Committee: Conference Committee
Meeting Date: February 19-20 Meeting Location: Portland, OR
Report Type: Quarterly Annual
Submitted by: Colleen MacDonald & Ted Malone
Committee Members (Name/Place of Employment/Address/Phone/Email):
Colleen MacDonald - EdFund (CA)
Ted Malone- University of Alaska - Anchorage (AK)
Jacqueline L Alleyne-McCants - University of Alaska - Fairbanks (AK)
Barbara L Burnett - University of Alaska - Southeast (AK)
Pamela H Doerner - University of Alaska - Anchorage (AK)
Patrick S Downey - Educational Credit Management Corporation (OR)
Jack Edwards - Stanford University - Graduate School of Business (CA)
Jodie M Kuba - University of Hawaii - West Oahu (HI)
Faye Mabagos-Asence - NELA-Northwest Education Loan Association (WA)
Peter T Miller - Truckee Meadows Community College (NV)
Wendy Z Olson - Whitworth University (WA)
Jon E Potter - Nelnet (CA)
See WASFAA membership directory for full address and contact information
Committee Goals:
General Goals for the 2009 WASFAA Conference is to have it be: o Create Professional, Collaborative, Diversity, Educational, Relevant,
Fiscally Responsible and Fun.
Specific Goals o Communications Strategy
Provide relevant communications to encourage to encourage member to attend via email at least monthly.
Send targeted communications to registrants at least bi-weekly leading up to the conference (ie., grad/prof registrants with Grad/prof sessions, early career professionals with basic training, seasoned professionals with higher level sessions)
Send information about WASFAA Conference at State conferences
Send quarterly update about WASFAA Conference to each state organization. o Budget Strategy
WASFAA Committee Report Page 1 of 5

Create a revenue neutral conference
Be fiscally conscientious as possible with decisions
Set conference registration at a rate that is affordable for members while cost neutral for the association. o Keynote Speaker Strategy
Hire affordable local speakers that represent the diversity of the
Alaskan region
Request that NASFAA President attend and speak
Request that send Jeff Baker from Department of Education to do
Federal Update o Conference Sessions Strategy
Provide more session options by starting earlier on Sunday in order to allow for 2 sets of concurrent sessions and one set on Tuesday
Request 3-5 of the best sessions from each state association and attempt to integrate as many as possible into the conference.
Contact California Lenders for Education (CLFE) to suggest session at
WASFAA as they have done at CASFAA and NASFAA
Request for session ideas from relevant WASFAA chairs (i.e., federal issues, graduate/professional, EDAC, etc). o Social Strategy
Infuse the diversity of Alaska through local dance troupe or music entertainment during Opening session
Exposing participants to diversity of Alaskan citizenry
Provide cost effective entertainment options for each night (e.g., obstacle course state game competition, talent show, musical ensemble)
Organize a WASFAA member tour option at member’s own cost for
Saturday to promote travel to Alaska.
Have pictures streaming on large screen Powe rPoint’s
• Include pictures from annual WASFAA events (i.e., MLI,
Summer Institute, fall trainings, ECs)
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Include pictures of conference as events occur.
• Have volunteer recognition page in PPT with committee name, volunteer members names, state, and school. o Exhibitor/Vender Strategy
Encourage members to spend time by offering refreshments in exhibitor area and more operational hours.
Provide more information about open hours, set-up, and take-down.
Summary of Activities:
Website (http://www.wasfaa.org/docs/toc_conferences.html):
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CONFERENCE REGISTRATION (available by Monday, November
17th) o 210 Registrered as of Monday morning (approx half are schools & half are vendors) - target 325 attendees o 391 Hotel Nights at Hilton
WASFAA Committee Report Page 2 of 5

