CSUSB professor named executive director of communication studies professional association

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- Heather Hundley, professor of communication studies at Cal State San Bernardino, has been named executive director for the Western States Communication Association.

She will begin her three-year term on June 1, 2014, and will shadow current Executive Director John Reinard prior to taking her new position.

The WSCA is an academic professional association devoted to conducting and sharing research among its 1,000 members.  The association publishes research in scholarly journals and holds a convention every year in February.

“I still have mixed feelings about it because it’s a lot of work, but I think it’s going to be really good exposure for the department, college and campus,” said Hundley, who also is graduate coordinator for CSUSB’s department of communication studies.

Hundley became a member of WSCA during her graduate studies at California State University, Sacramento. Her first graduate term paper was competitively selected for presentation at the association’s annual conference.

During her time with the association, Hundley served in several elected positions in the Media Studies Interest Group (secretary, vice chair and chair), was appointed to different committees in the association (including the member services committee, time and place committee and the scholars award committee), and was elected in the presidential positions (second vice president, first vice president, president-elect, president and past president).

Among the obligations of an executive director are to oversee the membership database, search for convention sites along with the president or president-elect, oversee policies and bylaws and oversee WSCA’s financial responsibilities.

While the executive director for WSCA is an unpaid position, Hundley is committed to giving back to her professional association. “Part of it is love for the association and giving back to the community that helped me professionally and personally,” she said.

The current president of WSCA, Brian L. Ott, said the association “is thrilled that Dr. Heather Hundley has accepted our invitation to serve as the association's next executive director. She brings strong organizational skills, effective leadership and a deep commitment to the association."

“Heather was an excellent president and program planner, especially planning a program in Alaska,” said President-elect Patricia O’Keefe, who has known Hundley for a decade. “What she brings to us is her total organization and dedication to the (association) and we’re so lucky to have her.”

Hundley’s goals as executive director are to help the continued growth of WSCA and to maintain its established excellent reputation in the field.

For more information about Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Public Affairs at (909) 537-5007 and visit news.csusb.edu.