June 5, 2009
Executive Director's Note
As many of us made the transition from the hectic pace of the spring academic semester to the (at least slightly) less hectic pace of summer planning and student training, we had the perfect opportunity to pause and catch our breath for at least a moment at the ICC’s annual Spring Consultation in May.
This spring has been a challenging time on so many college campuses. Yet it was precisely because of this difficult climate that when 50 ICC member organization professionals gathered in Washington for this unique Consultation, we spent little time pausing to reflect – and we instead focused our time on looking forward and incorporating new lessons into our summer and fall plans. And by many different measures, thanks to the excellent input from the many participating professionals and students, this Consultation was a resounding success.
David Makovsky presented an invaluable and timely overview of the challenges likely to confront Israel and the region in the coming year, while helping us to better understand the ramifications of these global issues on our own campus work. Every bit as important as the time we spent learning from David was the time we spent working in small, interest-based break-out groups – to strategize, collaborate and build upon the information David shared to better plan for the year ahead. We had our outstanding student winners of our ICC Best Practices contest on hand as well; their award-winning pieces by Stephanie Feit and Geoffrey Levin appear on our website. These students informed and deeply enriched every aspect of the day, and I know it was deeply meaningful and impactful for them as well. The structured networking program, in which participants took part in 15-minute appointments with colleagues, was also a great success.
But for me, I found the day – as I’m finding writing this note – to be truly bittersweet, because of a transition of my own. I began the first day of my tenure with the Israel on Campus Coalition three years ago in June, 2006 during a Spring Consultation. And as I shared earlier in May and as we discussed during the Consultation, I will be leaving the ICC in mid-July to pursue a different opportunity – while still working to advocate for a strong US-Israel relationship. My years at the ICC have been deeply rewarding and have taught me so very much, and the students I have met and worked with around the country have been nothing short of inspirational. It may sound cliché, but it’s true – the personal relationships with so many of you, supporters and organizational professionals alike, are what I’ve treasured the most during my time here. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to all of you – and to the phenomenal ICC staff – for the many ways you’ve helped to support me and the goals that we share!
L’hitraot, for now.
David A. Harris