conference On-Location, and in our journals. The current executive committee consists of Vice President for Academic Relations, Greg Luft, Colorado State University; Vice President for Industry Relations, Christine Merritt, Ohio Association of Broadcasters; Secretary/Treasurer, Tony DeMars, Texas A&M Commerce; Past President, Augie Grant, University of South Carolina; and myself.
In the coming months I will use this column to outline some of our specific plans and also report the results of our efforts. Please always feel free to get in touch with me if you have ideas or initiatives you want to explore.
Michael Bruce
President, BEA Board of Directors
Associate Professor, Sports Broadcasting | The University of Alabama
