October marks a busy time for ICA members. Whether you are beginning a new term or well into one, this time of year introduces a new cycle of activities for ICA including membership renewal, officer elections, conference paper submissions and award nominations. Division and interest group chairs and conference planners are busy setting things in place as we move toward our conference in Singapore.

Time to Renew
We value your support and thank you for choosing ICA as your professional home. Membership renewal is upon us again and if you have not already renewed your membership, it is now due. All ICA membership terms are active from 1 October - 30 September of each year (this applies to members who join during the year as well). We hope that you will take a moment to log-in and pay your association dues. Here is the link: http://www.icahdq.org/cgi-shl/Dues.exe/Run:RENEW. Don't forget that you can click on the invoice number to view the invoice details and review your division and interest group selections. You can also change your selections and donate money to your favorite ICA fund if you wish to do so.

Part of the renewal process is selecting which journals you wish to be shipped to you and reviewing your profile for needed updates. Take advantage of the new utilities to select keywords pertaining to your area of research and to write a brief description about your research. Both of these areas are searchable in the member directory titled, "Find a Colleague."

Panel and Paper Submission Opens
ICA has opened its conference and paper submission site. The site will remain open until 23:00 EST, Friday, 6 November 2009 at which time the reviewers will begin the selection process. Anyone can submit a paper-membership is not a requirement. Registration to the conference is a requirement if your paper is selected to be presented at the conference. ICA member associations are also invited to submit a panel proposal on behalf of their organization. Panel submission is one of the membership benefits for member associations. The same deadline applies, and submissions should be uploaded under the "Special Sessions" heading on the site. Any questions regarding submissions should be directed to mhaley@icahdq.org, the conference secretariat, or to conference@icahdq.org.

When accessing the submission site, you are encouraged to look for your record in our database. Enter the first couple letters of your first and last names and click on "This is me" next to your name if it appears on the list. Please select your existing record even if it is an old profile. This prevents the duplication of records, which causes confusion and problems within the system. You will also have an opportunity to update your profile information as part of the process.

Click the link below the login boxes if you have forgotten your password. The system will e-mail your password to the email address in our database. You should contact ICA if you no longer have access to that e-mail address. The link to access the paper submission site is found on our homepage in the "Conferences" box, in the "News" box, as well as under the "Conference" heading on the top menu. Click this link or copy it to your browser address window to search for your record and begin the process: http://www.icahdq.org/cfp/CFPSearch.asp.

The New ICA
ICA is working to make the website even more accessible, interactive and able to facilitate networking amongst members. We are currently testing a new platform for the upcoming ICA awards nomination and selection process; if all goes as expected, it will be introduced as part of the new ICA website.

The new site will also introduce our newly redesigned logo. A call for portfolios was sent out in early August and several entries were submitted by the 15 September deadline. ICA does not wish to completely change the logo. A logo design task force will guide the process, ensuring that the redesign brings a new, more modern look to the current logo rather than instituting a complete change. The final selection of the new logo is slated for the end of this year.

ICA Elections Have Begun
ICA officer elections have begun. Statements from the candidates for ICA President, Board Member-at-Large, and Student Board Member have been posted on the online voting booth. You can click on each candidate's name to read their respective statements. Several sections are also conducting elections for various positions and one division is proposing an increase in dues. While everyone can see the association-wide candidates, candidates for specific divisions and interest groups should be visible only to its members. Only ICA officer candidates will appear in the voting booth if your section is not holding an election. Here is the link to vote: http://www.icahdq.org/elections/election2009/login.asp. It is also under "Today's News" on the ICA homepage.

Welcome to New ICA Staffers!
Last but by no means least, we welcome Emily Karsnak and Amanda Pike to our fold and say goodbye to Tina Zeigler-Jones and Deandra Harris. Ms. Karsnak will be taking over for Ms. Zeigler-Jones as Executive Assistant and Ms. Pike will assist me as Member Services Coordinator, in place of Ms. Harris.

To Summarize
So pay your dues, get those papers or panel submissions ready, and go vote! Thanks again for your commitment to, your support of, and your participation in ICA. We know that the economic climate is not optimal these days. For this, we have all the more reason to be truly appreciative of your membership. As always, we, the ICA staff, are here to assist in any way we can. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of service.

Sam Luna, CAE
Director of Member Services
sluna@icahdq.org.