January 2014

To All IFA Members and Interested Others,

Autumn is past and winter is clearly upon us in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Right now we are experi-encing a period of deep freeze with beautiful snow everywhere. While mobility is limited and as we enter 2014, this is an ideal time to refl ect on the year recently past. Indeed 2013 was a remarkably productive one for IFA.

In the last issue of the Journal of Fluency Disorders (38/4), I shared with you updates regarding IFA’s Elections, Revised Bylaws and Strategic Plan, Newsletter, 2015 World Congress Plans, History and Archive, Professional Liaisons, and Membership. In this issue, I will review IFA’s achievements in 2013, project to IFA’s future, and present IFA’s fi rst ever Strategic Plan (2013–2020). These sections should give you a clear idea of what to expect within IFA, as it is on a clear and ambitious course.

IFA 2013: A Small Review of a Big Year

Thanks to IFA’s active and engaged General Membership, members of IFA’s Standing Committees, and IFA’s Board of Directors (IFA’s elected offi ces – i.e., IFA’s Executive Board - and Chairpersons of IFA’s Standing Committees), IFA has had a most productive and memorable year. Remember that the name and contact information for each member of IFA’s Board of Directors and much more is readily available on IFA’s website (www.theifa.org). Here are a few highlights from 2013, as reported by the Chairperson of the respective Committee, as indicated below:

• Membership Committee. Shelley Brundage has been creative in contacting members and potential members of IFA to encourage both membership renewals and new memberships. She reported that IFA membership continues to rise in numbers.

• Nominations, Elections, and Awards Committee. Welcome to Shelly Jo Kraft (USA) as the new Chairperson. This committee unveiled a variety of new IFA awards and recognitions for which you are encouraged to nominate one or more deserving members (see Journal of Fluency Disorders, 38/3, September 2013). Also, elections were completed in early December 2013. As a result of the elections, welcome to Elaine Kelman (England), who will serve as IFA President Elect through December 31, 2014 (replacing a vacated position) and as IFA President from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2017. Welcome also to Rachel Everard (England), our new IFA Treasurer, and Shoko Miyamoto (Japan), our IFA Member-at-Large, both of whom will serve from January 1, 2014 through December 15, 2015. Special thanks goes to Trudy Stewart, whose service a Chairperson of Nominations, Elections, and Awards, and Dorothy Ross, whose service as IFA

Journal of Fluency Disorders 39 ( 2014 ) 51–63

doi: 10.1016/S0094-730X(14)00017-5

International Fluency Association News/President’s Column

52 IFA News

Treasurer, have contributed signifi cantly to IFA’s advancement. Look for the next call for nominations in late summer 2014 to identify candidates for election in October 2014 of IFA President Elect and IFA Secretary. Both terms will be from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2017. The President Elect then will serve as President from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2020. The terms specifi ed here correspond to that in IFA’s Revised Bylaws (approved November 18, 2013; see below).

• Meetings and Conferences Committee. Hilda Sønsterud reported that IFA’s Eighth World Congress on Fluency Disorders – commemorating IFA’s 25th anniversary - will be held July 6-8, 2015 at Catholic University in Lisbon, Portugal. Having received numerous excellent and inviting bids, Portugal was accepted because it was most advantageous to IFA and responsive to the feedback that IFA’s General Membership provided in response to a survey distributed in October 2012. IFA’s 2015 congress will be an exciting collaboration between IFA, ICA (International Cluttering Association), and the Portuguese team, and will address stuttering, cluttering, and other fl uency disorders. The Congress also will invite participation from the stuttering community and will encourage collaboration between professionals and people with fl uency disorders. More details will appear on IFA’s website soon.

• Professional Liaisons Committee. Vilma Makauskiene reported that membership on the Professional Liaisons Committee represents six continents and is sharing with the IFA’s General Membership the diverse activi-ties relating to fl uency and fl uency disorders that are occurring worldwide. Vilma also distributed a survey internationally to identify recent and upcoming conferences related to fl uency disorders, professional training for speech-language pathologists who treat people with fl uency disorders, requirements to become specialists in fl uency disorders, intervention programs available for people who stutter, settings in which treatment is conducted, collaborative opportunities for speech-language pathologists with allied professionals, information available about IFA, self-help activities and peer-to-peer groups available for people who stutter, and more. Results of this outstanding survey are available to IFA members on IFA’s website.

