It’s easy to say welcome to Boston. That’s because APSE has accomplished so much this past year. We’re excited to be here for the second time as APSE meets for the 38th annual summer conference.
Boston Globe sports editor Joe Sullivan has done a fabulous job, pretty much planning from the outset when Boston was awarded the host city in 2008.
APSE has printed 190 badges for conference attendees and their guests, panel and workshop participants, vendors and awards winners.
The conference starts with a game at Fenway Park on Wednesday afternoon, a home run for APSE, and will finish Saturday night with a grand slam as we honor the best work in our business.
General sessions and workshops include some of the top sports newsroom executives along with some of the best sports writers in the country.
We’re confident you’ll return to your work places better informed, challenged and invigorated.
We’ve also built in plenty of free time to explore the Boston area for all of the great entertainment it offers.
Unlike 1990 when APSE first came to Boston, much has changed with our organization as well as the business model for our members.
Still, APSE has forged ahead this past year despite many obstacles to promote the brand and be true to our mission statement:
• Improve professional standards of sports departments.
• Improve communications between sports departments and within members.
• Recognize professional excellence among the membership.
My focus during my limited two years as an officer has been a commitment to diversity, sustaining membership and finding ways for APSE to become more inclusive.
I had great mentors with former APSE presidents Lynn Hoppes and Garry D. Howard. And by working alongside both of them helped bring a stronger commitment to diversity even though from an outsider’s view it could appear that little has been done or reversed.
APSE has partnered with Scripps Howard Foundation for three straight years to hold a Diversity Day at Hampton University. The success of the program is now under the umbrella of Sports Journalism Institute. The two Hampton students receiving scholarships have been part of SJI’s 10-day boot camp.
And our commitment and funding to SJI remains strong. I had a direct role in SJI’s move to Missouri School of Journalism starting in 2012 by suggesting the partnership to Greg Bowers of Missouri and Sandy Rosenbush of SJI.
APSE and Association for Women in Sports Media partnered together for the first time in April to co-host a panel discussion on the challenges women continue to face in our industry. It proved to be a springboard for future joint events. For the first time, APSE and AWSM will co-sponsor a convention next summer in Chicago.
APSE’s continued support of diversity initiatives will continue and will grow under the leadership of incoming president Michael Anastasi of the Salt Lake Tribune.
He will announce at the Boston conference plans to start a diversity fellowship program to create both more and better prepared candidates for management positions in the sports departments of the nation’s news organizations.
Membership was on my radar when I took office. E-mails, social media and believe it or not – the telephone – helped bring in former members along with sports editors who had no knowledge of APSE. As one sports editor told me, “I deleted all the emails about renewing membership. Spending 10 minutes on the phone with the president of APSE was reason enough to become a member again.”
I’m convinced that membership has turned the corner. APSE has more than 518 members, including 320 primary members.
And through the efforts of former officer Toby Carrig, APSE is resurrecting the Sports Management Program. Sports editors from smaller newspaper from the eight U.S. regions of APSE have been matched up with mentors from their region.
More is planned. And more will be expected. It will happen under the leadership of Anastasi, Gerry Ahern, Tim Stephens, Ben Brigandi and APSE’s dependable executive director Jack Berninger.
So welcome to Boston. We’re glad you’re here and so is APSE.
