ACE Board of Directors Candidates



Candidate for the office of ACE Vice President

Latasha Ford

Fort Valley State University’s College of Agriculture, Family Sciences and Technology

Latasha Ford is the research communications manager for Fort Valley State University’s (FVSU) College of Agriculture, Family Sciences and Technology. She tells the many stories of students, alumni and communities impacted by Cooperative Extension and research.

Latasha has been a proud member of the Association for Communication Excellence (ACE) for six years. She currently serves on the board as member services director. During her membership, she has also enjoyed serving as the vice chair and chair of the ACE Diversity Learning Community and on various committees, including marketing, nominating, ad hoc website, Critique and Awards and the 2023 Level Up virtual conference. In addition, she is assisting with the 2024 issues management and communication certification.

Latasha is excited about the nomination to continue serving on the board as vice president of a thriving organization. She is grateful to work with an excellent board and energetic leaders as she commits to growing professional and institutional memberships, retaining current members, fostering a welcoming environment, and providing unique and valuable experiences to meet members’ needs.

An award-winning journalist and communicator, Latasha worked in print news for seven years before transitioning to higher education in 2017. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Georgia Southwestern State University and a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from Georgia Southern University (GSU). She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in Curriculum Studies at GSU. In addition to spending time with family and friends, Latasha enjoys writing poetry, reading, empowering students through creativity as a co-creator of FVSU’s Writer’s Playground program, volunteering for a nonprofit organization in her community and serving on the media ministry at her church.



Candidate for Member Services

Kelsey Armstrong

Elon University

Kelsey Armstrong became a member of ACE in 2019 while at North Carolina A&T State University as a public communication specialist, with a focus on SNAP-Ed and EFNEP communication. Since becoming a member, Kelsey has served in various capacities within the organization, including serving on the 2022, 2023, and 2024 ACE conference committees, the vice-chair and chair of the Marketing Learning Community, and the chair of the Marketing and Social Media Learning Community. She recently received her doctoral degree in Communications from Liberty University. Her research focused on how Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) used social media in their crisis communication efforts regarding COVID-19. Currently, she is the Student Life Communication Manager at Elon University. 

Kelsey also has a love for mentorship. She serves as a mentor within Thrive Women's Empowerment. In her free time, she loves to craft and considers herself a true crime queen. 

Vision Statement 

I am pleased and honored to have been nominated for ACE Member Services Director. As a candidate, my vision is EngageACE: Empower, Connect, Elevate, which is anchored on two fundamental pillars: amplifying member engagement across the board and continuing to ensure the increased membership and engagement of 1890 and 1994 land-grant institutions. 

As a graduate from and beginning my ACE membership at an 1890 land-grant institution, I understand the value and possibly gaps in outreach to similar institutions. With this knowledge and prior experience, I am dedicated to developing targeted outreach towards 1890 and 1994 land-grant institutions that address these gaps and recognize their vital role in communication excellence within the field while highlighting the benefits of ACE membership. I would also continue to build upon the ACE ambassador program, inviting institutions to contribute their invaluable insights, perspectives, and expertise to our collective narrative.

I aim to create an enriched experience for existing members by facilitating meaningful relationships. This would be achieved by creating additional engagement initiatives and activities that empower members to actively contribute, share insights and find their voice within ACE.  



Candidate for Learning Communities

Justin Miller

Alabama Cooperative Extension System

In September 2015, I started my career as a student writer for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Taking a full-time position in 2018, I have now served the past six years as a communications and marketing specialist for Alabama Extension, working in the areas of website development and news and media relations.

Since attending my first ACE conference in 2018, I have been an active leader in the ACE community. I have presented professional development workshops at the 2020 and 2022 ACE conferences and have served as vice chair, chair, and past chair of the Social Media Learning Community.

I take much pride in the client-centered projects that I do through my position with Alabama Extension, and I am honored that many of them have received recognition from ACE. During my time with the organization, I have received multiple gold, silver, bronze, and Outstanding Professional Skill awards through the C&A program. Also, in 2022, I was presented with the ACE Rising Star Award.

I hold an Associate of Arts degree from Northeast Alabama Community College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Communications from the Auburn University College of Agriculture.

Vision Statement

I am honored to have been nominated for ACE Learning Communities director. This pivotal role in our organization is one that I believe sets the standard for what our organization will be known for to both our members and the outside world.

Being a member of ACE comes with some many opportunities to expand your knowledge in this wonderful profession. While a mainstay of ACE is the annual conference, it is the work of the learning communities throughout the year that leaves an impression on each member. Unfortunately, people will more often remember failures than triumphs. Because of this, it is important for each learning community to work diligently throughout the year to provide innovative and consistent professional development opportunities to our members. Learning communities are the added value part of ACE. If they provide consistent opportunities for learning and growth, members will clearly see that their financial investment in being a member of ACE is not only worth the money but is an added benefit to their personal careers.

As director, I want to work with each learning community leadership team to develop a plan of work calendar. This plan would outline each professional development opportunity that the learning community wants to offer in the upcoming year. One important aspect that I would like to see in each plan of work is at least two learning opportunities from individuals outside of the organization. It is great to learn from among the members, but by reaching outside of the organization, we can bring new and innovative thoughts and strategies to the world of ACE.

