January 8, 2025

Dear Colleagues:

As I conclude my second term as AAEC president, I’d like to leave you with a few thoughts as I turn the job over to the very able Marc Murphy.

First, the AAEC is in fairly solid financial shape for the next five years or so, depending. I am hopeful that some long-pursued financial stability measures I have taken will pay off soon, and I am confident they will. Any event horizon in journalism that runs five years is pretty good. This means full conventions at what I hope are the same level of services we’ve been able to provide in the past.

Second, in conjunction with the AAEC Board, we moved forward on the final restoration of a functioning AAEC website. While it still is a little glitchy (WordPress, oy…), we’ve got the basic functions down and will be able to simplify some others soon. The revamp of the website, instituted during my first presidency in 2015-2016, has been, as you know, something of a trial. 

Through no one’s fault, really, the original plan was to replace the old website. Then the contractor was hospitalized with a near fatal disease and was out of the picture for a long time. Through several presidencies, we all struggled with the failing architecture, and finally decided that a complete tear-down was necessary. 

I, along, with the board, and specifically the yeoman work of Jape Trostle, working with a new contractor, were able to relaunch the website last year. [See page 6.]

I am confident that this effort has paid off.

Third, while we all face challenges surviving the new journalism environment, coming together in an annual conventions has been useful for all of us, as we learn new paths forward to keep doing what we all love to do, which is draw effective editorial cartoons. The top goals I had were financial stability, the continuation of the conventions, and recruiting a solid leadership team going forward.

Fourth, I am thrilled that the new leadership team will be led by the brilliant and able Louisville Courier Journal cartoonist (and law professor) Marc Murphy. From the moment I met Marc, I knew that he was a top-flight talent and a future president of the AAEC. I was delighted he accepted my multiple entreaties to serve, along with John Auchter, a wonderful and thoughtful man, as Vice President. We have a great new board as well, including Clay Jones, Paul Tarr, Steve Stegelin, and Alexandra Bowman. Monte Wolverton, our Secretary-Treasurer, is truly the glue of the AAEC.

Having Kevin Necessary as our acting President and Vice President has been a godsend as well, and Kevin will shift his role to taking over some of Jape’s responsibilities.

I cannot say how much Kelsey Maher has helped the AAEC as our manager. She has done everything from catering (herself) to the day-to-day operations of AAEC.

Jape Trostle, as you all know, has been indispensable to the AAEC over decades, and we all owe him a debt of gratitude as he steps away from his role as our comms director, or, as he likes to say, Minister of Information.

As our parliamentarian, Scott Burns has been more than a friend to the AAEC. I am not sure what words I would use, but no greater love comes immediately to mind, along with his dear sister Maryellen. Scott has spent countless hours giving me excellent advice as I fretted over everything from convention programs to where are we going to get the chairs?

They stepped up time after time, never complaining, always volunteering when I needed them. I could not have better friends, and neither could you.

It’s the people I’ve cited that truly have kept us afloat over the past decade. Without them, and the very effective presidents and officers we’ve had since I got into leadership in 2012, the AAEC might not have made it.

I’ve served as the only two-term President of the AAEC, twice as Vice President, many times as a Director, and convention host in 2010 (Portland), 2018 (Sacramento), and 2023 (San Francisco), the year I was fired.

If you would have told me this in 1981, when I was perceived as the dreaded neoconservative (snort) MacNelly Clone at age 20, I would have laughed derisively at the notion of me being in the AAEC, let alone President. At 64 and change, I’ve seen this profession undergo such a radical transformation that I hardly recognize it now, and neither do you.

AAEC conventions used to be cliquish bitchfests thirty years ago. Now they’re part group therapy sessions and part job workshops. That’s a testament to the devotion you all have to your craft and our organization. Throughout all the changes, you have remained steadfast, courageous, and tenacious. 

I could not have asked anything more of you.

Finally, I consider my second greatest accomplishment as corralling and recruiting an effective leadership team, such as Marc Murphy.

My first accomplishment has been being your friend.

Finally, I will always be here to help Marc and the new board navigate the shoals of our profession as it relates to AAEC. 

As you might have guessed, I’m an extrovert and a politician (read: congenital schmoozer) at heart. I have loved being AAEC President, and take pride in knowing you all entrusted me with your confidence. Through multiple hairstyles, I have worked hard to make you feel that I was worthy of it.

Maybe I will even catch up on my dues.

See you soon, and I ask you to stay in touch with any concerns you have, and will try to help in any way that I can.

Cordially,
Jack

Jack Ohman
AAEC President, 2023-2024