American Chemical Society
256th ACS National Meeting
Boston, Massachusetts August 19-23, 2018
Councilor Talking Points (pdf report):
Summary of Governance Issues and Actions
The following summary is provided to help Councilors report to their Local Sections and Divisions
on key actions of the ACS Council meeting held August 22, 2018, and the Board of Directors meetings
held August 17-19, 2018, at the 2018 ACS fall national meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. Full
reports are posted on the ACS Website as they become available.
Actions of the Council
Election Results: Elected Committees of Council
■ By electronic ballot, the Council elected Ella L. Davis, Lissa A. Dulany, Lisa Houston, and
Martin D. Rudd for three-year terms (2019-2021), and Will E. Lynch for a one-year term (2019) on the
Council Policy Committee (CPC).
Lawrence J. Berliner 103
Michelle V. Buchanan 185
Alan B. Cooper 191
*Ella L. Davis 196
*Lissa A. Dulany 201
Lydia E. M. Hines 194
*Lisa Houston 231
*Will E. Lynch 195
*Martin D. Rudd 220
Barbara P. Sitzman 163
• By electronic ballot, the Council elected Allison Aldridge, Christopher J. Bannochie, Mary K.
Engelman, Silvia Ronco, and Frankie K. Wood-Black for three-year terms (2019-2021) on the Committee
on Nominations and Elections (N&E).
*Allison Aldridge 216
*Christopher J. Bannochie 228
*Mary K. Engelman 222
Kenneth P. Fivizzani 162
Anne M. Gaffney 187
David S. Gottfried 136
James M. Landis 189
R. Daniel Libby 135
*Silvia Ronco 206
*Frankie K. Wood-Black 220
• By electronic ballot, the Council elected Rodney M. Bennett, Jacqueline A. Erickson, Judith
M. Iriarte-Gross, Donivan R. Porterfield, and Carolyn Ribes for three-year terms (2019-2021) on the
Committee on Committees (ConC).
*Rodney M. Bennett 189
Richard S. Danchik 92
*Jacqueline A. Erickson 217
Rick Ewing 176
*Judith M. Iriarte-Gross 214
Russell W. Johnson 114
*Donivan R. Porterfield 206
*Carolyn Ribes 328
Frank Romano 171
Peter Zarras 119
Other Council Actions
Amendments to the ACS Bylaws
■ A recommendation by the Committee on Membership Affairs that Council approve the Petition on
International Chemical Sciences Chapters achieved the two-thirds majority required to amend Bylaw
XI, Section 3 accordingly (additions underlined; deletions struck through):
Affiliations of SOCIETY Local Sections or Divisions shall become effective upon authorization by
their governing body, approval by their respective Council committees governing Local Sections and
Divisions, and by confirmation by the Council Committee on Constitution and Bylaws acting for the
Council, that the provisions of Section 1 of this Bylaw are met.
The changes will become effective upon confirmation by the Board of Directors.
■ A recommendation by the Committee on Membership Affairs that Council approve the Petition on
International Chemical Sciences Chapters achieved the two-thirds majority required to amend Bylaw
IX, Section 4 accordingly (additions underlined; deletions struck through):
An International Chemical Sciences Chapter shall receive no allotment of funds from the SOCIETY and
shall not be entitled to elected representation on the Council. A Chapter may assess its members
local Chapter dues to be expended for its own purposes in harmony with the objects of the SOCIETY.
The changes will become effective upon confirmation by the Board of Directors.
American Chemical Society
Councilor Talking Points and
Summary of Governance Issues and Actions
Continuation of Committee
■ On the recommendation of the Committee on Committees, and the concurrence of the Council
Policy Committee, Council approved the continuation of the Committee on Chemical Safety, subject to
concurrence by the Board of Directors.
Resolutions
The Council passed resolutions
■ in memory of deceased Councilors;
■ congratulating ACS Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Brian A. Bernstein on the occasion
of his retirement after nearly 40 years of service to the Society (34 as ACS Treasurer);
■ in gratitude for the officers and members of the Northeastern Section, host Section for the
256th National Meeting, the divisional program chairs and symposium organizers, and ACS staff; and
■ acknowledging Peter K. Dorhout’s service as ACS President and presiding officer of the
Council.
Special Discussion
President Dorhout introduced and led a special discussion on what role(s) ACS should play in
preventing sexual harassment in the sciences. He highlighted several recent articles, workshops
and studies that have called attention to the issue, notably a symposium, “Science of Sexual
Harassment” organized during the ACS National Meeting in New Orleans (Spring 2018) by the Women
Chemists Committee and Chemical & Engineering News; and a National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine consensus study report: “Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture,
and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine” (2018). He directed Council’s
attention to existing ACS codes and initiatives to address sexual harassment, and offered items for
discussion and possible action:
• More signs/information at National Meetings regarding our policies and supporting information
• Trained volunteers at national meetings for reporting sexual harassment
• A webinar on preventing sexual harassment for local sections or divisions
To further inform the discussion and Councilor input, a brief survey was conducted using the
audience electronic response system. The results of the survey are listed below. The ACS
Volunteer/National Meeting Attendee Conduct Policy was in the Council Agenda, and can be found
online at [http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/about/governance/councilors.html] A summary of the
discussion and additional information will be sent to Councilors at a later time.
