ASA President Lisa LaVange convened the final ASA Board meeting of 2018 at the ASA office in Alexandria, Virginia. The highlights of the meeting follow.

Discussion Items

• The board received the interim report of the ad hoc Task Force on Sexual Harassment and Assault and an interim summary of the questionnaire distributed to membership. The board thanked the task force for its excellent work in developing a new policy and in making other key recommendations.
• As it does each December, the board reviewed the ASA’s Strategic Plan and steps being taken to implement it. The plan continues to serve the association well.
• The board was updated on the status of The American Statistician’s special issue on statistical inference, which will be published in early 2019. Ron Wasserstein and Allen Schirm, who along with Nicole Lazar are the co-editors of the special issue, provided the board a “sneak preview” of the content and their conclusions about it.
• As it does annually, the board discussed the status of committees in the Education Council and the Professional Issues and Visibility Council. These councils serve as the connection between their committees and the board. The board expressed gratitude for the great work these committees do on behalf of the profession and association.

Action Items

• The board created an ad hoc advisory committee on data science, charged with advising the board on steps the association should take to realize its goal of being a home for data science and data scientists.
• The board adopted a revised “ASA Activities Conduct Policy.” Quoting: “[I]t is the policy of the ASA that all participants in ASA activities enjoy a welcoming environment free from unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. We strive to be a community that welcomes and supports people of all backgrounds and identities.”
• The board updated its statement on avoiding implicit bias. The previous statement was worded to apply to awards committees. The revised statement applies to all committees involved in making selections or nominations.
• The board approved “Statement of Concern for the USDA Economic Research Service and on the Vital and Unique Role of Federal Statistical Agencies.” In summary, the statement said, “For the continued maximum benefit of evidence-based policymaking in the food, agriculture, and rural economy, the ASA Board of Directors urges the USDA Economic Research Service be kept geographically in the national capital region and administratively in the USDA Research, Education, and Economics mission area at least until a comprehensive, independent cost-benefit analysis has been completed, reviewed, and discussed.”
• The board created the Leadership Institute Steering Committee to oversee the institute programming, approve new endeavors, cultivate external collaborations, and advise the board about strategic opportunities in professional development. The Leadership Institute will be the umbrella organization for the ASA’s professional development programming.

Reported Items

• Associate Executive Director and Director of Operations Steve Porzio updated the board on ASA financials through the third quarter of 2018. He reported on revenue sources for the ASA, comparing each with recent years.
• ASA Treasurer Amarjot Kaur also updated the board on the status of the ASA’s investments. Market value as of September 30 was about $21.2 million; however, Kaur noted subsequent market volatility had largely wiped out gains for the current year.
• The board received progress reports on the strategic initiatives launched by ASA President Lisa LaVange. In addition, ASA President-elect Karen Kafadar updated the board on her ideas for 2019.
• ASA Director of Development Amanda Malloy reported that the first ASA Giving Day was highly successful. Some $81,000 was raised, thanks in no small part to a $30,000 matching gift provided by current and former board members.
• The Council of Chapters Governing Board (COCGB) and Council of Sections Governing Board (COSGB) reported on their recent activities. The COCGB reviewed many matters, including traveling courses, revisions of the COC Responsibilities Manual and Charter, and chapter-to-chapter mentoring. The COSGB also revised its charter. It developed a leadership workshop and recognition program for section officers and conducted a section annual survey. The board approved the new charters of both groups, subject to final Executive Committee approval after minor changes.
• ASA Science Policy Director Steve Pierson updated the board on several important matters, including the citizenship question on the decennial census, status of proposed changes to the USDA Economic Research Service, proposed realignment of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics within the Department of Transportation, status of science and statistical agency budgets, and continued persecution of Greek statistician Andreas Georgiou.
• Pierson, along with incoming ASA Vice President Dick De Veaux, discussed the ASA’s ongoing sponsorship of the Data Science and Advanced Analytics Conference as part of efforts to raise the profile of statistics in data science in the ASA.
• Brian Harris-Kojetin, director of the Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT), updated the board on the latest news from CNSTAT. Collaborations between the ASA and CNSTAT were also proposed for board consideration.

The board next meets April 5–6, 2019, at the ASA office in Alexandria, Virginia. 

2018 Board of Directors

• Lisa LaVange, President
• Karen Kafadar, President-Elect
• Barry Nussbaum, Past-President
• Kathy Ensor, Third-Year Vice President
• David Williamson, Second-Year Vice President
• Katherine Monti, First-Year Vice President
• Paula Roberson, Third-Year Council of Chapters Representative
• Julia Sharp, Second-Year Council of Chapters Representative
• Don Jang, First-Year Council of Chapters Representative
• Eileen King, Third-Year Council of Sections Representative
• Jim Lepkowski, Second-Year Council of Sections Representative
• Katherine Halvorsen, First-Year Council of Sections Representative
• Cynthia Bocci, International Representative
• Scott Evans, Publications Representative
• Amarjot Kaur, Treasurer
• Ron Wasserstein, Executive Director and Board Secretary

2019 Board of Directors

• Karen Kafadar, President
• Wendy Martinez, President-Elect
• Lisa LaVange, Past-President
• David Williamson, Third-Year Vice President
• Katherine Monti, Second-Year Vice President
• Richard De Veaux, First-Year Vice President
• Julia Sharp, Third-Year Council of Chapters Representative
• Don Jang, Second-Year Council of Chapters Representative
• Anamaria Kazanis, First-Year Council of Chapters Representative
• Jim Lepkowski, Third-Year Council of Sections Representative
• Katherine Halvorsen, Second-Year Council of Sections Representative
• Mark Glickman, First-Year Council of Sections Representative
• Cynthia Bocci, International Representative
• Scott Evans, Publications Representative
• Amarjot Kaur, Treasurer
• Ron Wasserstein, Executive Director and Board Secretary