Based on my previous experience through service as an AAPG officer and meetings organizer, I feel that the time is right for me to work with the Executive Committee, Advisory Council, headquarters staff and members to accelerate AAPG’s journey to our next era.
My vision for the future of AAPG involves working toward a framework of transparency that can effectively embrace smaller units of AAPG such as the Regions and Sections.
Coming from Central Europe and speaking two of their dominant languages – German and Russian (in addition to my native language and English) – I feel closer to the people of the Regions in terms of understanding their mentality and cultures. This asset brings a sensitivity that I might use to help create a bridge to the central organization from the Regions and Sections. That bridge will make AAPG a more successful international organization.
I would work to make AAPG more agile and responsive to member needs and thus enhance AAPG relative to other organizations. I will work to ensure that they, Regions, Sections and Societies, continue to experience the value that AAPG provides. AAPG has become a strong and respected organization through their participation and the financial support from industry and donors.
During the past decade, AAPG has been able to balance new services for members through the expansion of regional offices and a string of wise fiscal decisions. Moving forward, AAPG must continue to be vigilant with a combination long-term budgetary forecasts and fiscal constraint in the decision making process. Moving forward, the lengthy global recession makes it more important than ever that AAPG manage profit and loss closely and evaluate the budgets and agendas based on lessons learned.
My affiliation with the AAPG is one that has involved the combination of different skills under the auspices of a professional organization. As a scientist I can recognize value of scientific topics/events to attract members and/or participants while as a manager I know the ways and means to implement ambitious and challenging plans. I do have the ability to communicate, inspire confidence and lead. Over my career I have experienced both geoscience and technology from industrial, governmental and academic perspectives, working in all of those sectors.
I am a good fit for the candidacy of AAPG treasurer. Not only because of the combination of the professional, organizational and negotiation skills, but also because I grew up and lived in an environment of permanent shortages, financial and otherwise. This brush with austerity developed skills for managing and maintaining financial balance. This was the way I worked in the Europe Region and this is a skill I believe global AAPG needs, too.
Personally, I can imagine that my father, an economist, would have dreamed about his only daughter following her professional interests that have broadened beyond a career in geosciences that he saw only at the very beginning. In some way this is his heritage and my way to thank him for his support and training.