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American Chemical Society
258th ACS National Meeting
San Diego, California
August 25-29, 2019
Councilor Talking Points:
Summary of Governance Issues and Actions
The following summary is provided to help Councilors report to their Local Sections and Divisions on key actions of the ACS Council meeting held August 28, 2019, and the Board of Directors meetings held August 23-25, 2019, at the 2019 ACS fall national meeting in San Diego, California.
Actions of the Council
Election Results: Elected Committees of Council
? By electronic ballot, the Council elected Anne M. Gaffney, Lydia E. M. Hines, Will E. Lynch, and Sally B. Peters for three-year terms (2020-2022), and Dee Ann Casteel for a one-year term (2020) on the Council Policy Committee (CPC).
George M. Bodner 172
James C. Carver 177
*Dee Ann Casteel 183
Kenneth P. Fivizzani 136
*Anne M. Gaffney 201
Joseph A. Heppert 175
*Lydia E. M. Hines 199
*Will E. Lynch 222
*Sally B. Peters 235
Margaret J. Schooler 178
? By electronic ballot, the Council elected Michelle V. Buchannan, Charles E. Cannon, Alan A. Hazari, Amber S. Hinkle, and Thomas H. Lane for three-year terms (2020-2022) on the Committee on Nominations and Elections (N&E).
V. Dean Adams 132
Mark A. Benvenuto 126
*Michelle V. Buchanan 212
*Charles E. Cannon 179
Alan B. Cooper 163
Alan M. Ehrlich 148
*Alan A. Hazari 198
*Amber S. Hinkle 302
*Thomas H. Lane 288
Joseph P. Stoner 119
? By electronic ballot, the Council elected Lisa M. Balbes, D. Richard Cobb, Emilio X. Esposito, Jason E. Ritchie, and Stephanie J. Watson for three-year terms (2020-2022) on the Committee on Committees (ConC).
Satinder Ahuja 99
*Lisa M. Balbes 242
*D. Richard Cobb 266
Harry J. Elston 78
*Emilio X. Esposito 247
Sarah M. Mullins 175
*Jason E. Ritchie 210
Susan M. Schelble 172
Andrea B. Twiss-Brooks 169
*Stephanie J. Watson 176
Other Council Actions
Continuation of Committees
? On the recommendation of the Committee on Committees, and with the concurrence of the Council Policy Committee, Council approved the continuation of the Committees on International Activities and Professional Training, contingent on approval by the Board of Directors.
Establishment of an International Chemical Sciences Chapter
? On the recommendation of the Committee on International Activities, and with the concurrence of the Council Policy Committee, Council approved the creation of an ACS International Chemical Sciences Chapter in the Republic of Georgia, contingent on approval by the Board of Directors.
Redistricting of a Local Section
? On the recommendation of Nominations & Elections, the Council voted that the Pittsburgh Local Section be transferred from District II to District III in order to bring District III’s member population into compliance with bylaw requirements.
Resolutions
The Council passed resolutions
? in memory of former Executive Director John Kistler Crum;
? In memory of other deceased Councilors;
? in recognition and celebration of the 100th birthday of Gerald Meyer, and his 80 years of service to the Society
? in gratitude for the officers and members of the San Diego Local Section – host Section for the 258th National Meeting, the divisional program chairs and symposium organizers, and ACS staff; and
? acknowledging Bonnie A. Charpentier’s service as ACS President and presiding officer of the Council.
Highlights from Committee Reports
Nominations and Elections
The Committee on Nominations and Elections solicits Councilors’ input of qualified individuals for President-Elect and/or Directors for future consideration. Suggestions can be sent to nomelect@acs.org.
Ballots for the 2019 fall national election will be distributed starting on September 30th, with a voting deadline four weeks later on October 25th. ACS members eligible to vote and with an email address on file will receive an electronic ballot with the option to request a paper ballot. Those members with no email address on file will be sent a paper ballot with the option to vote electronically. The ACS election vendor, Survey & Ballot Systems, will send three email reminders during the voting period to those who have not voted as of the reminder dates. N&E encourages all ACS members to vote for President-Elect and the Constitutional Amendment. Election information may be viewed at acs.org/elections.
Budget and Finance
The Society’s 2019 financial performance through July 31st yielded a Net from Operations of $30.1 million. This is $10 million favorable to the Approved Budget, and $1.7 million less than the same period in 2018. Total revenues are right on budget at $338 million. Total expenses are $308 million, which is $10 million favorable to budget.
The committee considered two 2020 program funding reauthorization requests, and on its recommendations, the Board subsequently approved funding for the ChemIDP and the International Student Chapters Programs in the 2020 Proposed Budget.
The committee considered new program funding requests for 2020 as well. The Board subsequently approved funding for the Green and Sustainable Chemistry Education Resources pilot for inclusion in the 2020 Proposed Budget.