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CONFERENCE AGENDA
– updated tentative timeline, session titles, and general sessions’ information including major speakers and locations
• LOCATION- updated description of Anchorage and hotel reservation information
• OPTIONAL CRUISE- description of 1 day drive Scenic Seward
Highway & 4-hr Gray Whale Watching Cruise. Available at discount to
WASFAA conference attendees for $99 by Renown Tours
(www.renowntours.com).
• COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT - The Arc is a private, not-forprofit organization dedicated to promoting community integration and quality of life for children and adults who experience developmental disabilities, behavioral health issues, or deafness.
Program
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Tentative Agenda set with 5 sessions during the Early Bird Session timeslot and the post Tuesday morning Federal update. Ten sessions offered in every other time slot.
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Jeff Baker only available by conference call & webcast.
ACTION NEEDED - Feedback from EC. Should we have Jeff Baker via conference call or ask Marianna Deekend give or Philip Day or someone else
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Invited new Secretary of Education - Arne Duncan
• Confirmed student group for Alaskan Native Games & opening
Taekwondo demonstration
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Adjusted time for exhibitor area to reduce costs.
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Facilities
Confirmed AV & Food with Hilton for EC & Conference
Confirmed AV with contractor IMIG at Egan Convention Center
Reviewed food options and room needs with Egan Convention Center
Printing
• Decided on designer in CA (American Direct Mail) who will ssend design to printer in AK
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Gathering information for printing o In additions to basics (letters from Ted & Colleen, Pat, program info) it will also include tear out pocket agenda & notes pages
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• o Brief History of WASFAA to be included
Designing signage
Distributed to committee
Advertising
• Sent article on conference to each state pres &/or newsletter chair in
Nov
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Feb
Requested each state to post to listserv or website in Nov/early Dec &
WASFAA Committee Report Page 3 of 5

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Sent 3 emails to WASFAA Listserv
Sent personalized emails from Ted
Sent nonpersonalized emails to conference attendees for last 3 years who did not register as of Feb 5
Other Activites
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Working on PPT for General Sessions o o
Committee Names and possibly achievements
Award Winners
• o Photos from Archives & Year's Events
Ordered 100 Blue Water Bottle with WASFAA logo and 1969-2009 o Goes with "green" goal o Sold to raise $10 to recoup cost & give $ to Community
Service Project o Can be given as gift to Past Pres
Creating Itinerary for Special Attendees o o o o o o
WASFAA EC members
Speakers
Special Guests - interregional visitors, NASFAA Pres, etc.
Confirmed with Archives
On Ribbons
On various logo items to distribute at conference
On electronic photo montage
Progress Toward Strategic Plan Goals/Activities:
We are making slow but steady progress. See summary of activities for details
Approved Budget Breakdown and Actual Expenditures to Date:
2008 $10,000 Budget
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APPROXIMATE EXPENSES TO DATE:
• $200 invoice for Conference Logo
$1,407 in travel expenses for committee meeting in Anchorage
$7,134.in pre-paid printing costs
2009 $89,375 approved budget
APPROXIMATE EXPENSES TO DATE:
• None
WASFAA Committee Report Page 4 of 5

Suggestions for Committee Chair/Co-Chair or Officer Successor:
* Add fund Development Chair to Committee
* Create contingency plans for in-person meeting if weather conditions may be probelmatic.
* Ask hotel for emergency preparedness plan
* Request electronic "clean" copies of meeting room maps early on.
* Have "alternate" Committee members in case one or more members lose their jobs or move to a different field or can no longer afford to attend confernece.
* Try to have more than one person present each session and not have any one person do more than 2 sessions in case presenter can not attend due to business or personal reasosn.
* Meet with facilities in-person and create communication expectations with hotel and/or convention center staff.
* Look for hidden costs e.g., 23% gratituity for AV and/or food service, personal equipment use fees, food minimums.
* Schedule regular meeting with conference chair(s) and program chair.
* Create contingency plan in case USED Federal Update Speaker will not attend.
* Confirm size of program early & give specs to Fund Dev't for
Vendor/Sponsor Information Early.
* Work with local travel people to arrange activity/tour with transportation at discount making certain that it does not interfere with exhibitor set-up.
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WASFAA Committee Report Page 5 of 5