Have you ever witnessed or experienced sexual harassment at an ACS meeting or ACS event?
(413 responses)
Yes 23% (94) No 77% (319)
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Councilor Talking Points and
Summary of Governance Issues and Actions
Have you ever witnessed or experienced sexual harassment at an ACS meeting or ACS event, or in your
professional workplace or learning environment? (182 women / 223 men responded)
Women Men
Yes 77% (141) 57% (127)
No 23% (41) 43% (96)
How familiar are you with the ACS Codes and initiatives for professional conduct? (417 responses)
Very Familiar 38% (157)
Vaguely Familiar 46% (192)
Not Familiar 16% (68)
Has your local section or division instituted a sexual harassment policy of its own? (419
responses)
Yes 3% (12)
No 73% (309)
Don’t Know 23% (98)
Highlights from Committee Reports
Nominations and Elections
The Committee on Nominations and Elections solicits Councilors’ input of qualified individuals for
President-Elect and/or Directors for future consideration. Suggestions can be sent to
nomelect@acs.org.
Ballots for the 2018 fall national election will be distributed October 1-3, with a voting deadline
four weeks later, on October 31. ACS members eligible to vote and with an email address on file
will receive an electronic ballot with the option to request a paper ballot. Those members with no
email address on file will be sent a paper ballot but with the option to vote electronically. The
ACS election vendor, Survey & Ballot Systems, will send three email reminders during the voting
period to those who have not voted as of the reminder date.
Budget and Finance
The Society’s 2018 Probable 1 Projection calls for a Net from Operations of $31.8 million. This is
$1.3 million favorable to the Approved Budget. Total revenues are projected to be $565.1 million,
which is
$5.7 million or 1.0% favorable to the Budget. Total expenses are projected at $553.3 million, which
is $4.4 million or 0.8% unfavorable to the Budget.
The Committee considered one 2019 program funding reauthorization request, and on its
recommendation, the Board subsequently approved funding the ACS Festival Series for inclusion in
the 2019 Proposed Budget and the 2020-2021 Forecast Budgets.
The Society is expected to end the year in compliance with each of the five Board-established
financial guidelines. Additional information can be found at www.acs.org, at the bottom of the
page, click ‘About ACS’, then ‘Financial’.
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Councilor Talking Points and
Summary of Governance Issues and Actions
Boston Meeting Attendance
The theme of the 256th ACS National Meeting was “Nanoscience, Nanotechnology, and Beyond.” As of
Tuesday evening, August 21, attendance was:
Attendees 8294
Students 3671
Exhibitors 1181
Expo only 576
Guest 513
Total 14,235
Membership Affairs
As of August 21, ACS had 149,584 members, which is a decline of only eight-tenths of one percent
from the over 150,000 members in 2017. This year-to-date figure represents an increase of over
1,200 members when compared to the last two years. It was noted that five of last seven months
have been respectively the best months for membership since at least 2014. The current membership
count positions ACS for a strong close to the year, and there is cautious optimism that total
membership will rise for the first time since 2011.
Petitions to Amend the Constitution and Bylaws
New petitions to amend the Constitution or Bylaws must be received by the Executive Director & CEO
no later than December 12 to be included in the Council agenda for consideration at the spring 2019
meeting in Orlando. Contact the Committee on Constitution and Bylaws with any questions or requests
for information at bylaws@acs.org
Actions of the Board of Directors
The Board’s Executive Session
At this meeting, the ACS Board of Directors focused on a number of key strategic issues and took
several related actions.
The Board’s Committees
The Board of Directors received and discussed reports from its committees on Corporation
Associates, Professional and Member Relations, Executive Compensation, the Governing Board for
Publishing, and the Society Committee on Budget and Finance. On the basis of those reports and
with regard to the Board’s strategic vision for the Society:
• The Board approved, on the recommendation of the Committee on Professional and Member
Relations, the Society’s nominees for the 2019 Perkin Medal and the 2019 National Science Board
Public Service Award.
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Councilor Talking Points and
Summary of Governance Issues and Actions
• The Board voted to approve the appointments or reappointments of several editors-in-chief
for ACS journals as recommended by the Joint Board-Council Committee on Publications and Editor
Selection Committees. Information about those appointments will appear in C&EN once the individuals
concerned have been notified.
• In light of the recent financial performance of the technical-meeting component of our
national meetings, the Board voted to approve an advance member registration fee of only $490 for
national meetings held in 2019 (i.e., the current advance member registration fee escalated to
account for inflation only); to reauthorize a program funding request for the Chemistry Festival
program; and in accordance with past practice, to allocate on a pro-rated basis to qualified ACS
Divisions any net revenues accrued to the Society from the 2020 and future International Chemical
Congresses of the Pacific Basin Societies (Pacifichem).