The Society is expected to end the year in compliance with each of the five Board-established financial guidelines. Additional information can be found at www.acs.org, at the bottom of the page, click ‘About ACS’, then ‘Financial’.
San Diego Meeting Attendance
The theme of the 258th ACS National Meeting was “Chemistry and Water.” As of Tuesday evening, August 27, attendance was:
Attendees 7,488
Students 3,095
Exhibitors 995
Expo only 430
Guest 401
Total 12,409
2019 Career Navigator live data
Participating Employers 31
Number of Open Positions 81
Job Seeker Profiles 239
Lightning Talk Attendees 270
Career Pathway Registrations 1,180
Career Consultant Interactions 555
Petitions to Amend the Constitution and Bylaws
New petitions to amend the Constitution or Bylaws must be received by the Executive Director & CEO no later than December 4 to be included in the Council agenda for consideration at the spring 2020 meeting in Philadelphia. Contact the Committee on Constitution and Bylaws with any questions or requests for information at bylaws@acs.org
Actions of the Board of Directors
The Board’s Executive Session
At this meeting, the ACS Board of Directors focused on a number of key strategic issues and took several related actions.
The Board’s Committees
The Board received and discussed reports from its committees on Budget and Finance, Professional and Member Relations, Strategic Planning, Executive Compensation, and Pensions and Investments, as well as the ACS Governing Board for Publishing, the Task Force on the Future of Meetings, and the Society Programs Globalization Board liaison. In particular,
• On the recommendation of the Committee on Professional and Member Relations, the Board voted to approve the Society’s nominees for the 2020 National Science Board Public Service Award and the 2020 Tang Prize in Biopharmaceutical Science.
• On the recommendation of the Joint Board-Council Committee on Publications and an Editor Selection Committee, the Board voted to approve the appointment and reappointment of editors-in-chief for ACS journals. Their names will be announced once they have been notified and practical arrangements for their service to ACS have been finalized.
• On the recommendation of the Society Committee on Budget and Finance, the Board voted to set the advance member registration fee for national meetings held in 2020 at $505 – this amount is equal to the 2019 fee, adjusted for inflation – and to approve or reauthorize several program funding requests.
Executive Director and CEO Report
The Executive Director/CEO and his direct reports provided updates to the Board on the activities of Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) and the ACS Publications Division. He offered updates on issues relating to the ACS Core Value of Diversity, Inclusion, and Respect; the current status of Society membership; ACS financials; initiatives associated with the International Year of Periodic Table; and upcoming events and activities. As part of his report, he invited the Executive Vice President for Scientific Advancement to lead an informal discussion on key issues for that division.
Other Society Business
• The Board heard reports from members of the Presidential Succession on their current activities as well as those planned for 2020, particularly the presidential symposia and endorsed symposia for this San Diego meeting.
• The Board liaison for globalization provided a summary of a recent Board survey and received additional feedback from the Board on the globalization vision for Society programs. The goal here is encouragement and expansion, where appropriate, of existing successful international activities and initiatives, as well as evaluating current products and programs; exploring additional options and opportunities; and advising the Board on the assembly of a coherent and balanced program portfolio appropriate to the globalized ACS of the twenty-first century.
• The Board received a preview of recommendations from the Committee on Strategic Planning for process improvements focused on streamlining the ACS strategic planning process, including an adjustment of the cycle time; inclusion of an analysis of professional association market dynamics; and concentration on only the highest-value elements for the Strategic Plan.
• The Board received its customary extensive briefing from its Committee on Executive Compensation. The compensation of the Society’s executive staff continues to receive regular review by the Board.
• The Board received a status update from the Task Force on the Future of Meetings. The task force has been charged with performing a “deep dive” on the current portfolio of ACS meetings and conferences, identifying current offerings, evaluating governance and staff support structures, revenue streams, financial targets, and business models, and recommending actions that will ensure the sustainability and future relevance of that portfolio.
• The Board also held a discussion with members of the executive committee and staff leadership of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) on the vision, mission, and structure of SACNAS. Various components of the recently signed Chemistry Enterprise Partnership agreement were discussed, emphasizing the shared overarching objective of promoting and achieving diversity in STEM. The Board agreed to the appointment of a joint ACS-SACNAS task force charged with developing additional short-term goals, evaluating continued partnership potential, and developing long-term goals.
The Board’s Regular Session
The Board held a well-attended interactive regular session on Sunday, August 25, that featured the work done by the Task Force on the Next Generation of the ACS leadership program portfolio as well as a celebration of the tenth anniversary of the ACS Leadership Development System.
Councilor Talking Points, produced by the ACS Office of the Secretary & General Counsel.
Permission is hereby granted to distribute in whole or part.
Please direct all comments and questions to: secretary@acs.org