ACE Background

What is ACE?

The Association for Communication Excellence (ACE) is an international association of professionals who practice in all areas of communication. ACE was organized in 1913 as a professional society for college agricultural editors and is an organization that changes and responds to its members’ needs.

ACE is dedicated to the professional development of its members. Today’s communicators require a network of support, plugging them into sources, facts, trends, training, and technology. “Agricultural” communicators – those of us dedicated to the broad field of agriculture and the environment, food and fiber, family and youth issues, and many related aspects – require another layer of fine-tuned support. An annual international meeting helps members develop communication strategies and plans, increases our technical knowledge and skills, and provides a venue to network with colleagues from across the U.S.

Who are we?

Most of ACE’s members are faculty and staff members at land-grant and sea-grant universities throughout the United States and in similar institutions in other nations. Some ACE members are employed be the federal government and others by associated agribusinesses. Some are employed at international agricultural research centers around the world. Others work in developing nations. ACE members include both active and retired communicators.

What do we do?

ACE members include writers, editors, graphic designers, webmasters, broadcasters, information technologists, photographers, administrators, researchers, teachers, videographers and others in the communications field. We are the communications backbone of the land-grant research and education network established in the United States more than a century ago. We plan, prepare and disseminate research results and Extension educational materials. We distribute research-based information to scientists and technicians, and practical, problem-solving information to people who put it to work: farmers, families, foresters, food processors, ranchers, homemakers, news media, youth, marine businesses, businesses and many others.