Prepared by Kevin Ballestrini, Executive Secretary and CANE Delegate to the ACL Institute held June 27–30, 2026, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA
Overview
This year’s Institute drew a strong program of workshops, sessions, and plenaries, alongside the annual State of the ACL and Open Board of Governors meeting. Below is a summary of the key items most relevant to CANE members and leadership.
Leadership Transitions
President Jennie Luongo closed out her term by thanking the outgoing Board of Governors and welcoming the incoming slate:
- Incoming President: Phil Walsh
- Incoming VP of Membership and Engagement: Andrea Stehle
- Incoming Secretary: Stefanie Cruz
- Incoming At-Large Board Members: Kendal Ogles and Martha Pearlman
- New Collegium Chair: Leah Berryhill
In addition, the American Classical League has completed the transition to a new Executive Director. Jennifer Sheridan Moss has taken over the role from Sherwin Little as of January 2026 and has made ACL’s financial state her top priority.
Awards
Several major ACL awards were presented this year, including one to a name familiar to CANE:
- Humphreys Award for Innovative Pedagogy: Stefanie Cruz
- Award for Excellence in Creating Technology-Based Educational Resources: Ben Johnson
- Keely Lake Advocacy Award: Ayana Gray
- ETC K.C. Kless Teaching Award: Nathalie Roy
A full slate of ACL and NLE scholarships was also awarded to students and educators across the country.
Membership and Finances
- Current membership: 1,476
- ACL has moved to auto-renewals and introduced a new tiered membership structure (Friend, New Member, Purple, Gold, Lifetime), replacing the old Regular category and adding a Gold tier with expanded benefits.
- Investment funds total just over $1 million, though a significant portion is currently inaccessible.
- The organization underwent an independent audit (Kirsch CPA Group) as part of a broader effort to tighten financial oversight and “right the ship” after a period of scrutiny.
- A potential Endowment Fund, named for Jack Dutra, is under discussion.
A Visibility and Advocacy Task Force is now active. Members can view the working playbook here: Visibility & Advocacy Playbook.
Sessions at the Institute
Beyond the State of the ACL meeting, the Institute itself was populated with an amazing slate of presentations and talks, organized by CANE’s own Mark Pearsall (ACL’s Vice-President of Programing and Impact) and CANE’s Director of Educational Programs Lindsay Sears. CANE also sponsored a Tuesday afternoon break during the general session block. There were quite a few sessions run by members of CANE as we are always well-represented at ACL.
The ACL is in a period of structural change (leadership turnover, membership tier overhaul, and financial tightening) while still running a robust annual program. CANE remains actively engaged both through delegate representation and direct presenter involvement, and should watch for updates on the Visibility and Advocacy Task Force and the Jack Dutra Endowment as they develop.
Next year’s Institute will be held at UMass Boston at the end of June. If you have never attended an ACL Institute, next year is the ideal time to do so!