POTATO ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA: 89th Annual Meeting Calgary, Alberta July 17-21, 2005, THE

American Journal of Potato Research, Jan/Feb 2006

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES

President Rob Davidson presided over two sessions of the Executive Committee that met in Calgary, Alberta on July 17 and July 19, 2005.

MOTION moved, seconded and passed to approve the Executive Committee agenda

Approval of 2004 Executive Committee Meeting Minutes

President Davidson called for additions or corrections to the minutes of the 2004 Executive Committee meeting as published in the American Journal of Potato Research (AJPR) 81:31-38.

MOTION moved, seconded and passed to approve the minutes of the 2004 Executive Committee meetings as published in the AJPR 81:31-38.

President's Report and Actions Since 2004 Meeting

This has been a positive but challenging year for the PAA. Operations were efficient and smooth, in large part to the leadership, dedication and hard work of the various PAA officers and staff members. We are fortunate to have individuals in these positions that both care about the organization and are willing to work toward its success. Their dedication keeps the PAA strong and moving forward. There are still many challenges, however, that must be dealt with in a positive manner for the organization to maintain its strength.

Overall, this year was one of change and re-focus for the PAA. Several areas of the organization were targeted for review and actions including (1) revamping the mechanics of paper submission, requirements for how graphs and figures will be accepted, and the use of electronic file formats for reprints as an alternative to paper, (2) developing an outreach strategy which uses the Website as a key feature for directing both members and non-members to PAA activities and business, (3) making progress toward implementing the vision of the organization, (4) expanding the endowment funds, (5) increasing visibility among other like-minded individuals and organizations, (6) continuing the push to maintain and increase membership in the PAA, and (7) strengthening the ties with the EAPR (It is my recommendation that the PAA formalize a standing committee to be called the International Relations Committee with members from the Vision Implementation Committee as well as the last two or three past presidents). There are two major issues which will be facing the PAA in the next few years. The first is moving the journal into the electronic age while not sacrificing the ability of members to use this venue in a positive, constructive manner. The second regards the steady decline in membership. New strategies must be developed and implemented to reverse this trend. If these two issues are not addressed satisfactorily, continuing budget deficits coupled with fewer paper submissions may become the norm. (It is my recommendation that the Executive Committee explore ways to increase income for PAA operations including, but not limited to, raising the membership fees by $5-10/year, actively recruiting new members from outside of the traditional areas [i.e., growers, related organizations, combining efforts with other like world organizations, etc.], and developing guidelines for the journal that reflect the actual costs of doing business.)

A list of my activities and actions taken on behalf of the PAA follow. It should be noted that all action items were presented to the PAA Executive Committee for their review and agreement.

1) I have made every effort this year to keep the vision and goals of the PAA at the forefront of my activities. I made a point of emphasizing the vision on numerous occasions, including my letters to the membership. I believe that building on the actions of previous presidents will give continuity to the efforts to build and maintain a strong organization.

2) I directed members of the LAC08 attending the EAPR meeting in Spain to extend a formal invitation to the European organization to conduct a joint meeting with the PAA in Minnesota in 2008. Additionally, I asked that they review the pertinent points of our discussions in 2004 on closer collaborations as listed in the annual business meeting minutes.

3) As requested by the editor-in-chief, the Executive Committee voted to accept a price structure for authors requesting electronic format reprints rather than paper reprints. I also worked closely with the EIC and the PAA administrative assistant to develop strategies to move the journal toward more modern, acceptable formats for paper submission, retrieval, etc.

4) As directed by the PAA Executive Committee in 2004, I worked with the PAA administrative assistant and the past president to develop and implement job descriptions for the various officer and staff positions with the PAA. It should be noted that the administrative assistant continues to add on to her workload. This trend will be discussed during the 2005 meeting. I also conducted an evaluation of this position with recommendations on salary increases for the PAA staff.

5) I tried to keep the PAA visible with other organizations. Since I was a co-chair for the Annual NPC seed Seminar in Colorado Springs, Colorado, I took the time to visit with all attendees about the benefits of being a PAA member and its goals, included information relating to the PAA and a membership application with the packets distributed to the participants, and visited extensively during the meetings with several individuals regarding the PAA.