September 17, 2020 Dear AMC Members: I know that many of you have been waiting to hear news about this year’s AMC Annual Conference, so I wanted to be the first to let you know that AMC's Board of Directors decided yesterday to cancel the in-person conference in December and will instead hold a virtual annual meeting on Monday, December 7. This decision was made after weighing many options and variables. We have continually assessed the situation over the past six months, and discussed at length the pros and cons. The Board of Directors agrees that this is the only decision that could be made for holding an event like the annual conference during a pandemic. AMC staff will continue to work on the planning and logistics of the virtual conference and will provide more information about this soon, but for now, please hold the afternoon of Monday, December 7, for this virtual event. The AMC Board of Directors also made a related decision today and extended the terms of the board members and alternates, including the AMC officers, for one additional year. This means there will be no elections at the annual meeting this year. The terms of the President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, and Past President will be extended through 2021. We made this decision in consultation with the three announced candidates for Second Vice President, and I appreciate their input and support for this decision. We plan for candidates to begin campaigning for these offices again in early 2021, with the elections to be held at next year’s annual conference in December 2021. Even though we cannot be together physically, I hope that you will continue to connect virtually. 2020 has proven to be anything but “business as usual” yet I'm confident that our organization will remain whole and continue to be the advocate for Minnesota counties that you rely upon. On behalf of myself and the AMC Board of Directors, I thank all of you for your flexibility and patience as we all navigate these most unusual times. Sincerely, Rich Sve |