Every chance I have to say “Happy 100th Anniversary, ACPA!” is a glorious moment that I am humbled to be able to share. It is certainly an amazing time to be a part of this great association, but an even greater honor to be one of the leaders to help us reflect on our history, celebrate our present, and imagine our future. Being Executive Director at this particular time provides with me with close access to the stories of our founding in 1924, the dramatic maturation of the organization over time, the leaders who have left their individual and collective marks on ACPA in recent decades, and an insider’s view to the ways we intend to celebrate this milestone anniversary.
As one of the leaders who helped bring the 100th Anniversary Artifact Document to life in honor of our history, it has been remarkable to me to continually uncover the importance of our values throughout our history. Although the wording may have changed over time, as one would hope they would do, these values are clearly present in the same thematic spirit since the convening of our nine women founders back in 1924. ACPA and its members have always allowed our values to guide our work, our thinking, our hearts, and our focus on humanity throughout our first 100 years. I believe this is why many ACPA members – past and present – identify our association as their “professional home.” The concept of home and family can be challenging for many, yet the framing of ACPA as many folks’ professional home provides a clear connection between mind, heart, and soul that I rarely hear people refer to when it comes to other organizations. For the words “professional” and “home” to be placed together as a meaningful phrase is substantial in and of itself, as home is often where we are allowed to be our safest and most authentic selves while professional settings are typically not thought of as concerned much about the individual or their wellbeing. When you have a few moments to spare, I invite you to listen and/or watch ACPA members talk about the meaning and importance of our association in their lives in the video created just for the 100th anniversary celebrations, A Journey Through Time: Celebrating 100 Years of ACPA (approximately 49 minutes).
Finally, while we are remembering, honoring, and celebrating our history and our people in this present 100th anniversary year, I also ask that we simultaneously imagine how we will build upon the opportunities and challenges of our first century in preparing to begin our second. There is tremendous enthusiasm among our membership for this historic year and for gathering together at the ACPA24 Convention in Chicago, and I want us to be equally excited and engaged in preparing for our 101st year…and our 102nd year…and our 105th year…because there is still much work to be done in higher education to transform our systems, our programs, and our paradigms to more closely be in alignment with our values. This important work does not finish when our 100th anniversary ends. In fact, this year is just the beginning of how future leaders and members will remember how we continued to contribute to the bold transformation of higher education when ACPA reaches its 150th anniversary in 2074 and the 200th anniversary in 2124. We have come a long way since our founding in 1924, and we are only just at the start.
Again, Happy 100th Anniversary ACPA!
Chris Moody, Ed.D.
ACPA Executive Director