• Self-Help and Consumer Affairs Committee. Mark Irwin indicated that the committee members continue to make progress toward its fi ve previously reported objectives (see Journal of Fluency Disorders, 38/2, June 2013) through online discussions and Skype meetings. From this committee’s third quarter 2013 report, Mark shared, “Of immediate concern is debate around the nature of stuttering and the extent of disability. Two of the key questions being considered are … Given that the extent of the pathology of dysfl uency is not related to the extent of pathology of psychosocial impact, then should stuttering be associated with potentially two diagnoses and therefore two disabilities? And on the question of disability, what emphasis should be given to the social model of disability which would highlight the legitimacy of acceptance rather than the continued focus on need for cure?” More information about this committee’s activities and deliberations can be found on IFA’s website.

• Research and Publications Committee. Joe Donaher released an electronic newsletter in October 2013 to all IFA members, which was well received, and posted it to IFA’s website. Planned to be biannual, the newsletter’s purposes are to increase international dialogue among IFA members and interested others about diverse topics and controversies. As such, IFA does not necessarily endorse the information pre-sented in the newsletter. Members are encouraged to submit stories, commentaries, questions, and chal-lenges for other members to consider. The newsletter also presents information of interest from the IFA Board of Directors. Feel free to review the newsletter on IFA’s website and to forward your questions and contributions to Joe.

• Finance Committee: Until the end of 2013, Dorothy Ross served IFA for many years as IFA Treasurer and Chairperson of the Finance Committee. As such, she has kept IFA fi scally sound and safely “in the black.”

IFA News 53

IFA is indebted to her and appreciates her assistance in transitioning these duties to Rachel Everard.

• Website and Technology Committee: James Au-Yeung continued to work his magic as IFA’s webmaster. As a rule, he welcomes and responds (i.e., typically within minutes) to feedback and contributions from IFA’s Board of Directors and General Membership.

• Instruction and Training Committee: Nan Bernstein Ratner maintained an arrangement with Elsevier and the Journal of Fluency Disorders such that IFA members continue to receive Continuing Education Units (CEUs) as a benefi t of IFA membership (i.e., at no additional cost). She and the committee also created a “Find an Expert” section on IFA’s website. They are currently considering ways to utilize some of the pages allotted to IFA in the Journal of Fluency Disorders as a way to disseminate instructional papers about fl uency and fl uency disorders to clinicians and others in rural and remote locations.

• Historians/Archivists: Per Knudsen and Hermann Christmann are writing and documenting the rich history of IFA and creating an archive of seminal documents they received from present and past IFA members from around the world. These treasures will become available on IFA’s website in 2014.

IFA’s Future

As you can see, IFA experienced signifi cant progress in 2013. Two other accomplishments with particular signifi -cance to charting IFA’s future were the completion and approval of IFA’s fi rst ever Strategic Plan (2013-2020) and IFA’s Revised Bylaws, which were originally adopted in 1994, following establishment of IFA’s Founding Articles in 1990.

• IFA’s Strategic Plan 2013-2020 articulates IFA’s Mission, Vision, and Guiding Principles/Core Values and charts IFA’s future on the bases of seven distinct and ambitious Priorities. IFA’s Strategic Plan 2013-2020 is the result of feedback provided by and interaction among IFA’s General Membership and IFA’s Board of Directors. A copy of the original, signed document can be found on IFA’s website. It is included here in the section that follows in order to maximize dissemination and accountability and to facilitate retrieval. IFA’s Strategic Plan 2013-2020 was approved by IFA’s General Membership on December 31, 2013.

• IFA’s Revised Bylaws document eight Articles addressing the structure and function of the IFA. After being revised on the basis of feedback from IFA’s General Membership and IFA’s Board of Directors, it was approved by IFA’s General Membership on November 18, 2013. A copy of the original, signed document can be found on IFA’s website. Also for dissemination, accountability, and retrieval, it will be published in the next issue of the Journal of Fluency Disorders (39/2).

• In the works. As of this writing, the second electronic meeting of IFA’s Board of Directors is being planned, as is the fi rst ever electronic meeting of IFA’s General Membership. More information will be released about these two meetings on IFA’s website and in the next issue of the Journal of Fluency Disorders.

Once again, thank you for your individual and collective commitment to IFA. As we enter 2014, IFA is healthier and stronger than ever. Your IFA Strategic Plan 2013-2020 follows. Happy ’14 to all.

