In 1971 in North Carolina, Keith Griffin attended his first professional conference.  In 1980, he returned to North Carolina six years later after completion of his doctorate. He became responsible for membership of the North Carolina Speech Communication Association (NCSCA).  Keith stressed the importance of expanding the association to becoming the Carolinas Speech Communication Association (CSCA) to his consulting partner, Bill Strickland.  He then initiated a letter-writing process to schools in North and South Carolina to announce the new association.  Following an excellent turnout at that conference hosted by Wingate College, the CSCA was officially developed in 1981. After leaving and returning eighteen years later, Keith attended another CSCA conference.  He was glad to be back at the association he helped start, now referred to as the Carolinas Communication Association (CCA).