Presiding: Dr. Jeanetta D. Sims, NCA President

On Friday, April 11, delegates of NCA’s Legislative Assembly (LA) gathered virtually for the first meeting of the year. The session focused on providing key updates on initiatives tied to the Strategic Plan and IDEA Strategic Plan goals, as well as conducting essential Association business. A total of 93 delegates participated.

As outlined in Article III, Section 3 of the NCA Bylaws, “The Legislative Assembly shall exercise fiduciary responsibility over the affairs of NCA and is responsible for the overall strategic direction and policymaking of the Association.” All Legislative Assembly business follows Robert’s Rules of Order, is legally governed by the Bylaws, and is guided by the priorities of the Strategic Plan and IDEA Strategic Plan.

Meeting Highlights

Journal Editor Approval

The LA approved the appointments of four new journal editors. These nominees were recommended by the Publications Council, endorsed by the Executive Committee (EC), and forwarded to the Legislative Assembly for final approval.

The following appointments were confirmed:

• Communication and Race– Sudeshna Roy, Marquette University
• Communication Education– Narissra Punyanunt-Carter, Texas Tech University
• Journal of Applied Communication Research – Rahul Mitra, Wayne State University

Each editor will serve as Editor-Elect from Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2025, and as editor from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2028.

Additionally, the LA approved a one-year editorial term extension for Mahuya Pal, University of South Florida, current editor of the Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, extending the term through Dec. 31, 2027.

Congratulations to all those appointed!

L.I.F.T./Strategic Planning Discussions

Participants also engaged in two rounds of small group discussions designed to spark forward-looking ideas and reflect on the Association’s strategic direction.

• Session I: Groups explored the theme of L.I.F.T. (Leading with Imagination and Forward Thinking), identifying areas where NCA must take a more future-focused approach and highlighting the area(s) they viewed as most urgent.
• Session II: Groups reviewed NCA’s Strategic Plan, reflecting on the Association’s progress toward its goals and identifying opportunities for continued growth.

Future Meetings

The Executive Committee (EC) and Legislative Assembly (LA) schedule for the remainder of the year is as follows:

• May 14 – EC Meeting (Virtual)
• June 6 – EC Meeting (Virtual)
• June 11 – EC Meeting (Virtual)
• July 9 – EC Meeting (Virtual)
• July 29 – Aug. 2 – EC Meeting (Washington, DC)
• Aug. 13 – EC Meeting (Virtual)
• Sept. 10 – EC Meeting (Virtual)
• Oct. 8 – EC Meeting (Virtual)
• Nov. 12 – EC Meeting (Virtual)
• Nov. 19 – EC Meeting (Denver, CO)
• Nov. 19 and 22 – LA Meeting (Denver, CO)
• Dec. 10 – EC Meeting (Virtual)