54 IFA News

International Fluency AssociationStrategic Plan 2013 – 2020

Mission

The International Fluency Association is a non-profi t, international, interdisciplinary organization devoted to the understanding of fl uency, to the understanding and management of fl uency disorders, and to the improvement in the quality of life for persons with fl uency disorders.

Vision

The International Fluency Association will be the quintessential leader worldwide in helping every professional related to fl uency disorders become knowledgeable, skilled, and compassionate and every person with a fl uency disorder to be the benefi ciary of an informed global community.

Guiding Principles/Core Values

The International Fluency Association shall strive in all ways to be international. The General Membership, Executive Board, Board of Directors, Committee Chairs, and Committee Members shall include representatives from different continents so as to maximize diversity to the extent possible. International issues affecting fl uency disorders or people with fl uency disorders shall be given higher priority than local or regional issues.

The International Fluency Association shall provide a forum for all points of view that are consistent with its mission. All individuals engaged in research, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment pertaining to fl uency disorders, or in any other activity consistent with the mission of the International Fluency Association, such as participation in the development and maintenance of self-help (peer-to-peer) groups for those with fl uency disorders, are eligible for membership in the International Fluency Association.

The International Fluency Association shall encourage expression of varying points of view with respect to theoretical or debatable issues concerning the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of individuals with fl uency disorders rather than strive for consensus among its membership on such issues.

Priority 1Stimulate interdisciplinary thought and research in the area of fl uency and fl uency disorders. [Organizer: Research]

• Continue to encourage scholarly research and publication in the Journal of Fluency Disorders. Responsibility of: Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Fluency Disorders Timeline: Ongoing

IFA News 55

• Continue to plan and conduct the IFA World Congress on Fluency Disorders every three years. Responsibility of: Meetings and Conferences Committee Timeline: Ongoing

• Post the presentation abstracts from the 7th World Congress on Fluency Disorders (2012 in Tours, France) in the Members’ Only section of IFA website. Responsibility of: Website and Technology Committee Timeline: 2013

• Explore and implement ideas to contain costs related to IFA Congresses on Fluency Disorders. Responsibility of: Meetings and Conferences Committee Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Consider revised manuscript formats for the Journal of Fluency Disorders, introduce reviewer training, and design a new point system to heighten consistency of reviewer evaluations. Responsibility of: Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Fluency Disorders Timeline: 2014

• Encourage scholarly research and submission of quality manuscripts for publication in the Journal of Fluency Disorders from diverse, international locations that have been under-represented or unrepresented. Responsibility of: Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Fluency Disorders Timeline: 2014 and ongoing

• Use social media and the IFA website to provide instruction for professionals and people with fl uency disorders in developing and underserved countries. Responsibility of: Instruction and Training Committee Timeline: 2015 and ongoing

• Initiate collaborative research projects involving a greater number of IFA members. Responsibility of: Research and Publications Committee Timeline: 2015 and ongoing

• Prepare a stronger research-based IFA World Congress on Fluency Disorders. Responsibility of: Meetings and Conferences Committee Timeline: 2015, 2018

• Organize a collaborative World Congress on Fluency Disorders with other associations concerning fl uency disorders (International Fluency Association, International Cluttering Association, and International Stuttering Association). Responsibility of: Meetings and Conferences Committee Timeline: 2015, 2018

• Create an edited proceedings of the IFA World Congress on Fluency Disorders. Responsibility of: Meetings and Conferences Committee Timeline: 2015, 2018

• Stream and/or videotape selected portions of the IFA World Congress on Fluency Disorders for dissemination in developing and underserved countries. Responsibility of: Meetings and Conferences Committee Timeline: 2015, 2018

56 IFA News

• Create opportunities for more interaction between the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Fluency Disorders and the IFA membership. Responsibility of: Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Fluency Disorders Timeline: 2015 and ongoing

• Create and maintain an internet-based chat site for exchange of clinical and research experiences from people in different countries. Responsibility of: Website and Technology Committee Timeline: 2015 and ongoing

• Encourage emerging research and application of research fi ndings to clinical practice. Responsibility of: Research and Publications Committee Timeline: 2016 and ongoing

Priority 2Encourage and facilitate the development of interdisciplinary approaches to the prevention and management of fl uency disorders. [Organizer: Intervention]

• Continue to coordinate Continuing Education Unit (CEU) opportunities for those with Full Membership in IFA. Responsibility of: Instruction and Training Committee Timeline: Ongoing

