The structure is in place, the committee members have been confirmed, and the AAPG Foundation is proactively moving forward in its mission of advancing geoscience excellence – for the profession, and for the public-at-large.
This organizational update for the Foundation’s next chapter has been transpiring since January by the Trustees, Executive Director Rick Fritz and other Foundation associates, all with an eye toward increasing impacts and improving efficiency.
“We’re very excited about the development of this new approach, and now having a specific process in place to help make our goals a reality,” said AAPG Foundation Chair Jim McGhay.
“In a nutshell, we’re finding ways to get more of our excellent supporters involved in helping us make a bigger impact on our world,” McGhay said, “including Members of the Corporation, Trustee Associates and others who have been loyal and valuable supporters.
“We’re always looking for more participation in the Foundation – both in bringing ideas to the table, and also in finding the best ways to go forward,” he added.
“There is so much that we want to do – in fact, there is so much more that we want to do – and I think we’ve assembled a great team to make it happen.”
The Foundation’s committee structure will target:
- Program adjustments that will sharpen the Foundation’s focus of geoscience support
- Organizational moves designed to make work on projects more cooperative and effective
- Creating new communication avenues to increase the feeling of community and networking among Foundation supporters
- Project approvals that will extend the Foundation’s influence into the general public
“Simply by modifying how we’re structured and how we communicate among ourselves and with the public will help our efforts and, as a result, our effectiveness,” McGhay noted.
“Obviously, this is the start of a strategy that we hope will encourage more people to bring their experience, wisdom and energy to the team,” he said. “We want to get more people involved.”
Doing the Work
The first of these newly defined emphases was unveiled this past summer: A communications approach suggested by Foundation consultant David Curtiss intended to foster “community and engagement” with the Trustee Associates and current and prospective donors.
The initiative, crafted to “engage, inform and inspire” a new generation of geoscientists and the public about “the importance of geoscience to society,” will be guided by the Communications Committee, headed by Trustee Mike Wisda, of Houston.
Those involved to date have included Members of the Corporation Ted Beaumont (Tulsa), David Hawk (Boise, Idaho) and Bill Monroe (Fort Worth); and Trustee Associates Dan Billman (Houston, Pa.), Kim Parsons (Lakewood, Colo.) and Andrea Reynolds (Houston). Also involved are Rick Fritz and staff Bryan Haws, Heather Hodges and Susie Nolen.
“With our communications initiative, we want to create a sense of community for the Foundation and our supporters,” McGhay said, “but we also want to let people beyond our walls know about and share in the excitement of the geosciences.
“We want people to know what we’re doing.”
The other committees are:
Program Oversight Committee (Education Committee)
Will provide oversight and recommendations for all Foundation programs focused on educational activities, with a focus on the undergraduate and graduate university levels.
(This will include Foundation programs for Grants-in-Aid, Field Camp Scholarships, Military Veterans Scholarships and the Inspirational Geoscience Educator Award.)
The committee also will provide input, as requested, for proposals regarding existing or new education programs.
The committee is chaired by Trustee Valary Schulz (Dallas), and the members are:
- Dan Billman (TA) (Houston, Pa.)
- Kim Parsons (TA) (Lakewood, Colo.)
- Kay Pitts (MoC) (Bakersfield, Calif.)
- A-Lan Reynolds (TA) (Tucson, Ariz.)
- Trem Smith (TA) (Dallas)
Project Review Committee
Will assist the Trustees with managing ongoing projects, plus assess and evaluate project impacts “to maximize the return on investments made by the Foundation.”
The committee is chaired by Trustee Jeff Lund (Houston), and the members are:
- Donna Anderson (MoC) (Golden, Colo.)
- Ted Beaumont (MoC) (Tulsa)
- Brett Fossum (TA) (Wimberley, Texas)
- Bill Morgan (MoC) (Madison, Wisc.)
- Andrea Reynolds (TA) (Houston)
Proposal Evaluation Committee
Will be responsible for initial review and analysis of new funding requests, and will provide funding recommendations to the Trustees.
The committee is co-chaired by Trustees Scott Cameron (Pacific Beach, Wash.) and Mike Party (Midland, Texas), and the members are:
- Lee Billingsley (MoC) (San Antonio)
- Kristie Ferguson (TA) (Tulsa)
- Jim Funk (TA) (Houston)
- Marty Hewitt (MoC) (Calgary, Canada)
- Steve Sonnenberg (MoC) (Golden, Colo.)