Corporate Structure Proposal
Historic Summary of AAPG Global Development
April 30, 2009
In 2002 Glen Tecker and Associates were asked to develop a new business plan for the association. As part of that process it was decided the long-range planning documents that were developed in the 1990’s were out of date. As a result, AAPG leadership considered the development of a comprehensive strategic plan for the Association.
Then President Robbie Gries and President-Elect Dan Smith initiated the project and it was completed during Steve Sonnenberg’s presidency. The Executive Committee and the Advisory Committee held several discussions during fiscal year 2003. In 2003-04, Tecker & Associates were hired to facilitate the plan. Then President Steve Sonnenberg and AC Chairman, Dan Smith, formed a special committee that included the Advisory Committee members plus other leaders within the Association.
The overarching goal determined in the strategic plan is to become indispensible to the geologic profession. The goals of the strategic plan are six fold—1) Advance the Science, 2) Continuous Professional Development, 3) Public Awareness and Understanding, 4) Membership and Member Services, 5) Financial Strength and 6) Global Presence. The Strategic Plan in its entirety was published in the Explorer and placed on the Web in November, 2004 for members’ response.
Based on member response and their work the committee felt the most overarching of these goals is “Advance the Science.” If AAPG can provide the best science then we can become indispensible. The committee also felt the greatest area of growth was through “Global Presence.”
Global Presence also ties into all of the other goals. As a result of the strategic plan, the leadership of AAPG and staff made a conscious effort toward global development in each of the goal areas as follows:
- Science
- The AAPG Editor, Publications Committee, and staff worked to expand input from the Regions into the Bulletin and Special Pubs. We especially began to improve quality of papers at ACE, ICE and other conferences. One of most successful areas in globalizing our science has been in digitization of AAPG and sister society publications. Once this information was placed on the Web, the science provided through AAPG was sent around the globe.
- Continuous Professional Development
- The first step was to significantly increase the number of non-U.S. Distinguished Lecturers. Also, the Research Committee was asked to expand Hedberg Conferences in the Regions. Less successful were AAPG’s attempt to develop more short courses in Regions. This was not feasible until AAPG started opening Region offices.
- Public Awareness of Understanding
- Changes in this goal area toward globalization are increased content from the Regions in the Explorer and on the Web. Also, the Public Outreach Committee has developed a Web site that is universal.
- Membership and Member Services
- This goal was to make it easier for non-US members to join AAPG by making it easier to obtain sponsorship and lower cost based on average income. The following three items were initiated along with streamlining of the membership application process by staff:
- New Active members were immediately given Associate status to allow them to receive immediate benefits.
- A robust online membership application process was developed.
- Graduated dues were proposed based on personal income rather than overage gross income per country.
- Financial Strength
- Increased membership in a global sense provides the best financial security for the association in the future. A key component of building financial strength through global development is investing in the Regions so that they can grow and provide members services and interest more members in joining AAPG.
- Global Presence
- One of the key steps toward globalization was the approval by the House of Delegates in 2006 of vice-presidents for both Regions and Sections. This step helped to insure representation from each group. To increase “global presence” more AAPG leadership and staff travel outside of the US. The addition of Region offices provides local services and especially provides extension of educational opportunities. The development of the Geoscience Technology Workshops (GTW) will be a key future impact of AAPG science worldwide.
The major component of global development was the proposal to change AAPG’s corporate structure to a global model. Although corporate structure was recognized as perhaps the most important step towards globalization, it was decided to initially take basic steps in building toward globalization such as those described above.
In 2005, under then AAPG President, Pete Rose, and Pat Gratton, as chair of the AC, staff began to review changes to other societies and, in particular, studied the changes to corporate structure made by SPE in 2000. During this time the first white paper was produced to consider changes to AAPG’s corporate structure. The process was accelerated in 2006 under AAPG President Lee Billingsley, but it was placed on hold in 2007 as the HoD considered the issue of graduated dues.
AAPG membership last updated the Association’s strategic plan in April 2006. During that April meeting, the AAPG Advisory Council voted that the overarching mission of the Association should be to provide the best “science,” in particular, “geoscience,” to its members.
Global Corporate Structure was accelerated again in 2008 at the end of Will Green’s presidential year and has been a cornerstone of development in 2008-09 during Scott Tinker’s term as AAPG President.