Join the AEA Thought Leader Discussion Series With Our Inaugural Discussant, Michael Quinn Patton Week of September 20-26, 2009   AEA President Debra Rog kicks off a new program to connect thought leaders in our field with AEA members, new and old alike. It is one of many ways we are hoping to provide bridges across members to continue to foster the sense of community AEA members value. Each month, we'll be hosting an asynchronous (not in real time) online exchange over the course of a week using AEA's new discussion forums. During each exchange, an established evaluator or theorist will contribute daily to an online dialogue around issues of importance to the field and to our professional practice. As a participant, it is up to you whether to sit back and watch the exchange or become an active contributor, asking questions of the speaker and your participant colleagues or providing insights based on your own background and experiences.    Debra invites you to participate in the inaugural discussion with one of our eminent authors and practitioners, Michael Quinn Patton. Michaelis the author of five major books in the field of evaluation, including Utlization-focused Evaluation and an upcoming publication on Developmental Evaluation about which he'll share teasing tidbits during the exchange. He is a former President of AEA and recipient of both the Alva and Gunner Myrdal Award for Outstanding Contributions to Useful and Practical Evaluation from the Evaluation Research Society and the Paul F. Lazarsfeld Award for Lifelong Contributions to Evaluation Theory from the American Evaluation Association.   How does one sign up for the AEA Discussion Series? This is a members-only opportunity and it is free to all members who wish to sign up. You should be available to check the discussion list postings daily at your convenience during the week of September 20-26. The full exchange takes place electronically via the AEA Presidents Forum. To join the forum, sign on to the AEA website using your username and password, navigate over to the forums, and click on "Add/Change Subscriptions" near the top right of the forum page. Then, next to the "President's Forum" select your delivery preference - we recommend Real Time or Daily Digest - and click Save at the bottom of the page.   Login at: http://www.eval.org Your username: Your password:   If you have questions about the forums, or run into technical difficulties, please check the Frequently Asked Questions and then do not hesitate to contact us here in the AEA office at office@eval.org.