The Conference on English Education (CEE) Executive Board authorizes the creation of commissions that focus on a particular area of interest of discussion and action for the field. Commissions meet at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention to plan and promote their activities aligned with English language arts teacher preparation. It was within the commission structure that the author found her lifeline for personal and professional alliances that became the major contributor to her productivity as a teacher educator. CEE commissions address a variety of areas; the author describes her work in two of them.