Highlights of the ASA Board of Directors Meeting from April 17–18, 2026

On Friday, April 17, ASA President Jeri Mulrow called the first board of directors meeting of 2026 to order. The board met at the conference center above the new ASA HQ in Alexandria, Virginia. Here are the highlights of the meeting:

Actions

The ASA Board of Directors …

• Approved the appointment of Jay Bartroff as editor of The American Statistician for 2027–2029.
• Approved adding the Federation of European Statistical Societies as an accreditation partner society under Section 13 of the ASA’s accreditation guidelines. This provision allows the ASA and FENStatS to mutually recognize each other’s accredited members.
• Extended the eligibility period for the early-career membership rate from two years to five years.
• Directed staff to work with Taylor & Francis to establish data-driven thresholds for institutional and individual print subscriptions and print-related revenue—which will trigger board discussion of cessation of print runs for individual journals—and to monitor and report on these metrics regularly to the Committee on Publications.
• Approved journal subscription rates for 2027.

Reports and Discussions

• The chair and co-chair of the Membership Council presented the council’s annual report. The committee councils are the primary means by which the board stays connected with the committees. The annual reports allow the board to address pending issues and anticipate developing issues.
• Derek Curtis II, director of finance and administration, updated the board on the status of the ASA’s finances as of the end of fiscal year 2025. He said the ASA’s financial results aligned with budget expectations and that we achieved a positive net change in assets for the year.
• Amarjot Kaur, ASA treasurer, updated the board on the status of our portfolio as of the end of the fiscal year. The portfolio’s value at the end of 2025 was about $21 million, an increase of about $1.7 million over 2024.
• Amanda Malloy, director of development, reported on 2025 fundraising results, updated the board on Giving Day, and discussed key strategies she and the Development Committee put together. She highlighted priorities for expanding the ASA Partner Program.
• Executive Director Ron Wasserstein updated the board on the April 1 launch of the ASA’s Data Science Certification initiative. The program is the culmination of several years of planning and was developed in partnership with the Alliance for Data Science Professionals. Two levels of certification—Data Science Professional and Advanced Data Science Professional—are available to ASA members.
• Wasserstein updated the board on the status of the sale of our property on N. Washington St. and N. Columbus Street. He said the sale of our current building and related property would close on May 12. The board toured the new headquarters, located at 277 S. Washington St., Suite 370. At the time of the board meeting, the suite was empty, as furniture is expected to arrive and be installed in June.
• The board began work on the development of an AI strategic plan for the ASA. A draft of the plan will be circulated widely to the community for review.
• Mulrow updated the board on the Communities in Action initiative. Its goal is to connect statistical and data science expertise with community needs by helping ASA members turn their knowledge, skills, and abilities into tangible public good while demonstrating the value of statistical thinking and data-informed decision-making. She highlighted three efforts—toolkits, microgrants, and story development—that are underway.
• Past President Ji-Hyun Lee noted the progress of her initiatives. Under the theme “Building Bridges,” they include the Nature Medicine Statistical Advisory Panel, the StatsForward cohort, and the clinical trials certificate program. She noted that the certificate program will launch this fall.
• President-Elect Brian Millen’s initiatives will connect to his theme for JSM 2027: “People powered. Science driven. Future ready.” Items under this theme include equipping and cultivating leaders, celebrating the contributions of statistics, advocating for statistics, adapting while preserving our foundations, and long-term health of the ASA.
• Associate Executive Director Donna LaLonde updated the board on the status of the first regional innovation conference at the University of Minnesota and spoke about plans for additional conferences.
• The board brainstormed ideas for the 2027 Dionne Price Public Lecturer. The executive committee will consider these ideas over the next few months and recommend a lecturer to the board at JSM.
• Wasserstein led a board discussion about potential issues associated with ASA programs that promote inclusivity.
• LaLonde presented preliminary findings of the ASA’s 2026 Work and Salary Survey, which provides employment and salary findings from a broad cross-section of ASA members. Results will be disseminated widely.

The board will meet virtually on June 26 to discuss the FY 2027 budget. It will convene again in person on July 31 and August 1 in Boston before the start of JSM.