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AAEA Annual Membership Business Meeting
August 1, 2000
Tampa, Fla.

President John M. Antle called the meeting to order at 8 a.m. in the Tampa Convention Center, Ballroom A and B.
  1. The minutes of the 1999 Annual Membership Business Meeting were presented for approval as printed in the December 1999 issue of the AJAE.

    Motion: John Stierna moved to approve the minutes. Seconded by Otto Doering. Approved.
  2. John Antle introduced the AAEA Executive Board Members: Steve Buccola, Richard Shumway, Julie Caswell, Rob King, Bruce Gardner, Ron Knutson, Bob Taylor, incoming Board members Jean Kinsey, Cathy Kling and Joe Glauber.
  3. John Antle reported on the "State of the AAEA."

    Management Issues

    1. The AAEA office has undergone a number of management changes from reorganization to staff members in the last year. Changes and new initiatives were identified.
      1. An accounting specialist was hired. New financial procedures and reports have been developed and implemented.
      2. A new auditing firm was hired, improving accountability. New internal controls have been established and implemented.
      3. The journals (AJAE and RAE) and Choices magazine have been outsourced improving circulation deadlines and subscription circulation.
    2. New Web services have been implemented.
      1. The board approved on-line balloting for board elections. Members with e-mail were notified of the Web page address directly connecting them to the ballot area. Members with incorrect or without e-mail addresses were mailed a paper ballot.
      2. AAEA Annual Meeting selected papers were submitted on-line and the process was perceived effective and efficient.
      3. AAEA Board information and agendas are now posted in a secured area of the Web for board members to read or download. Minutes are reviewed by the Board President then forwarded to Board members for their review. The minutes are then placed on the Web site for the membership.
      4. An on-line discussion area has been designed for interchanging ideas on agricultural economic topics.

    3. Services for committees and sections are now being provided through the AAEA Web site.

    Operating Policies

    Any changes the Executive Board made in the last year have been incorporated into the AAEA Operating Policies.
    1. Executive Summaries of journal articles are being written and will be made available to other interested in the value of agricultural economics research.
    2. The maximum number of AAEA fellows selected per year was changed from four to six, allowing recognition of more members who have made continuous contributions to the advancement of agricultural economics.
    3. The AAEA Executive Board established that the association would not take a position on any public policy issue.
    4. AAEA Annual Meetings are now open for track programs. Interest groups are invited to organize a set of related sessions that will appeal to a large segment of the membership.
      1. Tracks on Models in Teaching Excellence and Extension were offered with sessions in prior years.
      2. In 2000 the Industry Committee organized a one-day track of sessions designed around industry themes.
      3. All committees and sections are invited to design tracks and present proposals to the Executive Board.
    5. An annual meeting rotation was established to cut costs and improve the quality of the meetings.

    Strategic Issues
    1. In 1999, the Strategic Audit Committee was assigned to review the Strategic Plan. The committee noted a lack of a shared vision.
    2. John Antle proposed a vision statement in the Exchange, January 2000 issue. The following was presented in the President's Column. "AAEA strives to be a leading professional organization for all economists who work in agriculture, food resources and allied fields."
    3. The vision statement reflect's the association's need for maintenance and growth in membership and services and was presented in the April 2000 Executive Board Meeting.
      1. The vision statement was accepted by the Executive Board.
      2. The Board recognized the need to consider committee reorganization with some changes likely this year.
      3. The track concept for annual meetings was expanded and approved by the Board for 2001. Sections are invited to present track proposals to the Executive Board.
    4. Antle reported on membership.
      1. The previous decline in membership in the 1990s reflects various factors (downsizing of the profession, increased competition for members). Currently membership has taken an upturn. Numbers for 2000 have already surpassed the 1999 year-end membership count.
    5. AAEA Annual Meeting statistics were reviewed, showing that 30 to 40 percent of AAEA's membership attends the annual meetings. This figure has been basically stable. It was pointed out that location does influence meeting attendance.


