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Quick LinksWhat's NewFuture Conference Site Selection The NAACO Board is working with conference chair Kim Fuller to develop a standout conference in Nashville, TN, USA, in February 2009, and the dates are now on the NAACO web site. More details will... → Read more...
About NAACO... The HistoryUntil NAACO formed, no formal organization that existed focused on commencement and other graduation ceremonies. The individuals charged with planning graduation events were left to operate alone unless they had been fortunate enough to forge working relationships with other graduation officers in their areas. NAACO grew out of a discussion at an Arizona State University Commencement ceremony when Carol Switzer, Director of Commencement at Arizona State University, and Bruce Franke, Chappell Studio representative, talked about the need for institutions that were doing Commencement well to be able to share expertise and information among themselves and with others. In 1999 the ASU Commencement office hired a program coordinator who was willing to take on the task of coordinating the formation of a new national organization. Melissa Werner, the other NAACO co-founder, spearheaded the formation of the North American Association of Commencement Officers. Other universities in Arizona were excited by the prospect of networking and an initial meeting was held in Tempe in June of 2000. The first planning board consisted of
The first meeting was to discuss the possibility of a national organization for commencement and graduation planners with an occasional conference. In just over six months the Inaugural Conference of the North American Association of Commencement Officers was planned. The first conference was hosted by and held on the campus of Arizona State University, February 22-24, 2001. 75 participants from large and small, public and private institutions from the US and Canada came together for two and half days of workshops and networking. On the last day of the conference the charter board of executive officers were installed. Members of the charter executive board were:
The success of the inaugural conference lead to the structure of an annual conference which has grown steadily in attendance by both member and non-member institutions from across the United States and Canada. Conference Locations:
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