Message from the Immediate Past Chair

Hello,

I hope and pray that all of you are safe, well and rested.

We are in the final week of our school year and I must say that the year 2020 will not be a year that I will soon forget.  It was an honor and a privilege to serve as your chair last year and although we were not able to meet this past spring, the business of the Division of Professional Relations must continue. As a country we have been tested in many ways with this global pandemic and recent events involving the police and African Americans.

As an African American I cannot write you and say that these things have not impacted me. It has broken my heart. I can also say that I believe that we need to listen to each other, love each other, and learn from each other. We need to unite as a country. We need to remember that although we are not a perfect union, we are still Americans. We may disagree about a lot things but if we keep the focus on our purpose, if each of us strives to live up to our ideals that all people are equal, if each of us strives to love thy neighbor as thyself then I believe we as a nation can get through any tumultuous time. The common goal is make our country better for everyone.

This Division and all of its Subdivisions is a testament to the ideal of people working toward a common goal.  Each Subdivision works independently to serve its members but we all unite under our core mission which is to create inclusive communities, resources and programming for the benefit of chemical professionals throughout their careers and our vision of empowering chemical professionals for success in a diverse world.

Each of us are unique individuals from various backgrounds, race, ableness, socioeconomic, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. Each of has our preferred pronoun, and I dare say no two members of this division are alike. Each of us brings something to the table and we unite to make our organization better with love and respect for all.

In my role as your immediate past chair, I am charged with providing a slate of nominees who will continue to work towards our common goal and it is one the reasons I am writing to you today.

I would like you to consider serving in the leadership of the professional relations division.  Below I have included directly from our bylaws the description of each position available in our upcoming elections.

Please consider nominating someone or self-nominating by emailing me at mcrawfor@knox.edu. Please do not hesitate to ask questions because I am sure the person currently in the position would be happy to help you.  You can find their names and contact information at:  https://acsprof.org/governance/officers/ .

Thank you for your serious consideration and allowing me to serve you these past three years.

Sincerely,

 

Professional Relations Committee Positions

Administration of the Division: The Executive Committee shall manage all affairs of the Division, including its finances. The Executive Committee shall consist of a Chair, Chair-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, the Division Councilors, the Division Alternate Councilors, six Members-at-Large, and the immediate Past Chair. If not holding an elected office, the Program Chair shall be a non-voting member of the Executive Committee.
Description of Duties of our available positions.

 

Chair-Elect: The primary responsibility of the Chair-Elect is to become familiar with the responsibilities of the office of Chair, since he/she will be assuming the role of Chair. The term of office for Chair-Elect begins January 1 of the year immediately following his/her election.

The duties of the Chair-Elect are given below.

• The Chair-Elect shall preside over meetings in the absence of the Chair.
• The Chair-Elect shall attend Executive Committee and business meetings.
• The Chair-Elect shall become familiar with the Division’s activities. This should include attending theACS Division Officer’s Training Conference.

 

Secretary: The Secretary records and maintains the official business of the Division. The term of office of the Secretary is two years, beginning January 1, following election. The Secretary is elected in the alternate years, when the Treasurer is not elected.

The main duties of the Secretary are given below.

• The Secretary shall attend and keep minutes of all business meetings of the Division and of the
  Executive Committee These minutes should be distributed to all members of the Executive Committee in a timely fashion prior to the next meeting.
• The Secretary shall handle all of the Division’s correspondence, as directed by the Chair.
• With the assistance of the Treasurer, the Secretary shall maintain a list of Division members and Affiliates and send them such notices as the business of the Division may require.
• The Secretary shall submit a report to the Division at its annual meeting
• The Secretary shall submit an annual report of the Division to the SOCIETY’s Divisional Activities Committee.
•  The Secretary shall prepare a draft ballot and send the list of nominations to each Division member by May 1 or three weeks after conclusion of the Spring meeting, whichever is later.
• Based on the input received from Division members, the Secretary shall send ballots to Division members so that the election may be completed by October 15
• The Secretary shall certify promptly all elections for and changes in office
• The Secretary shall preside at Executive Committee and Division business meetings in the absence of the Chair and Chair-Elect.

 

Treasurer: The Treasurer coordinates and monitors the financial activities of the Division. The term of office of the Treasurer is two years, beginning January 1, following election. The Treasurer is elected in the alternate years, when the Secretary is not elected.

The main duties of the Treasurer are given below.

• The Treasurer shall have charge of the funds of the Division, with their disposition subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.
• The Treasurer shall assist the Secretary in maintaining a list of members and Affiliates and in sending them such notices as the business of the Division may require.
• The Treasurer shall submit a report to the Division at its annual meeting
• The Treasure shall submit an annual report of the Division to the SOCIETY’s Divisional Activities Committee
• The Treasurer shall provide a financial report to the members of the Executive Committee in advance of each national meeting.
• The Treasurer shall prepare a draft budget and distribute this draft to members of the Executive Committee for approval at the Fall Annual meeting.
• The Treasurer shall prepare a balance sheet for the previous year for publication in the Division’s newsletter once a year.

 

Councilor/Alternate Councilor: The Councilors and Alternate Councilors shall represent the Division on the Council of the SOCIETY. The term of the Councilors and Alternate Councilors is three years. Election should take place such that alternation is produced.

The duties of the Councilors/Alternate Councilors are given below.

• The Councilors and Alternate Councilors shall represent the Division on the Council of the SOCIETY
• The Councilors and Alternate Councilors shall attend Executive Committee meetings.
• Councilors shall inform the Division’s members of internal ACS activities. One suggestion would be to provide a report to be included in the Newsletter following each National meeting.

 

Program Chair: The Program Chair shall have the responsibility for planning and coordinating symposia and other programs for divisional sponsorship. The Program Chair shall be a non-voting member of the Executive Committee, unless they have another position giving them voting privileges on the Executive Committee. The Program Chair shall attend Executive Committee meetings and present program proposals to the Executive Committee for approval. The Program Chair shall be appointed with the approval of the Executive Committee to serve for three years.

Newsletter Editor: The Editor of the newsletter, The Professional Relations Bulletin, shall be responsible for all aspects of the production of the newsletter, including development of content, arranging for its production and arranging for its distribution to members. The Newsletter Editor may attend Executive Committee meetings, but is not a member of the executive Committee, in this capacity. At least two issues of the newsletters shall be issued each year. Preferably, these issues should be timed so that Division members receive newsletters just prior to the national meetings of the ACS. The Newsletter Editor shall be appointed with approval of the Executive Committee.

Webmaster: The Webmaster is responsible for maintaining the Division’s webpage and for ensuring that all content on the Division’s web page is up to date and of use to the Division’s membership. The Webmaster may attend Executive Committee meetings, but is not a member of the executive Committee, in this capacity. The Webmaster shall be appointed with approval of the Executive Committee

In addition to the positions above we need nominations for the chair elect of each Subdivision and Members at Large. You can find a description of each subdivision of our website and the contact information of the people currently holding the position.