  1. Finances

    1. AAEA assets are currently at $1,600,000 and the AAEA Foundation's assets at $1,200,000. Both the AAEA Executive Board and Foundation Board made the decision to assign the investment management to the Vanguard Investment Group. This move provides a safeguard financial system and is a sound financial policy for the association.
    2. The executive board approved a 2000 Operating Budget of about $1,000,000. An expected budget deficit of 10% was included in the budget to offset current expenditures and investments in new programs and member services. The board expects increased revenue and cost reductions in the upcoming year to reduce the deficit. A number of changes have taken place in the last year, the outsourcing of AAEA publications, a more efficient organization has been structured and new programs have been implemented. An equilibrium of operating costs is expected.
    3. AAEA remains financially sound.


    Future

    1. The future of AAEA was summarized through its successful reengineering of the strategic plan, the association's management and program designs.
    2. Antle stated AAEA is well-positioned to exercise greater leadership in the profession.
      1. Improved collaborations and alliances.
      2. Improved communications inside and outside the profession.
      3. Investigating new services and products to meet the needs of the members.

  2. AAEA Executive Board President John Antle then turned the podium over to AAEA Foundation President Joe Coffey.

  3. Joe Coffey presented an overview of the AAEA Foundation assets. In 1998 the Foundation Board set a goal to raise $200,000 through a Capital Campaign. At the end of 1998 the Foundation's assets were $1,045.405. Through the dedication of the Foundation board members and the generosity of members and agricultural economic professionals the Foundation reached it's goal. Total Foundation assets at the end of 1999 were $1,249,150. The continued support of new and existing Appreciation clubs, Eagle Awards and general contributions to the Foundation had a total of $1,343.179 at the end of June 2000.

  4. The Foundation is now 15 years old and has made $500,000 in contributions in that 15 years. Over 1,000 members have contributed to the Foundation and over 60 members have served on the board. Foundation President Coffey encouraged the continued support of the Foundation. Coffey commented "If we had $100,000,000 verses $1,000,000, with the 6% spending rule, we could greatly increase contributions supporting AAEA activities." It was noted that previous efforts to solicit corporations had not been a success. A new corporate solicitation is being planned with the assistance of the AAEA Executive Director.

  5. An overview of the Foundation's support for 2000 was presented.
    1. About one-third of funds go to student activities. Student programs this year include $2,000 toward the Graduate Student Breakfast, $10,000 toward Graduate Student Travel Grants, and $1,500 toward the CWAE Undergraduate Breakfast. Undergraduate Student Section activities were supported by $20,000, $5,000 from the Foundation and $15,000 from Archer Daniel Midland.
    2. International Outreach was supported through funding of $10,000 toward a travel grant proposal for "Reaching Out to Africa." Additional funding for International Outreach was supported by a travel grant of $4,000 for the International Banquet speaker, support of $500 toward Journal shipments (AJAE and RAE) to foreign countries, and travel grant assistance of $2,000 for students in transitional countries.
    3. The Foundation provided 2000 Professional Development with funding of $20,000 toward the Congressional Fellowship, $8,525 for the CWAE Sylvia Lane mentorship, and $4,500 for CWAE tracking system. Farm Credit Scholarships of $5,500 were awarded as well as $1,500 toward Minority Professional travel grants, $1,900 for an annual meeting learning workshop, and $5,000 for a first time workshop for "Young Professionals."
    4. In the fields of technology in education and industry involvement the Foundation designated to fund $3,000 toward the NAAEA Section for their distance learning project. The 2000 Annual Meeting was supported by $20,000 in sponsorships and contributions. Other contributions toward the AAEA Essay Contest for $5,000, the Foundation booth area at the Annual Meeting for $3,000 and an AAEA Foundation Brochure for $1,000.

  6. Joe Coffey thanked the AAEA membership for their support and for his opportunity to serve as Foundation President.
President Antle recognized and thanked outgoing board members Steve Buccola, JB Penn and Richard Shumway for their service to AAEA.

There being no further business the meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,
Donna French Dunn
Executive Director
 


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