ASA President Barry Nussbaum receives a birthday cake during the April Board of Directors meeting.

ASA President Barry Nussbaum convened the first ASA Board meeting of 2017 at the ASA offices in Alexandria, Virginia. The highlights of the meeting follow.

Discussion Items

• ASA Executive Director Ron Wasserstein and Nancy Kidd, executive director of the American Sociological Society, led the board in a discussion about the ASA’s role as an advocate for the profession during a time of political strife. The board considered various scenarios and asked whether the ASA would get involved as an advocate in those situations. The board also considered the development of a rubric that would help ASA decision-makers determine whether an issue warranted ASA involvement.
• An enlightening discussion with Andreas Georgiou, former president of the Hellenic Statistical Authority (that is, Greece’s top official statistician), took place. Georgiou has faced multiple criminal and civil charges in Greece for presenting the national statistics, particularly those indicating the relative size of the national debt, in accordance with EU law. The situation has reverberations for official statistics not only in Greece, but around the world.

Action Items

The following editorial appointments were made:

• Steve Rigdon, St. Louis University, Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports, 2018–2020
• Dan Jeske, University of California, Riverside, The American Statistician, 2018–2020
• Extended the terms of co-editors of the Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, Dan McCaffrey and Li Cai, through 2018
• Journal prices were reviewed, and an increase of 5% on institutional North-American and international print and online prices for 2018 was approved. A 2% increase on ASA member rates for print, the first increase in these rates in three years, was approved. Online access for ASA members is free.
• A feasibility study was authorized to consider how the ASA might launch a campaign to increase public awareness of the importance, reliability, and trustworthiness of government statistics.
• Sites for JSM 2024 were considered. A final decision will be made by the ASA Executive Committee in the next few months.

Reported Items

• Associate Executive Director and Director of Operations Steve Porzio updated the board on ASA finances for 2016. The year ended well in the black for several reasons, including a strong attendance at JSM. Also, Porzio and ASA Treasurer Amarjot Kaur presented the results of the ASA’s annual audit. The board thanked Porzio and staff for another clear audit.
• The board received progress reports on the three strategic initiatives launched by ASA President Barry Nussbaum. All are well under way. In addition, ASA President-elect Lisa LaVange outlined initiatives for 2018 based on the ASA’s Strategic Plan and the efforts of her predecessors.
• The Council of Chapters Governing Board (COCGB) and Council of Sections Governing Board (COSGB) reported on their recent activities. The COCGB highlighted its work to increase involvement by chapter members and improve cross-chapter communications. The COSGB has been active in providing additional support for interest groups and budget planning and guidance for sections.
• Trevor Butterworth, director of Sense About Science (SAS) USA, updated the board on STATS, the ASA’s partnership with SAS USA to improve statistical literacy. STATS has been active in providing workshops to train journalists in statistics.
• ASA Director of Education Rebecca Nichols and K–12 Statistical Ambassador Chris Franklin briefed the board on a wide variety of educational leadership activities engaged in by ASA members.
• The annual report of the Professional Issues and Visibility Council was presented by Vice President Kathy Ensor. Likewise, Vice President David Williamson presented the annual report of the Membership Council. These council reports help the board stay connected with ASA committees and vice versa.
• Amanda Malloy, director of development, provided a brief update on the ASA’s fundraising activities.
• Steve Pierson, director of science policy, updated the board on our advocacy work.

The full board meets again July 28–29 in Baltimore, immediately prior to JSM 2017.

2017 Board of Directors

Barry Nussbaum, President

Lisa LaVange, President-Elect

Jessica Utts, Past-President

Rob Santos, 3rd-Year Vice President

Kathy Ensor, 2nd-Year Vice President

David Williamson, 1st-Year Vice President

Wendy Lou, 3rd-Year Council of Chapters Representative

Paula Roberson, 2nd-Year Council of Chapters Representative

Julia Sharp, 1st-Year Council of Chapters Representative

Anna Nevius, 3rd-Year Council of Sections Representative

Eileen King, 2nd-Year Council of Sections Representative

Jim Lepkowski, 1st-Year Council of Sections Representative

Cynthia Bocci, International Representative

David van Dyk, Publications Representative

Amarjot Kaur, Treasurer

Ron Wasserstein, Executive Director and Board Secretary