The Executive Committee voted on May 19 to cancel the 2020 SEANC Convention due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. This decision was made now in order to allow SEANC to alert the Sheraton by a deadline of May 22 to avoid serious financial penalties.

“The Executive Committee did not make this decision lightly,” said SEANC President Jimmy Davis in an email to members. “We all love going to the convention and gathering with 800 of our closest friends to make decisions that have a direct impact on our members' lives in the following year.”

SEANC polled more than 200 active SEANC members including the Board of Governors to gauge their attitudes toward attending the convention this year before the decision. The overwhelming majority expressed concerns about having 800 delegates, staff, and other necessary people in one room and in one hotel for 3-5 days. Social distancing and other measures simply would not be possible on the order needed to keep our members safe.

In the end, the only conclusion for the Executive Committee was to cancel the event this year and postpone all Convention business until next year. This includes postponing elections for SEANC officer positions. The current group of statewide officers and committee members will remain in place until September 2021.