• Identify a group of experts in the fi eld of fl uency and fl uency disorders who are willing to provide training at minimal or no charge for developing and underserved countries via the internet, in person, or other venues. Responsibility of: Instruction and Training Committee Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Conduct yearly online conferences focusing on a specialized aspect of fl uency, fl uency disorders, or interven-tion for people with fl uency disorders. Responsibility of: Instruction and Training Committee Timeline: 2014 and ongoing

• Create one-on-one mentoring relationships between novice and seasoned clinicians/fl uency specialists. Responsibility of: Instruction and Training Committee Timeline: 2015 and ongoing

• Encourage psychological training and counselling skills to be part of professional preparation of speech-language pathologists. Responsibility of: Self Help and Consumer Affairs Committee Timeline: 2015 and ongoing

• Create mentorship, training, and other instructional opportunities within the professional and consumer communities, particularly in underserved and developing countries, using online presentations, webinars, and other venues on the forefront of technology. Responsibility of: Instruction and Training Committee Timeline: 2016 and ongoing

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• Promote interaction and forums to exchange clinical experiences, assessment and treatment procedures, and models of intervention. Responsibility of: Website and Technology Committee Timeline: 2016 and ongoing

• Create research groups composed of IFA members and affi liates associated with public and private institutions to report group data resulting from specifi c forms of intervention refl ecting progress of clients with fl uency disorders. Responsibility of: Research and Publications Committee Timeline: 2016 and ongoing

• Respond to consumer-initiated inquiry about validity claims made by proponents of specifi c interventions by publishing a report in the Journal of Fluency Disorders. Responsibility of: Self Help and Consumer Affairs Committee (after review and approval by IFA’s Board

of Directors) Timeline: 2017

Priority 3Facilitate communication among researchers, speech scientists, fl uency specialists, and clinicians from all disciplines and people with fl uency disorders. [Organizer: Communication]

• Publish an electronic newsletter twice yearly to include short articles, communications, viewpoints, and updates from members around the world that are not included in the Journal of Fluency Disorders and distribute to the membership and post on the IFA website. Responsibility of: Research and Publications Committee Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Engage more IFA members from diverse locations in service of the organization through participation on Standing Committees. Responsibility of: President, Executive Board, and Board of Directors Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Develop a plan to identify diverse, international candidates for awards and recognitions and implement the plan. Responsibility of: Nominations, Elections, and Awards Committee Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Maintain an updated website that is interactive, modern, and easy to navigate including links to information and organizations affi liated with IFA. Responsibility of: Website and Technology Committee Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Create a forum to discuss and distribute cutting edge information related to fl uency disorders. Responsibility of: Instruction and Training Committee Timeline: 2014 and ongoing

• Inform the members about activities related to fl uency and fl uency disorders worldwide. Responsibility of: Professional Liaisons Committee Timeline: 2014 and ongoing

58 IFA News

• Explore and utilize new technologies to disseminate information relevant to the IFA mission. Responsibility of: Website and Technology Committee Timeline: 2014 and ongoing

• Advertise the International Fluency Association through state, national, and international organizations. Responsibility of: Membership Committee Timeline: 2014 and ongoing

• Create and maintain a directory of the IFA General Membership (with prior permission of individual members) to be located in the Members’ Only section of IFA’s website. Responsibility of: Membership Committee Timeline: 2014 and ongoing

• Review and revise as appropriate the mission and priorities of IFA to ensure and articulate the uniqueness and distinction of IFA as an international organization and its relevance to the profession of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Responsibility of: President Elect with an Ad Hoc committee Timeline: 2015

• Use technologies to provide educational opportunities other than that provided through the Journal of Fluency Disorders and the World Congresses on Fluency Disorders. Responsibility of: Instruction and Training Committee Timeline: 2015 and ongoing

• Create venues for professionals (researchers, speech scientists, and clinicians) and people with fl uency dis-orders to dialogue, listen, consider alternative perspectives, and learn from each other beginning with IFA’s World Congress on Fluency Disorders. Responsibility of: Meetings and Conferences Committee Timeline: 2015, 2018

Priority 4Encourage collaboration between self-help (i.e., peer-to-peer) groups for people with fl uency disorders and the IFA. [Organizer: Self Help]

