A Word from AAPG Executive Director
For this issue of The Delegates’ Voice I was asked to write about the significant changes I have seen to AAPG over the past decade. The most basic change is the number of new programs that have been added. For example, in science AAPG has added the digital BULLETIN, Datapages, Search and Discovery and the GIS program, plus our joint association with GSW—GeoScience World.
Membership has also seen significant change. Through the Executive Committee, Advisory Committee and the House of Delegates, new rules and procedures have improved and streamlined the membership process, including joining and paying dues online. Halliburton’s, and now Chevron’s, sponsorship of students has rapidly increased this member category. Plus, the new Corporate and Business memberships are building new bridges into companies and countries.
In the area of communication the Web site has been significantly improved and expanded. Many informational documents are now readily available that were not available before. The EXPLORER is now available online and for public outreach we have added petroleumgeology.org.
Considering conferences, AAPG was only officially conducting one annual conference (ACE) 10 years ago and we would add the international conference (ICE) when there was opportunity. Now we have ACE and ICE on a regular basis, plus APPEX is an annual event. The European Region regularly holds an annual meeting and the other Regions are contemplating regular meetings like the Sections.
However, the real growth has been in joint meetings with our sister societies. At the start of this decade our only regular joint society meeting was OTC. Currently, AAPG participates in NAPE, GEO-Middle East, GEO-India, IPTC, 3-P(Polar Petroleum Potential), and now AAPG is managing the new Arctic Technology Conference for OTC.
The Education Committee continues to offer short courses and field trips while the Research Committee offers workshops and the Hedberg conferences. Now we also offer Geoscience Technology Workshops and e-symposiums. In addition, AAPG now has oversight responsibilities for the Petroleum Technology Transfer Council (PTTC).
Headquarters has changed significantly as well. New staff, new advanced software, and procedures and policies are significant improvements.
There are many other new programs I have not mentioned such as our Career Services program and the Divisions have significantly improved their offerings during the past 10 years.
The overarching change is global development. This path was made clear in the strategic plan developed by AAPG leadership earlier in this decade. It is important that this plan was not designed to forget our “roots” in the U.S. but rather to use the strength of the organization that was built by past AAPG members to plant “new roots” and grow around the globe so that we can provide better science and new opportunities.
The reality is, it’s hard to place a finger on one “change” that has made AAPG different. It is rather an evolution of ideas from AAPG members and staff. Each AAPG president and executive committee brings new ideas to build and grow AAPG. The same is true of the Divisions and standing committees.
This is what keeps AAPG fresh and new. Geoscientists are never short of new ideas and we look forward to the next great one.