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PRESIDENT'S COLUMN: SCB SET TO TACKLE D.C.

SCB has entered a new phase of growth. For the first time in several years, our membership is on the rise. The number of members in 2000 is several hundred above the stationary number of the previous four years. With the advent of our new magazine, Conservation Biology in Practice, we expect to bring in a new class of members that are interested in the applications of conservation biology but are not researchers themselves. I predict our membership will approach 6000 by the end of 2000 (the number of members always rises gradually through the year as people slowly get around to renewing), compared to the steady 5100 of the previous several years. This isn't exactly spectacular growth, but it's encouraging.

More dramatic than our modest increase in membership is the growth in our projects and programs. The most significant of all these projects, so far, is the new magazine initiated by past President Dee Boersma and edited by Kathy Kohm. As mentioned, we have high hopes for this undertaking. But there are many other new initiatives. Our international programs, media outreach, involvement in public policy, and several other functions have blossomed under a reinvigorated set of committees staffed by eager and capable volunteers. There is a new air of excitement in SCB.

We have now embarked upon what could become our grandest project so far-an Executive Office of SCB. With our many new initiatives and even more in the pipeline, the Board of Governors recognizes that SCB no longer can rely entirely on volunteers. We are maturing from an association of individuals to a true "society." Various proposals for an executive director and/or a policy office in Washington, D.C. have been discussed by the Board for at least a decade. But now, spurred on by Michael Soul , co-founder and first president of SCB, the Board has decided the time is right to accept the challenge. "Reverend" Michael's provocative speech at the plenary session of our meeting in Missoula convinced the Board that members' interest in establishing an executive office had reached a critical threshold. At its meeting on 11 June 2000 the Board passed a resolution to establish an Executive Office; the resolution was received enthusiastically by the members attending the business meeting later that day. We're going for it.

The Executive Office will be located in or near Washington, D.C. Its functions will be fundraising and development; budget and grant tracking, oversight, and reporting; growing the membership; maintaining membership services (although this and other services potentially could be contracted out); serving as the primary point of contact for SCB; coordinating and perhaps ultimately supervising SCB employees; spearheading and coordinating work in the policy arena (e.g., white papers); and organizing Board meetings and other SCB functions.

We do not envision the new office taking over completely the functions now being carried out by SCB volunteers. Our membership is our greatest asset in terms of knowledge, expertise, vision, and credibility. The office, however, will initiate new projects that simply could not be undertaken by a loose group of volunteers. It also will facilitate and coordinate the work of the volunteer committees and Board, making us (we hope) much more efficient and effective on all fronts.

Although some members have expressed concern that an office in Washington, D.C. may signal a preoccupation of SCB with U.S. affairs as opposed to international affairs, the Board has stated explicitly that this office and its functions will be global in scope-encompassing international as well as national issues and projects. Washington, D.C. is the prime location for global-scale work, as many international organizations have offices there and most countries have embassies.

Staffing will initially include an Executive Director, whom we intend to be a senior, Ph.D.-level conservation biologist with expertise in both policy and research, assisted by one support staff person and perhaps one to several interns. The Board recognizes that the success of this entire venture depends upon finding the "right" Executive Director. We will examine many potential office sites, evaluating the costs and benefits of sharing space with another organization. I sense a general sentiment on the Board's part for sharing space with another scientific society rather than a conservation organization, if for no other reason than "image." In any case, we will have our own telephone lines to maintain a distinct identity.

The Board of Governors, as any such body, has a strong ethical commitment to fiscal responsibility. Indeed, uncertainties about our financial status were the primary reason why no decision on an Executive Office had been made in years past. This entire venture is contingent upon being able to raise sufficient funds to support the office without endangering other critical SCB functions. We are confident that SCB will be successful in fundraising. This year, we have a surplus of approximately $100,000 in our budget that we can contribute to the Executive Office, especially if matched by other donors. As discussed by Policy Committee Chair Mike O'Connell (see article), a key question in our upcoming membership poll will be how much of a dues increase members will be willing to accept to help fund the Executive Office. Based on Michael Soul 's straw poll in Missoula, a majority of members are willing to pay more for the privilege of having an Executive Office in D.C. We hope the broader membership will agree.

Pending success in our fundraising venture, the Board set the following optimistic timetable for establishing an Executive Office (if fundraising proceeds more slowly than hoped, the timetable will be adjusted accordingly):

fundraise (ongoing and continuous)
poll membership (results by September 2000)
write business plan and get Board approval (October 2000)
advertise Executive Director position and begin hiring process (October 2000)
hire Executive Director (February 2001)
begin operations (July 2001)

Please help us make the Executive Office a reality. This effort probably depends on an increased number of members, so please encourage your colleagues to join SCB and validate my optimistic membership projections. Also, if you know of potential funders, send them our way. Finally, if you are contacted by our polling firm, please respond!

Reed Noss

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