ASPB Secretary

Four years

The Secretary is an elected position, selected by the membership in a biennial vote from a slate of two candidates. The Secretary serves four years on the ASPB Program Committee, and in the two middle years also serves on the ASPB Board of Directors and ASPB Council. In the first year, the Secretary-Elect serves as a member on the Program Committee, in years two and three as Secretary and as Chair of the Program Committee, and in the fourth year, as Past Secretary, continues to serve on the Program Committee.

Attributes for success:

  • Willingness to dedicate time to address the ASPB community’s needs
  • Capacity for big-picture, long-term thinking
  • Balancing need for confidentiality on sensitive matters with transparency and openness
  • Sensitivity to the needs of the broad membership
  • High-level experience with budgets and budgeting
  • Experience in science management, team science, and/or developing policy
  • Awareness of the national and international scientific communities
  • Experience in planning/organizing scientific meetings.

Roles and Activities:

  1. ASPB Program Committee, chair (years 2-3): The Program Committee recommends the location and determines the scientific content of each ASPB annual meeting. The full Program Committee holds two on-site/in-person weekend meetings (one full day plus 1/2 day) in the fall and winter/early spring and a third shorter meeting (~2 hrs.) at the ASPB annual meeting to accomplish the tasks of ASPB annual meeting planning, organization and evolution/growth. As the largest responsibility of the ASPB Secretary, the Chair works closely throughout the year with the ASPB Director of Meetings and Events (currently Jean Rosenberg) and others to ensure that all scientific, mentoring and networking aspects of the meeting are successful.
  2. ASPB Program Committee, member (years 1 and 4): Responsibilities as above, but as member. In Year 4 assists onboarding Secretary.
  3. Board of Directors, member and meeting scribe: The ASPB Secretary is one of seven members of the ASPB Board of Directors (BoD). The BoD provides formal advice, oversight and approval regarding activities of ASPB. Currently, there is a standing schedule of conference calls every other month, which can be augmented/removed as needed. Additional email correspondence occurs as required on items that require timely action. Two in-person approximately 2-3 hr. meetings at the annual meeting (one prior to and the other late during the meeting). Additional in-person meetings are convened with the Board of Trustees, ASPB staff, and/or external stakeholders as needed. The Secretary is responsible for recording and submitting the minutes of Board of Directors for approval and archiving.
  4. ASPB Council, member and meeting scribe: The Secretary also serves on the ~20-person ASPB Council, which provides vision and advice to ASPB staff and the Board of Directors regarding all activities of ASPB. Currently, meetings are scheduled as bi-monthly conference calls (alternating with BoD conference calls), in addition to one in-person daylong meeting immediately prior to the annual meeting. The Secretary is responsible for recording and submitting the minutes of ASPB Council meetings for approval and archiving.