PRESIDENT’S CORNER
In January, I shared information about three initiatives undertaken this year to address issues raised in the ASA
Strategic Plan and promised to provide updates to members over the course of the year. The first initiative—on the
ASA’s spending policy and reserves—was described in the June issue of Amstat News. The article below describes the
organizational efficiency of ASA committees, the second initiative. I thank Bob Rodriguez and the members of his
workgroup for their time and attention to ensuring the effectiveness of our committee structure.
—Sally C. Morton, ASA President
Committees, Communication,
and Commitment
Robert n. Rodriguez
Members of the Workgroup
Margo Anderson, chair of Committee
on Committees
C
ommittees have long been a vital compo-
nent of the ASA organization, and many of
Alicia Carriquiry, 2007–2009
our members serve on one or more com-
ASA vice president
mittees. But you might be surprised to learn that
Susan Devlin, past chair of Committee on
the ASA has 70 committees—an extraordinary
number compared to similar societies—and that
Committees, chair of 2006 task force
the president-elect makes more than 160 commit-
Linda Gage, former chair of Committee on
tee appointments annually.
Committees, member of 2006 task force
As the size of our committee structure has
increased over time, its effectiveness has declined,
Stephen Looney, former chair of
creating obstacles that have been pointed out by
Committee on Membership
committee chairs, committee members, and the
Committee on Committees. These issues prompt-
Robert Rodriguez, 2006–2008 ASA vice
ed a study by the 2006 Task Force on Committee
president, chair of the workgroup
Organization and Management, which recom-
mended that the Board of Directors provide better Ronald Wasserstein, ASA executive director
communication and oversight for committees and
aid the appointment process.
The workgroup was greatly assisted by
the Committee on Committees.
Improving the organizational effectiveness of
committees is a goal of the ASA’s Strategic Plan,
which the board adopted in March of 2008. Acting
on the plan, then President-elect Sally Morton
During the past year, the workgroup collaborat-
appointed the Workgroup on Organizational
ed with the Committee on Committees to develop
Efficiency of Committees in the fall of 2008 to do
recommendations, which were endorsed by the
the following:
board on July 31, 2009. Note that this endorsement
requires subsequent approval of the bylaw revisions
— Propose an overhaul of the committee struc- presented in the following pages. The workgroup
ture to make it more efficient and effective in report is available online at
www.amstat.org/news/
serving as an extension of the board and in meet- OEW_RecommendationforASABoard.pdf.
ing the mission of the organization
Committees as ‘Arms of the Board’
— Consider how committees should receive more
We depend critically on the health of our com-
ongoing guidance and two-way communication
mittees because they are the primary means by
from the board
which the Board of Directors draws on the talent,
SEPTEMbER 2009 AMSTAT NEwS 3
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