Governance

Attendees at lunch at the 2019 Annual meeting at the Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Brussels, Belgium. Photo courtesy of Philippe Cohen.
Attendees at lunch at the 2019 Annual meeting at the Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Brussels, Belgium. Photo courtesy of Philippe Cohen.

The Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS) Executive Board is composed of the seven elected and voting offices, plus one ex officio, non-voting office (Past President). Election to office is restricted to Institutional Members, except for the office of Member-at-Large which may also be held by Individual Members. All members of the Board of Directors are expected to participate in OBFS efforts, duties, and planning throughout their term. Members are also expected to attend Annual Meetings and participate in all Board meetings and projects.

Elected Officers terms are two years, January 1 to December 31. Committee Chair terms are one year, January 1 to December 31, renewable, except for Annual Meeting Chair which tracks Vice President appointment. Past Presidents are not technically "elected."  Outgoing President assumes this office ex officio.  

President: The President presides over the Executive Committee and Board of Director Meetings and leads efforts and projects as defined by the Bylaws as well as any current organizational activities. The President represents the organization in all functions, invited appearances, meetings, workshops, memberships, correspondence, and cooperative activities unless they designate a substitute. The President chairs the Annual Meeting. This office holds all the authority and responsibility normally designated in professional societies.  

Vice-President: The Vice-President assists the President in official business and may represent the organization in place of the President if needed. The Vice-President serves as chair of the Annual Meeting Committee. As committee chair, the Vice President is responsible for the Annual Meeting program and coordination with the host station. 

Secretary: The Secretary documents and manages all annual record keeping of the organization. The Secretary is responsible for scheduling and setting the agendas for the Quarterly Board meetings, in coordination with the President. The Secretary records minutes at the Board of Directors and Annual Meetings, distributes these to the Board for approval immediately following the meeting and submits them for publication in the Annual Report.

Treasurer: The Treasurer documents and manages all financial transactions of the organization. The Treasurer is responsible for financial bookkeeping and record keeping. Bookkeeping records are subject to annual audit by the Vice President. The Treasurer prepares annual financial and membership reports to be presented at the Annual Meeting and published in the Newsletter. The Treasurer is responsible for processing member dues, both renewals and new memberships.

Members-at-Large: Members-at-Large serve on the Annual Meeting Committee, which is chaired by the Vice President. Members-at-Large work with other Executive Committee members on regular and special projects, duties and initiatives. Members-at-Large participate in Board voting and in setting goals and priorities for the organization. Members-at-Large may acquire special projects or responsibilities as defined by the President or the board.

Past-President: The office of Past-President is ex officio and not elected. Past-Presidents work with other board members on regular and special projects, duties and initiatives. They assist in setting goals and priorities for the organization. Past-President is on the annual meeting committee and serves as chair of Nominations sub-Committee.  The Past President, along with the current President, serves as the point of contact for any Code of Conduct issues.

Editor: The Editor is a Board-selected officer of the Board. The Editor is primarily responsible for editing, publishing, and disseminating the OBFS Newsletter, the Annual Report and other organizational publications as directed by the Board of Directors.

Network Coordinator: The Network Coordinator is a Board-selected officer of the Board. The Network Coordinator maintains the OBFS website (obfs.org), works with the Treasurer to manage membership through the website, and may provide additional IT support as needed. 

Historian: The Historian is a non-voting Board-selected position. The Historian documents the history of OBFS through compiling organizational documents, audio, and visual.

Representative to the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS): The OBFS Representative to AIBS is the main conduit of information between the two organizations.

Committee Chairs: Committee Chairs are expected to attend Annual Meetings and participate in all Board of Director meetings and projects. They report to the Board progress on committee projects at Board Meetings. Primary responsibilities include coordinating and executing organization activities, goals and responsibilities as mandated by the Bylaws, the Strategic Plan, and the membership. See Committee page for more information.