Building a Welcoming Evaluation Community in Remembrance of George Julnes

George's passing brought me deep sorrow, especially as it occurred during the holiday season of 2021. I was looking forward to receiving George, Patria, and sons’ heartwarming holiday greeting card. Instead of his familiar warm words, I and others in the evaluation community received the tragic news that we had lost a dedicated colleague and even better friend.

Supporting American Evaluation Association Membership and Leadership

George was a welcoming face of the American Evaluation Association (AEA) and an exemplary leader. In 2006, as a newly appointed assistant professor, I ventured into the AEA annual conference scene with little confidence and considerable uncertainty. George Julnes, as the Quantitative Methods Topical Interest Group (TIG) chair, transformed what might have been an intimidating situation into something much more inviting, by welcoming me into the business meeting. George's reassuring warm smile and his professionalism set the tone.

As a newly minted PhD in a relevant field, George encouraged me to take an active role in the TIG. With his encouragement, I assumed the TIG Co-Chair role with two other colleagues in 2012. George checked in with us and often offered us words of encouragement.

While serving on the AEA Board of Directors, George supported multiple TIGs in developing additional leadership opportunities for AEA members. As illustrated by my own experience, he particularly sought ways to encourage and support new members and those from underrepresented groups.

Contributing to an Internationally Inclusive AEA

George embraced the AEA Vision Statement's goal “to foster an inclusive, diverse, and international community of practice positioned as a respected source of information for and about the field of evaluation.” He especially took seriously the idea of AEA being an international “gathering place” where all can learn from each other and collaborate for mutual benefit. He stressed that we need to be collaborating now because so many of the problems we confront as evaluators can only be addressed by working together. He strongly advocated for enhancing cultural responsiveness of evaluation and pushed to have more diverse AEA members and leaders contributing to these issues.

George did not just talk the talk, but also walked the walk. On November 11, 2019, I received a special request by email from George. He had volunteered to be a “buddy” for international evaluators and was assigned two people from Asia, one from Taiwan and the other from Tokyo. He wanted to provide a positive experience for our international guests and, being unsure of their English fluency, asked if I might help bridge the language barrier for the Taiwanese evaluator. He additionally sought recommendations for someone with Japanese and English fluency. George extended a similarly warm welcome to the international evaluators that he gave me 13 years ago. After a very positive and productive meeting, the two new guests became avid AEA members and have stayed in touch with us since.

Later, George thanked me for my help in talking with the international evaluators at the AEA conference. The truth is, I should be the one thanking him for showing me how to extend a warm welcome to new international members.

Maintaining a Strong American Journal of Evaluation Editorial Team

In 2018, George assumed the role of American Journal of Evaluation’s (AJE's) Editor. He was passionate about the journal's continued vitality and impact. On October 18, 2018, George invited me to serve on its Editorial Advisory Board. He also asked for my input and recommendations and emphasized that “I am looking for people with quantitative skills who might want to connect with AJE in one role or another. You may also know of some people in the Quant TIG with good quantitative skills. If you would, please, give some thought to this.”

George was on sabbatical at that time, yet he was still thinking about AJE's interests. He was reaching out to people with varied areas of expertise to make certain that the editorial board stays strong. He also followed up with phone or Skype conversations with candidates to ensure that he recruited people with the right talent and passion to serve.

George and managing editor Rachael Lawrence have kept in close contact with the editorial board members, touched base about the journal, and sent out surveys to learn more about members’ interests and areas of expertise. They meticulously paired editorial advisory board members with articles in their areas of interest and strength and incorporated members’ feedback to ensure that AJE maintains its prestige and impact in the field.

Adapting AJE to Meet the New Reporting Standards

George worked diligently to ensure that AJE kept up with the new developments in the field around writing. Notably, just four short months prior to George's passing, he invited me to join a reporting standards team to review and update policies and guidance for authors, considering developments such as the American Psychological Association's new reporting standards for quantitative articles. He envisioned this team updating guidance for authors about all the necessary information for their Method sections. This would help authors meet current reporting expectations initially, resulting in fewer review and revision cycles. I did not hesitate to sign up to help accomplish this goal. This was his last project, which unfortunately George did not get to see completed. We are proceeding according to the plan he laid out, determined to reflect George's commitment to making things better.

Through his dedication and efforts, George made a big difference. In doing so, he helped shape AEA's professional future. George, thank you for your devotion to AEA. Rest in peace, and rest assured that your torches are being picked up by many others who have been inspired by your vision and dedication to building a warm, welcoming, professional evaluation community.

I am saddened not to receive the usual holiday greeting card this year, but I see George smiling on, offering best wishes for the years ahead.