ERICSA’s Portland, Maine 2005 Conference:
"Child Support: A Safe Harbor for Children"
2005 Conference Photo Gallery
The Conference
Over 400 ERICSA attendees from 36 states proved that learning can be enjoyable at
the 42nd Annual Training Conference and Exposition at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in
Portland, Maine, May 15-19, 2005. The conference featured 40 workshops, 4 plenaries
and 6 brownbag sessions that focused on cutting-edge issues as well as child support
"nuts-and-bolts" topics.
The conference started Sunday with the President’s Reception at the Portland
Museum of Art, followed by a memorable opening session Monday morning featuring
Mayor Jill Duson, Maine IV-D Director Steve Hussey, the Coast Guard Color Guard
featuring the vocals of Michaela Thurlow, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle
School Chorus. The Felix Infausto Award winner was the deserving Mary Ann Nore,
who has ably served ERICSA for many years as President and as an advisor. Keynote
Speaker David Siegel, Acting OCSE Commissioner, set the tone for the conference by
reinforcing the goals and objectives of the National Strategic Plan and highlighting
what steps each of us can take to ensure that children are supported by both parents.
The first plenary panel on medical support thoughtfully looked at various aspects
of an issue that will be at the forefront of every program in the coming years.
Tuesday we heard humorist Tim Sample put a Maine spin (and accent) on everyday life
and coping with stress. Wednesday we had a poignant introduction to a panel
discussing the new Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, showing scenes of our
servicemembers overseas. The panel educated attendees on the steps we need to take to
ensure that the children of a soldier, sailor or airman are supported without
jeopardizing the rights of the servicemember. Thursday, a concluding interstate
panel summed up where we are in interstate child support, and solicited ideas about
where we need to go as a community and what ERICSA can do to facilitate that
transformation.
We had experts from Canada explain the intricacies of provincial child support,
paternity experts describe the science behind genetic testing, employer community
representatives discuss the role of employers in child support, and extraordinary
performances from the paternity disestablishment mock trial ensemble. We had two
two-part sessions on employers and child support and arrears management. We also had
customer service, fatherhood, marriage, time management and motivation workshops as
well. Our Wednesday banquet of lobster and filet mignon put a tasty exclamation
point on the conference, followed by some DJ-inspired late-night dancing. After a
full breakfast Thursday morning and the interactive interstate plenary session, the
conference closed with our annual membership meeting. From the comments received, it
appears that the sessions were informative and the attendees had a good time.
CD
A CD compilation of the handouts will be available in late June, mailed to each
attendee’s address. The handouts will also be published on a member-only web page on
our website.
Thanks
I would be remiss if I did not thank outgoing ERICSA President Gordon Moseley for his
guidance. Gordon fought off illnesses that would have stopped others to provide us
leadership and inspiration. I also want to thank Cyndy Lucas for her great food
choices, Diane Jordan for her excellent work with the vendors, Patterson Calhoun for
her newsletter debut and registration and secretarial work, and Bob Fisler, for taking
care of ERICSA financially.
Chrissy Brogdon Dingeldine, who started us down the strategic plan path as
President and who has energized ERICSA over the past few years, will be taking a
breather from the board. She will be deeply missed in the interim. Her husband,
Jim Dingeldine, will continue to serve on the board. Jim is the impetus behind our
new website and was a wonderful session coordinator.
Diane Fray and Connie White served as Policy and Legislation Co-chairs for us,
producing terrific, insightful position papers. Elaine Poole, Doris Ryans and Bill
Stuart made sure our books were in order. Doris also did a magnificent job with the
volunteers, as did Elaine with speaker gifts. John Macklin did an extraordinary job
as site chair, opening ceremony coordinator and as a session coordinator. His
continuous, diligent work on behalf of ERICSA is greatly appreciated. Jarnice
Johnson stepped up not only as a session coordinator, but also to take over the
speaker-ready room duties.
Mark Cheek was a session coordinator and worked diligently on the site committee.
Ruth Bell Clark imparted her wisdom to the board on policy matters. Craig Kelly
oversaw our grants committee. Coessa Kenney made sure that last year’s evaluations
were compiled and disseminated for analysis, and prepared this year’s forms as well.
Robyn Large was the chair of the strategic planning committee this year, and Jerry
Sweet headed our Resolutions and Bylaws Committee. Sadly for us, the talented June
Mickens left our board this spring to pursue opportunities outside of child support.
The honorary board and some life members worked hard along side the active board
members. Tim Morrison, Larry Kloud and Kim Goodwin deserve our accolades for their
impressive work regarding registration and the conference materials.
Along with John Macklin, Mark Cheek, Jarnice Johnson, and Jim Dingeldine, session
coordinators Patti Spear, Charlene Butler, Jessica Bulla and Catharine Bayse were
terrific, bearing a lot of the responsibility for the success of the conference. The
session coordinators relied on the great efforts of the workshop coordinators to line
up presenters and moderators and to make sure the internal deadlines were met.
Thanks to those who served as workshop coordinators - Meg Haynes, Susan Paikin, Steve
Hussey, Veronica Lamke, Karen Torrisi, Linda Hudson, Sara McCollum, June Mickens,
Jessica Bulla, Diane Fray, Connie White, Lee Sapienza, Mary Ann Wellbank, Patti Spear
, Kim Ross, Robyn Large, Charlene Butler, Cyndy Lucas, Coessa Kenney, Nick Young,
John Macklin, Chrissy Dingeldine, Yvette Riddick, Patterson Calhoun, Nancy Crawford,
Mary Ann Nore, Yehuda Lebovitz, Mark Cheek, Elaine Poole and Laura Kadwell,
Thanks to the presenters and moderators for the time they took to prepare and
present. Also, our appreciation goes out to the volunteers from several New England
states who made sure our workshops were on track.
Finally, the biggest appreciation goes to the attendees for their support of
ERICSA. ERICSA depends on the good will, interest and knowledge of its membership.
We were shown a lot of all three at our Portland conference. Please continue to
support us throughout the year by joining one of our committees and by helping us
with our efforts to improve interstate child support enforcement.
See you April 23-27, 2006, at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort in Clearwater,
Florida, for ERICSA’s 43rd Annual Training Conference and Exposition.
Future Conference Sites
If you like to plan ahead, we will be in
Clearwater, Florida, April 23-27, 2006
Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort
Norfolk, Virginia, May 6-10, 2007
Marriott Norfolk Waterside
Memphis, Tennessee, April 13-17, 2008
The Peabody Hotel
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