• Include people who are not Speech-Language Pathologists on the Self Help and Consumer Affairs Committee. Responsibility of: Self Help and Consumer Affairs Committee Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Survey and gather feedback from self-help organizations worldwide regarding the priorities, needs, and experi-ences of people with fl uency disorders and publish this information in IFA’s Newsletter and website. Responsibility of: Self Help and Consumer Affairs Committee Timeline: 2014

• Build bridges between professionals in speech-language pathology (researchers, speech scientists, speech-language pathologists) and the consumer community (people with fl uency disorders and self-help organizations). Responsibility of: Self Help and Consumer Affairs Committee Timeline: 2014 and ongoing

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• Provide consumer feedback to the general IFA Membership by reporting views of consumer online chat forums and consumer self-help organizations worldwide. Responsibility of: Self Help and Consumer Affairs Committee Timeline: 2015 and ongoing

Priority 5Represent and serve as an advocate for people with fl uency disorders; professionals who serve them; professionals in training who serve them; and organizations and institutions dedicated to professional training, understanding fl uency disorders, and meeting the needs of people with fl uency disorders. [Organizer: Advocacy]

• Encourage members of IFA’s Board of Directors to attend congresses and/or conferences of other associations regarding fl uency disorders and to represent IFA at those events. Responsibility of: President, Executive Board, and Board of Directors Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Increase awareness of and respect toward diverse perspectives on assessment and treatment of fl uency disorders by informing the IFA Membership of projects and developments worldwide. Responsibility of: Professional Liaisons Committee Timeline: 2014 and ongoing

• Provide quarterly updates highlighting activities of the International Stuttering Association (ISA) and affi liated self-help groups on IFA’s website. Responsibility of: Self Help and Consumer Affairs Committee Timeline: 2014 and ongoing

• Review and revise the procedures for delivering scholarships for IFA’s World Congresses on Fluency Disorders to people from underserved and developing countries with a priority for those who will share the information with professionals and consumers in their locations and create a sustainable venue for implementing the knowledge gained in perpetuity. Responsibility of: Meetings and Conferences Committee Timeline: 2014

• Increase the degree of collaboration for the World Congress on Fluency Disorders by designing a cost sharing arrangement between ISA, ICA and IFA. Responsibility of: Meetings and Conferences Committee Timeline: 2018

Priority 6Educate the general public about the nature and management of fl uency disorders and the abilities and needs of people with fl uency disorders. [Organizer: Public Relations]

• Develop a public awareness statement to be posted on IFA’s website that describes the nature of fl uency disorders and the potential impact of intervention. Responsibility of: Member-at-Large and an Ad Hoc committee Timeline: 2014

60 IFA News

• Write and disseminate an international press release to coincide with International Stuttering Awareness Day that provides information about the International Fluency Association, its mission and goals, and how the IFA benefi ts professionals and people with fl uency disorders. Responsibility of: Secretary and an Ad Hoc committee Timeline: 2014 and ongoing

• Organize professionals to educate the general public in their local communities (e.g., civic organizations, faith-based groups, educational agencies, and others) about fl uency disorders and the International Fluency Association. Responsibility of: Professional Liaisons Committee Timeline: 2015 and ongoing

• Provide general information about fl uency disorders and available resources for the general public on the website. Responsibility of: Website and Technology Committee Timeline: 2015 and ongoing

• Build bridges between the International Fluency Association and related professional communities (e.g., Psychology, Psychiatry, Counselling, Social work, and the like). Responsibility of: Professional Liaisons Committee Timeline: 2016 and ongoing

Priority 7Build an effi cient, effective, and sustainable infrastructure for the International Fluency Association. [Organizer: Infrastructure]

• Survey past, present, and potential members of the International Fluency Association to determine their experiences, needs, and interests and to review the focus of IFA’s activities and direction. Responsibility of: President Timeline: 2013, 2019

• Develop a 7-Year Strategic Plan to ensure targeted direction and measurable progress of the International Fluency Association’s growth and development. Responsibility of: President Timeline: 2013, 2020

• Review and revise as appropriate the International Fluency Association’s Bylaws. Responsibility of: President Timeline: 2013

• Conduct annual meetings (electronically or face-to-face) of the Executive Board and the Board of Directors. Responsibility of: President Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Prepare a diverse slate of nominations for elected positions as specifi ed by the International Fluency Association’s Bylaws according to the stated timeline. Responsibility of: Nominations, Elections, and Awards Committee Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

