The Fall Meeting of the ACS Council was held in hybrid format on August 16, 2023. As of August 16, there were 13,363 in-person registrants and 1,656 virtual.
Actions of the Council
Election Results: Elected Committees of Council
- By electronic ballot, the Council elected Martha G. Hollomon, Elizabeth M. Howson, Jeanette M. Van Emon, and Lydia E. M. Hines for a three-year term (2024-2026) on the Council Policy Committee (CPC). James C. Carver was elected for a one-year term from 2024-2025 to fill the unexpired term of Will E. Lynch, who was elected to the ACS Board of Directors.
- By electronic ballot, the Council elected Anna G. Cavinato, Andrea B. Twiss-Brooks, Thomas R. Gilbert, Jeanne R. Berk, and W. Matthew Reichert for a three-year term (2024-2026) on the Committee on Committees (ConC).
- By electronic ballot, the Council elected Linette M. Watkins, Arlene A. Garrison, Zaida C. Morales Martinez, Amber F. Charlebois, and Jetty L. Duffy-Matzner for a three-year term (2024-2026) on the Committee on Nominations and Elections (N&E). Kevin J. Edgar was elected for a one-year term from 2024-2025 to fill Silvia Ronco’s vacancy.
Highlights from Committee Reports and Key Actions
- Chief Executive Officer Albert Horvath honored the memory of our newly-appointed Editor-in- Chief of C&EN, Mohammed Yahia, who passed away on the way to the San Francisco meeting. Our thoughts go out to his wife Ola and their two young children.
- Horvath also shared ACS’s efforts to engage more members while recruiting and retaining talented staff as we continue to adapt to the post-pandemic workplace. He shared an update on the ACS Strategic Initiatives and the Society’s continued strong financial performance.
- On the recommendation of the Council Policy Committee, Council approved the Petition to Amend the Council Executive Function. This amendment codifies the current practice in the Standing Rules, removing the oral reporting requirement for non-elected Society Committees. CPC welcomes oral reports from all Society Committees including those without action before Council.
- CPC voted to discontinue the Councilor Travel Expense Program, effective December 31, 2023, and replace it with the Councilor Attendance Incentive Allotment, effective January 1, 2024. This new approach will provide a single payment of $2,000 per Councilor, per meeting, directly to Local Sections and Divisions that opt in to the program.
- CPC also voted to move oversight for the Non-Councilor Reimbursement Program to the Committee on Committees with the recommendation that it be renamed the “Volunteer Committee Reimbursement Program.”
- On the recommendation of the Committee on Committees, and with the concurrence of the Council Policy Committee, Council approved the Petition to Amend the Duties of the Committee on International Activities (IAC), providing the committee with the same authority permitted to its unit counterparts to assist International Chemical Sciences Chapters with issues arising from officer turnover and other administrative difficulties.
- On the recommendation of the Committee on Nominations and Elections, and with the concurrence of the Council Policy Committee, Council approved the Petition to add International Representation to the Board of Directors, decreasing the total number of Directors-at-Large from six to five and creating an International District Director. Following approval by the Board of Directors, the amendment to the ACS Constitution will require the support of two-thirds (2/3) majority of voting members.
- On the recommendation of the Committee on International Activities, Council approved the creation of the Singapore International Chemical Sciences Chapter.
- The Committee on Constitution and Bylaws (C&B) reported the certification of bylaws for six Local Sections in 2023: Cornell, East Tennessee, Idaho, Puerto Rico, Tennessee-Virginia Highlands, and Wooster.
Council Special Discussion
ACS President Judith Giordan introduced and led a special discussion on “ACS Council: Equitable Governance for the Future.” She sought Councilor input on ideas to improve representation, broadly defined, on Council and across ACS governance.
Three specific prompts were posed to Councilors for their input and suggestions:
- Ideally, for ACS Council to equitably represent all members we would…
- The key areas where we need to ensure greater equity and inclusion in Council are…
- I wish ACS Council would/could… …to engender greater equity and inclusion.
Councilors provided their ideas and thoughts, and relevant Society units will receive this input within the next several weeks.
Your Councilor wishes to remind you that the election of the President-Elect for 2024 will be conducted between September 25 and October 20, 2023. You should have received an email regarding choosing to receive a paper ballot or voting online. Please remember to vote. You can read the bios of the candidates with be ballot.
Additionally, in the near future, you will receive information regarding approving the amendment to the ACS Constitution to add international representation to the Board of Directors. This move will require the support of 2/3 of voting members. This is your Society so, please let your feelings be known.
If there are benefits that you would like to see added to your membership or if there are changes that you would like to see instituted, please contact your Councilor, Darlene Slattery at dslattery1@cfl.rr.com or call her at 321-632-2535.