• The Board liaison to the Committee on Corporation Associates presented a proposed committee
Future State Operating Model and considered options for committee member terms and appointment
processes. The Board expressed support for the value of industry to ACS and acknowledged
Corporation Associates as being positioned within the Society to represent the voice of industry to
the Board and ACS.
• The Board’s Society Programs global liaison offered an update on efforts to strengthen the
global presence of Society programs to better serve our international members and the global
chemistry enterprise. Efforts are underway to clarify and articulate the current state of
international activities, products, and services; to clarify the challenges associated with
globalization of existing domestic activities; and to offer recommendations for moving forward.
Next steps include interviewing key stakeholders, reviewing past efforts, and exploiting existing
market research with a view toward developing a strategic plan, activities, and timelines for Board
consideration.
• The Board liaison to the Leadership Advisory Board (LAB) provided an update on initial
efforts geared towards the development of a next-generation ACS Leadership Program. A small task
force has been charged with investigating the state of the art in leadership development, assessing
the future needs of the Society as well as those of individual members and their employers, and
then proposing, by the end of 2019, a strategic vision for and the specifications of a
next-generation ACS leadership program focused on 2030 and beyond.
Executive Director and CEO Report
The Board also received an extensive report from the Executive Director and CEO on issues relating
to Passion for Chemistry and Diversity and Inclusion as core values of the Society, on Membership,
ACS financial performance, and upcoming events and activities. He reported there has been initial
success with several initiatives underway to address and reverse the decline in membership. His
direct reports provided updates to the Board on the activities of Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS),
the ACS Publications Division, and the Office of the Secretary and General Counsel. As part of his
report, he also invited the Executive Vice President for Human Resources to brief the Board on the
activities, opportunities and challenges of the Human Resources Division.
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Councilor Talking Points and
Summary of Governance Issues and Actions
Other Society Business
The Board approved the foundation documents of the newly created endowment for the Henry H. Storch
Award in Energy Chemistry, which originally was established as a national award in 1964.
As is customary, the Board heard reports from members of the Presidential Succession on their
current and planned activities for 2018-2019. Several presidential symposia and events
incorporating and supporting this national meeting’s theme of “Nanoscience, Nanotechnology &
Beyond” were highlighted in those reports.
The Board’s Regular Session
The Board held a well-attended regular session on Sunday, August 19, that featured a presentation
by Nobel Laureate Sir Fraser Stoddart who spoke on transformative research and reviewed his
contributions in supramolecular chemistry and molecular recognition. Also, as a Champion of the
program, he advocated for ACS Project SEED on the 50th Anniversary of the program. Prior to the
presentation, members of the presidential succession and the Executive Director & CEO offered brief
reports on their activities. The officers provided more extensive reports on their activities and
future plans as part of their written and oral reports to the Council.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FOR COUNCILORS
The following is a list of URLs and email addresses for supplemental information presented in
reports at the Council meeting.
Officers
Peter K. Dorhout, President p.dorhout@acs.org Bonnie A.
Charpentier, President-Elect b.charpentier@acs.org Allison A. Campbell, Immediate
Past President a.campbell@acs.org
ACS Offices
Office of Secretary & General Counsel secretary@acs.org
Committees
Budget and Finance www.acs.org ✗ About ACS ✗
Financial Information
Chemical Safety safety@acs.org
Committee on Committees https://www.yellowbook.acs.org
Constitution and Bylaws bylaws@acs.org
Economic and Professional Affairs www.acs.org/careerfair careers@acs.org
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Councilor Talking Points and
Summary of Governance Issues and Actions
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Local Section Activities www.acs.org/getinvolved
Minority Affairs
https://www.chemdiversity.org www.facebook.com/ACS.CMA Twitter @chemdiversity
Nominations and Elections www.acs.org/elections
nomelect@acs.org
Patents and Related Matters Patents@acs.org
Professional Training cpt@acs.org
Women Chemists wcc@acs.org
Younger Chemists #CatalyzeTheVote
#CtV
https://acsycc.org/events/catalyze-the-vote
Resources on the Web
Yellow Book
https://www.yellowbook.acs.org
Highlights of ACS Achievements www.acs.org/acshighlights
Governing Documents www.acs.org/bulletin5
Resources on mentoring www.acs.org/grad
Career Consultant Program https://goo.gl/2sppC9 Graduate STEM
Education for the
21st Century
www.nationalacademies.org/GradEd Explore Chemistry: Let’s Do Chemistry
www.nisenet.org/chemistry-kit
ACS Guidelines and Recommendations
For Middle & HS Chemistry www.acs.org/mshsguidelines Career
Consultants https://goo.gl/2sppC9
Online Information for Councilors
http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/about/governance/councilors.html
■ Volunteer/National Meeting Attendee Conduct Policy
Councilor Talking Points is produced by the ACS Office of the Secretary & General Counsel
Permission is hereby granted to distribute in whole or part.
Please direct all comments and questions to: secretary@acs.org