I find it appropriate that the 2024 ACE conference theme is Big Ideas Start Here. This is exactly what I envision for the learning communities in the coming year. Let’s work together to offer learning opportunities that highlight the latest and greatest in the world of communications and marketing. If you are building a house, having a firm foundation is important. However, at some point, you must start building the structure on top of that foundation. Otherwise, you will always be left out in the rain. I know that is a corny example, but I fully believe the same idea applies to growth within this industry. As director, I want learning communities to be bold and think outside of the box when choosing topics for professional development. Go out in the world and find those topics that few people are talking about and let our members be the early adopters and leaders on that topic.

One of my favorite quotes is from the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She said, “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” In any leadership role that I embark on, I keep this saying in mind. I strive each day to be the type of leader who builds bridges and works for the good of the cause. I humbly ask for your vote for the ACE Learning Communities director. If we work together, I believe the best days of ACE are ahead of us.


Candidate for Diversity

Tunyalee Martin

University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources

I became an ACE member in 2016. I assisted with ACE website improvements in both 2017 and 2023. I was an inaugural ACE Mentorship Program mentee. Last year, I was privileged to receive an ACE Rising Star Award. Currently, I’m serving on the conference planning committee. Regarding diversity work, I participated in the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) assessment in 2020. This led me to advocate for an IDI assessment in my own unit, and I’ve since become an IDI-qualified administrator. With three ACE colleagues, I advocated for an Accessibility Learning Community, which led to me becoming the first accessibility co-chair of the newly expanded Diversity & Accessibility Learning Community. With these same individuals, we proposed and were awarded a professional development grant to coordinate webinars on incorporating accessibility into Extension communications. I helped draft the Board diversity director role description. And I’m currently serving as diversity co-chair for the Diversity & Accessibility Learning Community.

I’ll be honest. I’m not very good at coming up with and articulating a vision. But the nice thing is, I know you all have a vision in you for what a diverse and inclusive ACE looks like. And I’m dang good at implementing a vision once it is formed. In the meantime, I’ll rely on the diversity director role description for direction and Stanford’s Board Diversity Playbook to implement diversity criteria into ACE’s Board nomination and onboarding processes if needed. I plan to document the history of diversity work within ACE to make what has already been accomplished more visible, as well as to help see where we need to go. And I would like to focus on continuing to support the culture of belonging that is already a part of ACE.

From my first ACE conference, I felt welcome. And I’ll tell you why, but first, let me introduce myself. I work for the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. I manage a team of editors and IT programmers who develop print and online products for the Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM). My educational background is in entomology where I specialized in pest management and insect physiology. You’ll note that nowhere in my educational training does it say communications or journalism or graphic design or social media expert. I called myself a faux communicator.

One-on-one conversations with other ACE members helped me to become more and more involved. Task force leaders invited me to become a part of committees. Presidents sat next to me at breakfast and started conversations. Mentors, both formal and informal, helped me gain the confidence to become more involved in leadership positions and to stop calling myself a faux communicator. And I enjoy the humor, energizing energy, and collaboration with fellow ACE Ambassadors to welcome new members. The work of belonging is well underway at ACE.

I am in awe of everyone in ACE—your passion, expertise, and willingness to share both with others. There have been a lot of firsts for me as a part of ACE. I’d be honored to continue these firsts and serve as the first board member focusing on diversity.

A Californian, I grew up and continue to live in the Bay Area (near San Francisco…go 49ers!). I am an Okinawan/Japanese mom of two humans and four animals. As an avid person who fishes, but doesn’t always catch, I want to see all your big fish photos. I enjoy driving my car too fast, attempting to grow fruits and vegetables, and visible mending. LinkedIn: @TunyaleeMartin




Candidate for Retiree 

Elaine Edwards

Retired

Hi to the ACE community. I am pleased to be nominated to serve as Retirees Director on the ACE Board of Directors. I first joined ACE in 1988 when working for Iowa State University Extension Communications. In 2008, I transitioned to Kansas State University, also in communications. While at K-State I was elected to the ACE Board as vice president, serving as President in 2011. I also served as ACE treasurer for a number of years, co-chaired the Media Relations SIG and the ACE Writing Workshop held in Ames many years ago. 

In 2015 I left my university position and became an entrepreneur, investing in and operating a bed and breakfast in a tourist community in Minnesota. There I learned firsthand the importance of university research and its application to economic development on the local level. In addition to participating in the Blandin Community Leadership program, I also helped secure a grant for our small community to take part in Rural Economic Venture, a program out of Lincoln, Nebraska. Through REV and with support from Minnesota Extension staff, we streamlined business systems for entrepreneurs in our community. I served as president of our local economic development authority for six years, as well the Minnesota Bed and Breakfast Association board and a local arts board. In 2022, we retired to Ames, Iowa to live near our sons and especially two adorable grandsons.

ACE provided me the opportunity to expand critical thinking when it came to land-grant communications. Our work never stopped at our state’s border, but was often accomplished due to conversations, planning and actions through working with other professionals. We definitely learned from each other. I always thought I was so lucky to have ACE colleagues throughout the country and the world.

I hope to be able to lend a listening ear to the ACE Board and to retirees, and to help the organization provide value and benefits to all of its members. At the 2024 Utah conference, retirees plan to conduct a review of the ACE organization and report back suggestions to the board.  I am hopeful what we learn from this review can be the basis of fruitful discussions and provide strategic direction to the ACE Board going forward.



©2023 Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences

ACE Office: 847-647-8861

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software