IFA News 61

• Maximize the diversity of the International Fluency Association’s General Membership. Responsibility of: Membership Committee Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Maximize the diversity of the International Fluency Association’s Executive Board. Responsibility of: Nominations, Elections, and Awards Committee Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Maximize the diversity of the Chairpersons and Members of the International Fluency Association’s Standing Committees. Responsibility of: President and Executive Board Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Update the roster of the International Fluency Association’s General Membership. Responsibility of: Membership Committee Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Review and revise as appropriate the categories of Membership in the International Fluency Association and streamline the registration and renewal processes. Responsibility of: Membership Committee Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Review and revise as appropriate the current dues structure for Full Membership and Affi liate Categories. Responsibility of: Membership Committee Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Create a hard copy and online brochure about the International Fluency Association, highlighting the diverse benefi ts accrued from Full Membership. Responsibility of: Membership Committee Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Explore and implement ideas to reduce costs of Full Membership in the International Fluency Association. Responsibility of: President, Executive Board, and Board of Directors Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Increase the number and type of benefi ts for Full Membership in the International Fluency Association and publicize these benefi ts accordingly. Responsibility of: President, Executive Board, and Board of Directors Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Document the history of the International Fluency Association since its inception and post the chronology with related archival documents on IFA’s website. Responsibility of: Historian/Archivist Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Complete a quarterly fi nancial report and post to IFA’s website for transparency. Responsibility of: Treasurer and Finance Committee Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

62 IFA News

• Complete a quarterly progress report for each of IFA’s Standing Committees for accountability and post to IFA’s website for transparency. Responsibility of: President, Executive Board, and Board of Directors Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Submit a quarterly statement for publication in the Journal of Fluency Disorders (i.e., the IFA News/President’s Column) to keep the General Membership abreast of recent and signifi cant developments within the organization and to provide a venue for instructional purposes. Responsibility of: President, Instruction and Training Committee Timeline: 2013 and ongoing

• Conduct annual meetings of the IFA General Membership electronically or face-to-face at the IFA World Congress. Responsibility of: President Timeline: 2014 and ongoing

• Research and implement as appropriate a requirement for IFA’s Treasurer to be bonded and/or insured. Responsibility of: President Elect, Finance Committee Timeline: 2014

• Develop guidelines for approving expenditure requests and for conducting an internal audit of the IFA’s fi nancial records. Responsibility of: Finance Committee Timeline: 2014

• Review the advantages and disadvantages of consolidating IFA’s fi nancial accounts for greater effi ciency and take appropriate action. Responsibility of: Finance Committee Timeline: 2014

• Explore and implement as appropriate the possibility of multiyear memberships for individuals. Responsibility of: Membership Committee Timeline: 2014

• Review the International Fluency Association’s Strategic Plan annually and report successes and challenges to the General Membership. Responsibility of: President, Executive Board, and Board of Directors Timeline: 2014 and ongoing

• Ensure that the diverse perspectives of IFA’s General Membership are being heard and represented in all deliberations related to IFA’s business. Responsibility of: Member-at-Large Timeline: 2014 and ongoing

• Explore and implement as appropriate the possibility of group memberships for institutions. Responsibility of: Membership Committee Timeline: 2015

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• Conduct a cost/benefi t analysis of the relationship between Elsevier and the International Fluency Association and make recommendations to decrease costs to IFA members while respecting and preserving the mission of both organizations. Responsibility of: Finance Committee Timeline: 2015

• Explore and implement as appropriate the possibility of creating an International Federation of Fluency Disorders, within which there would be a professional (International Fluency Association) and consumer (International Stuttering Association) component, each of which would maintain an independent administra-tive structure in addition to a collaborative partnership. Responsibility of: President Elect and Ad Hoc committee Timeline: 2016

Approved by the International Fluency Association’s Executive Board, Board of Directors, and General Membership on December 31, 2013.

Respectfully submitted,David A. Shapiro, Ph.D., CCC-SLPInternational Fluency Association President, 2013-2014

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Kindly,David ShapiroIFA President, 2013-2014

David A. Shapiro, Ph.D., CCC-SLP Robert Lee Madison Distinguished Professor ASHA Fellow, Speech-Language Pathologist Western Carolina University Communication Sciences & Disorders 188 Health & Human Sciences4121 Little Savannah RoadCullowhee, NC 28723 USA

email: shapiro@email.wcu.edu phone: (828) 227-3291 fax: (828) 227-7456