Whether introducing a guest speaker, suggesting tourist attractions to the group, or just sitting quietly in the back of the room during a presentation, her powerful presence is felt.

Li Eckert is the conference coordinator for the American Society of News Editors (ASNE) High School Journalism Institute at The University of Texas at Austin.  Like a general working out strategies, she must figure the logistics of lodging, transportation, dining, and class schedules, as well as being prepared for any surprise attack.  However, throughout the entire two-week deployment, she remains calm at all times and is quick to reward her troops with a smile to make them feel at ease.

Eckert was born in Hong Kong and raised in New York City.  She attended Cornell University where she met her husband.  In true general fashion, Eckert forged through the ranks by participating in many ‘firsts.’

Her husband was the mayor of Carbondale, Illinois.  As the “First Lady” of Carbondale, she remembered hearing that they “need to hide Li.” Her Chinese descent worried the campaign.  She smiles knowingly saying, “Can you imagine trying to hide Li?”

Continuing the march, Eckert became one of the first women to be a sales manager for Marriott as well as being the first female working for Texas Commerce Bank (later bought by Chase Bank) as a Calling Officer.  “My job as assistant vice president was to call on customers of other banks, and convince them to hand over their P&L statements of the last few years.  Profit & Loss statements are a very ‘intimate’ document given only to shareholders, their accountants, etc.  So it was a matter of tenacity and the ability to inspire confidence in other bank customers to give me their P&L’s. Women were not generally in mid- management positions at that time, “ Eckert explained.

For over a decade, Eckert, now retired, was the Senior Conference Coordinator for the IC² Institute at the University of Texas at Austin.  She remembered when she first came to the College of Communication to plan a conference.  The professor was not the easiest to work with, and Eckert really struggled with making it through the entire two sets of four-week conferences.

Ironically, this professor recommended Eckert to the Journalism School, which was hosting the ASNE conference.  Before agreeing to the position, she decided to discuss the details with the professor in charge.  “I talked with the professor over the phone and asked him many in-depth questions.  At the end of the conversation, he said, ‘Do I have the job?’” Eckert laughed, recalling that he felt he was the one being interviewed.

According to Dr. Stephen Reese, associate dean for academic affairs for the College of Communication, “When I called Li and told her what we were thinking with the upcoming conference, she said ‘I can’t work with someone that is not structured and organized.  If I’m going to take this on, I need to be clear.’”  He smiled, though, saying he didn’t object at all because it is critical to have someone like that since there are so many moving parts.

Today, Eckert still coordinates the ASNE Conference.  After 11 years, it is something she has grown fond of doing.  George Sylvie, associate professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin and Director of the UT ASNE Institute claims laughingly that Eckert is detailed oriented to a degree that she is “annoyingly persnickety.” 

Sylvie chuckles as he goes on to say that part of Eckert’s job is to “remind you of things you’ve forgotten that you wish you hadn’t forgotten because she is quick to remind you.”

He finishes by saying she “makes it seem as if everything goes as planned.  She really is very good at what she does.”

Aren’t most generals?