Hello to all,
 
I extend my greetings to everyone. My name is Bill Morgal, and it is an honor to serve EAST-COMM and its membership as President in 2026-27. I will give you the best that I can give while I am in this role.
 
EAST-COMM conducted a small yet effective workshop last month in Williamsport that included a tremendous agenda of professional development. A special shout-out to Lycoming's Joe Guistina, who went above and beyond in every respect to make sure that the workshop went well. The work that he and Susquehanna's Dan Graham did as the leaders of the local organizing committee is truly commendable.
 
On behalf of the executive board, I know how grateful we are to all those who attended; the annual gathering is a tremendous reminder of just how important fellowship is to our profession.
 
As "summer" wraps up there are a couple items of interest I want to bring to everyone's attention:
 

• 2026-27 EAST-COMM Memberships
As I'm sure you've seen, CSC is rolling out a new platform for its membership signup. When you go to sign up in August, I ask that you also consider a membership in EAST-COMM – for which there will once again be an add-on registration option during CSC signup.
 
The price will remains the same: $75 per school. A membership will discount your workshop registration and also provide other various benefits, including academic honor roll recognition for your school's student-athletes. One of the goals of the executive board in 2026-27 will be seek additional ways that we can recognize not only the student-athletes of member schools, but its hard-working athletic communicators as well.
 

• EAST-COMM Executive Board and Committee Openings
If there is anyone who is interested in serving on an EAST-COMM committee (Workshop, Membership Services, Rookie, and more!), or helping in some other manner, please send me an e-mail (wjmorgal@ship.edu) and I will pass it on to the Executive Board! We are in need of assistance, and I greatly appreciate the consideration!
 

• One Other Note
Lastly, there's one other thing I wish to impart as we get ready to dive into the deep end of the pool here soon.
 
The overwhelming majority of us have arrived upon this profession because it is something that we are passionate about. The work that we do hopefully gives us some satisfaction. But now, more than ever, the amount of work that is asked of us is extravagant, and the difficulty of the job function borders at times on extreme.
 
In 2026-27, I ask that you do the best that you can to take care of yourself. Take the time that you can. As I've learned a lot recently, we cannot give our best self to others unless we strive to maintain our own self. There will be hard times, so find those moments in which you can do something to further your own well-being.
 
And also remember that we are all here for each other. We can take care of each other, too. Don't ever hesitate to reach out to a colleague for any reason.
 
I wish the best for everyone in 2026-27. Please reach out to us if we can answer any questions.
 
Thanks,
Bill Morgal
2026-27 EAST-COMM President
wjmorgal@ship.edu
717-477-1206