Actions By The ACS Board Of Directors At Its June Meeting

During its meeting in Baltimore on June 3–4, the American Chemical Society Board of Directors considered a number of key strategic issues and responded with several actions.

The Committee on Planning reported to the board on its discussions of ACS worldwide strategy and appropriate roles for ACS programs, products, and services within that strategy. The committee will continue its discussions at the fall meeting.

The Committee on Grants & Awards (G&A) informed the board of the results of its votes to select the 2012 winners of the Priestley Medal and the Award for Volunteer Service to ACS. Robert S. Langer of Massachusetts Institute of Technology is the winner of the Priestley Medal (C&EN, June 13, page 7) and Ingrid Montes of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, is the winner of the Award for Volunteer Service to ACS (C&EN, June 13, page 10). The board voted, as recommended by G&A, to financially support several ACS national awards until they obtain external sponsors.

The Committee on Professional & Member Relations briefed the board on deliberations related to several issues, including international chapters and international alliances—their original goals, current activity, evaluation methods, and desired strategies going forward—and recent society actions regarding scientific freedom and human rights.

On the recommendation of the Board Operations & Technology Team (BOTT), the board agreed to a minor revision of its rules of engagement and was updated on BOTT’s recent activities to enhance the effectiveness of board operations.

Every three to five years, the board, with the Committee on Budget & Finance (B&F), holds a conference to discuss in detail the society’s finances and its financial objectives. At this meeting, the board and B&F participated in the conference “Ensuring the Society’s Financial Sustainability and Growth in a Period of Extraordinary Change.” At the conclusion, the participants discussed outcomes and next steps, and a report from this conference will be presented to the board at its August meeting.

ACS Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Madeleine Jacobs and several of her direct reports updated the board on the activities of Chemical Abstracts Service, the ACS Publications Division, and the society’s general counsel. The general counsel report included an update on the ACS v. Leadscope litigation (C&EN, Aug. 9, 2010, page 9).

The board continued discussions with ACS President-Elect Bassam Z. Shakhashiri on plans and priorities for his presidential year. The board also discussed the current regular session format and possible options for future sessions. The board’s Executive Committee will discuss options further, with input from the full board, and will provide more detailed recommendations by the August meeting.

In December 2008, the board of directors authorized ACS to accept the Hach Scientific Foundation’s donation of more than $33 million. Most of the donation consisted of cash and securities. However, a small part of the donation was an office building in Fort Collins, Colo., that the society expected to sell. At this meeting, the board voted to authorize the sale of the property.

The board ratified several actions taken since its March meeting, including an editor-in-chief appointment at an ACS journal, national award recipients, and approval to move the 2014 fall national meeting in San Francisco from Aug. 24–28 to Aug. 10–14. The board also approved the 2021 national meeting dates and locations as follows: March 21–25 in San Antonio and Aug. 22–26 in Boston.