Texas CPAAA Convention - 2024 Survey results

[Dorris Murdock]

Good Afternoon Texas CPAAA,

 

It’s hard to believe 2 months have passed since the 2024 Texas CPAAA Convention in League City, hosted by Region One. It was great to see so many attend and it was amazing to have 103 Rookies (new attendees) and 369 total attending this year!  Waco CPAAA is busy planning our next convention, please mark your calendar for July 6–July 9, 2025!

The government room rate is not available until early October, we will make that announcement as soon as we have that information so you can make your room reservations.

Registration form attached or register online link:  https://texascpaaa.org/convention.html?rand=0.1257098125825904. Registration cost has increased in 2025, it is now $150.

 

For those that interested in the responses to the Convention Survey

2024 Convention Survey

 

Region One prepared a Convention Survey that was distributed to the Region One members, but the Texas CPAAA resent the survey to the entire membership for your comments. Thank you to those that completed the survey it went back to Elizabeth Day (Region One President and co-chair of the convention). I received the summary from the survey and would like to address several points please, I feel this is important to respond so those that took the time to take the survey so they know their questions have been addressed.

 

• Opening Ceremonies & Wall of Honor – there was a lot of negative feedback, comments were it was not organized and unprofessional, Region One is aware of this. I’m sure they apologize and the Texas CPAAA wants members to know this is not the standard for the Texas CPAAA Conventions.

 

• Speakers/Topics

• Some members want more topics othes want less topics. This is hard to balance but we do the best we can with the factors of when a speaker can present and topics that need to be repeated.
• Comments: “wanted more speakers from Region One area”: Region One members were asked to email Phil Niewald or Dorris Murdock with a Topic AND a Speaker’s name. Had you shared your speaker ideas we would have tried to get more from your region. There are five breakout sessons at one time to select from.  There was positive feedback on the Speakers no matter where they are from and grateful to have them.
• Members survey responded with a lot of suggested speakers, at least 90% of those topics have been presented at conventions over the 32 years but we will share these with future hosts for consideration, thank you.
• Request to shorten the classes – the classes will not be shorten, there are many speakers & topics that struggle to give us their presentation in the 1.5 hours they are given and also accommodate Q&A and the door prize drawing.  Another factor is the TCOLE credit for law enforcement.
• Request for a presentation on the Southern Border, we have been trying for years and we actually had this class on the line-up “Operation Lone Star” but Governor Abbott required the speaker to be elsewhere and he could not be recheduled during our event.
• High Profile Speakers – all great reviews, with one exception, I apologize, we understand and did not know his speech had gotten worse. We do appreicate your understanding and kind comments.

 

• Hotel and Meals: very postive comments on both. However, there was a request regarding meals, it was suggested that Registration would cover all meals, 3 breakfast,

3 lunches, 3 dinners. This cannot be accommodated, that would cause the Registration fee to be at least $600 per person. The F&B is the most expensive cost to the host city, and your registraton does not even cover half of the food you are provided now.  The host cities are doing a lot of fundraising to keep your registration fee low.   

 

• Exhibit Hall:

• A document will be written regarding the Rules for the Exhibit Hall.  We offer an apologiy to those that were not aware of the limit on raffle baskets, or the rule that you “must be present to win”, or the prize money awarded to 1^st and 2^nd Place “Best In Show” or how it is judged.  This will be done before the 2025 Convention.
• Hours of Operation: comments “ exhibit hall should be closed durning the breakout sessions”. The hours of the Exhibit Hall will not change, this is a fundraising opporunity for those that paid for an exhibit hall table. If you have a table and do not want to work it durning these hours you are not required to be at your table.

 

• TCOLE hours: We apologize for the confusion. TCOLE is complicated and for those that are not aware in 2013 the Texas CPAAA invited Kim Vickers, Executive Director of TCOLE to the State Convention and asked for a special filing exception for the LEO’s attending our conventions. We were granted this exception but when Mr. Kim Vickers retired that exception was no longer permitted. We did not know that until the 2024 Convention was a month away. We did the best we could at a short notice. League City was not required to file your hours but they did, however, it was under their TCOLE Representive guidelines. I am working with Officer James Plant to set up a meeting with the new Executive Director of TCOLE (Greg Stevens) to get our exception back. Thank you for your patience, it is work in progress.

 

• Hospitality Room:

• Comment: “hospitality room was very small and someone was alowed to stay in the Suite upstairs”, this Hospitalalty Room was bigger than most rooms at any of the previous conventions. Yes their was a Police Officer assigned to the Suite for security reasons that room was not part of the Hospitality for the attendees. It was great to see so many enjoy meeting new friends and catching up with their old friends!
• Comment: “hospitality opened 2 hours after classes ended, nothing to do, or anywhere to go”.  Sorry for your inconvenience, Hospitality Room hours are posted on the schedule and the time is to allow members to get dinner before the room opens.

 

• Awards Banquet:

• Comments “felt rushed, lacked luster, and people should not be eating when the Speaker has the floor”. The timeline for the dinner was not followed and will not be the future at conventions.
• Of the Year Awards: comment” the Banquet took too long and the awards seem to be a joke in that either Garland & Mesquite are the only ones who enter or it’s fixed.”   I can say with certainty, it is neither a joke or fixed! Every Year numerous emails are sent our to remind everyone to submit their Award Nominations. And every year time after time Associations do NOT submit a nomination.  You can’t win if you don’t submit. At the beginning of the Awards presentation everyone is informed how the awards are selected. Let me remind you of that process please:

1. Each year Five individuals are selected (Alumni members, as well as LEO’s)
2. An Evalation Form is sent to these individuals so they can look for the qualities and rate the nominations on a scale.
3. These individauls do not know who is on this team, only person does to ensure they do not talk to each other to compare their thoughts.
4. When the forms are returned, collectivly the scores are added up to decide the winners. it is NOT fixed! Again, if you do not submit a nomination do NOT expect to win. A question to you is … did your Alumni submit a Nomiation, these associations did.

• Member of the Year – Gary Anderson – Hayes County Sheriff’s Association
• Peace Officer of the Year – Sgt. Churro – Kemah PD
• Membership of the Year – Mesquite CPAAA
• Alumni Association of the Year- Garland CPAAA

 

I hope this addressed most of the survey results. If anyone still has a question or concern you are welcome to contact me directly, thank you.

 

Kind regards,

Dorris Murdock

Texas CPAAA VP Conventions