Who We Are 2005
During the month of January, members voted on a new slate of Operating Board Officers including the new position of Publicity Officer. Also, the Volunteer Coordinator’s title changed to Volunteer Officer. In February the 2005 Operating Board members were announced:
• President - Tracey Bateman
• Vice President - Kaye Dacus
• Secretary - Pam Meyers
• Treasurer - Peg Phifer
• Volunteer Officer - Linda Mae Baldwin
• Publicity Officer - Mary Griffin
The Advisory Board consisted of:
• Andrea Boeshaar
• Brandilyn Collins
• Gail Gaymer Martin
• Deborah Raney
• Colleen Coble
• Randall Ingermanson
• Kristin Billerbeck
Volunteers included:
Kim Sawyer - List Hostess
Robin Miller - Topic of the Week Coordinator
Martha Rogers - Verse of the Week
Lynette Sowell - Critique Group Coordinator
Meredith Efken - Website List Coordinator
Amber “Tiff” Miller - ACFW Web Mistress
Christine Lynxwiler - ACFW Historian
Greg Williamson - Noble Theme Contest Coordinator
Janice LaQuiere - Book in a Month/Week Coordinator
Jill Johnson - Book of the Year Contest Coordinator
Event planner Sydney Zech was hired in January as the Conference Coordinator for the 2005 ACFW conference in Nashville.
In February, the new Operating Board held its first online meeting. As one of her first duties at ACFW’s Publicity Officer, Mary Griffith sent out a press release announcing ACRW’s name change to American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW).
To accommodate ACFW’s increasing need of technology support, the organization purchased its own server and moved the e-mail loop onto the server along with its website. In March, Meredith Efken took over duties as Website List Coordinator while Kim Sawyer remained onboard as List Hostess.
Online courses for the remainder of 2005 were announced:
• March - “All About Contests,” Pam Hillman
• April - “The Care & Feeding of Critique Groups,” Allison Wilson
• June - “Getting Unstuck,” Kaye Dacus
• July - Tracey Bateman
• August - Conference Prep Course, Deb Raney
• October - Joan Shoup
Pam Meyers, Board Secretary, announced the 2005 Scholarship Program for the National Conference in Nashville. Two full conference scholarships, six registration only scholarships, and two $100 off registration scholarships were awarded to recipients.
Volunteer positions continued to evolve as Vickie McDonough resigned as Critique Group Coordinator and Lisa Tuttle stepped down as newsletter editor. Lynette Sowell stepped in to replace Vickie. Kristin Bliss, who had been Lisa’s assistant, agreed to fill Lisa’s shoes.
The National Conference took place at the Sheraton Music City in Nashville, September 15-18, 2005. The Operating Board and Advisory Board met jointly in Nashville on September 15, prior to the National Conference opening. Winners of the Noble Theme and Book of the Year Contests for 2005 were announced.
Karen Ball, Author and Executive Editor for Zondervan, was the Keynote Speaker. More than 15 publishing houses were represented including Bethany House, Tyndale, and Howard Publishing.
During the conference, the Operating Board announced the formation of regional zones and local ACFW chapters. This new direction would help ACFW members connect locally with each other and grow in the craft of writing.
Also announced was the change of the Noble Theme writing contest for unpublished writers to The Genesis Contest, beginning in 2006. The top all-around winner would receive a review from Warner-Faith’s editorial committee.
During the combined Board meeting in Nashville, the terms of the Operating Board officers were changed from one year to two years. It was agreed that some current board members would serve a three-year term to establish a staggered format so that not all members stepped down at the same time.
In October, Camy Tang was named coordinator of the 2006 Genesis Contest. Mike Ehret joined the newsletter staff as an assistant to Kristin Bliss.
Also in October, Kaye Dacus stepped down as Operating Board Vice President. Mary Griffith agreed to move from Publicity Officer to Vice President. Lisa Tuttle was appointed to serve as Publicity Officer.
Plans for the 2006 ACFW National Conference included inviting Liz Curtis Higgs to keynote. Editor/agent appointments would be organized and coordinated by Wanda Dyson. An awards banquet would replace the traditional Saturday night dinner. During the 2006 awards banquet, winners of the Mentor of the Year, Book of the Year, and Genesis Contest would be announced.
The ACFW Book Club launched in November. The club was open to members and non-members alike. Members read and discussed ACFW member-authored books. Pam Hillman agreed to coordinate the club.
December brought more changes to the personnel manning the many functions of ACFW. Pamela James and Ronie Kendig began working as moderators, assisting Meredith Efken in the oversight of the ACFW e-mail loops. Kim Sawyer stepped down as list hostess due to a tight schedule, and Cindy Woodsmall took over her duties. Jessica Ferguson was appointed ACFW Historian.
The Board made a suggestion box available for members at large to offer suggestions for Board consideration.
As the year closed, Sydney Zech agreed to coordinate the 2006 conference in Dallas.
By the end of 2005, ACFW membership had reached an estimated 1305 members.