The hand-off went very smoothly due to the tremendous amount of work done in the past and during the transition by Julia Pugh. Everyone has been extremely helpful. The operations are intact and continuous, especially the sales and service to members. The physical inventory of proceedings, journals and archives has been relocated successfully in large part because of the labor of Mike Radzicki, Scott Trees and Khalid Saeed. The financial aspect of the transition is progressing well with the expert help of Jack Pugh. All existing financial information is in great shape, but because of some computer and program issues in Albany, the finances are not totally set up yet.
The physical office space is "up-and-running." The address change, new phone numbers and new e-mail address are being disseminated. They are:
Roberta L. Spencer, Executive Director
The System Dynamics Society
Milne 300 - Rockefeller College
University at Albany, State University of New York
Albany, New York 12222
Phone Number: (518) 442-3865
FAX Number: (518) 442-3398
E-mail Address: System.Dynamics@albany.edu
The new e-mail address is System.Dynamics@albany.edu. There will be a 2-3 month overlap with the current America Online account, which will be discontinued. There are still numerous boxes to be unpacked and inventoried.
I see the position of Executive Director with two distinct parts: the first part is maintaining current and routine operations, and the second part is development and new initiatives.
Continuous phone, E-mail and mail coverage are being provided. Each day, the office receives approximately a dozen phone calls, 10 E-mail messages, and 5 letters regarding sales, membership and miscellaneous questions. Non-members are referred to our office mainly by members, people at MIT, Pegasus Communications and readers of The Fifth Discipline. Most people have made 2-3 calls before reaching the System Dynamics Society office.
There is much interest in the Beer Distribution Game, less demand for the Proceedings and back issues of the System Dynamics Review. Orders filled in January and February total 26.
Bibliography disks are available, but the bibliography needs to be updated. Also, a new brochure is being designed for sales of the products and membership information.
Wiley has been very helpful and responsive. 1996 Memberships totaled 572 in 44 countries. Please see Attachment II for more detailed membership information.
As noted above, the finances are still in transition and progressing smoothly. To date in 1997, the sales have totaled $4882.00. Large expenses include replenishing the supply of vinyl boards and videos.
A new Presidential Initiative is to create the Administrative Calendar. The rational for this tool is for continuity of organizational memory. The Calendar will help the administration of the Society to be continuous, but also responsive to change. Please see the attached draft of the Administrative Calendar (Attachment III) and a draft of an example of how each process (Attachment III a) would be managed. Key people will need to comment on the Administrative Calendar and related processes to make it complete. The role of the Executive Director would be to help keep all the Society processes timely.
Possible new initiatives (Attachment lV) that are currently not routine operating processes include:
| Developing a Records and Archive System
| Supplying Support to Special Interest Groups, Sponsors and Chapters
| Develop a Link to the Annual Research Conference
| Aid in Coordination and Development of Electronic Presence (with Bergen)
| |
Daily time sheets are recorded as my time is separated into three cost centers at the University at Albany, the main one being the System Dynamics Society. Regarding Society work, most of my time is spent on current operations. As everything is new for me and the University, less time is spent on transition and system building. I am currently having difficulty trying to find time now for new initiatives. As tasks become more routine and all the boxes are unpacked, the time allotment for new initiatives will grow.
| 1996 - 572
| 1995 - 504
| 1994 - 484
| 1993 - 487
| 1992 - 406
| 1991 - 418
| |
| Total Membership: 572
| Regular Payment: 463
| Reduced Payment: 109
| |
 | Jay W. Forrester Award Selection Procedure
| New Awards Such as Best PhD dissertation??
| |
| Process | R=Responsibilities, A=Approval/Authority, S=Support | ||
| Manage Sponsors | |||
| Task | Routinely Done | Date 1997-98 | Responsibilities & Roles |
| Send Thank You Letters | 1-2 Weeks After Receipt | 4/1/97 & 2 Weeks After receipt | General Letters R (Roberta = R), Signature A (Jay Forrester) |
| Mid-Year Sponsor's Letter (with President's Letter) | May/June | 5/15/97 | A=President, R=Roberta |
| Request Next Year's Support | September | 4/1/97 | A=President, R=Roberta |
| Follow-Up #1 | October | 5/1/97 | R=Roberta |
| Follow-Up #2 | November | 6/1/97 | R=Roberta |
| Create/Update List/Data Base of Sponsors | January | April | R=Roberta |
| Contact Wiley with Names of Sponsors | 1-2 Weeks After Receipt | 1-2 Weeks After Receipt | R=Roberta |
| K-12
| Consultants
| Systems Thinking
| |
| Define Executive Director's Role
Notice of Conference in Research Journals
| Manage Conference Program including:
|
Manage
|
|
