Organizational Structure

Officers and Their Duties

President (2 year term; cannot be re-elected)

The President is responsible for coordinating organizational business in consultation with the Board of Directors. The President is responsible for assessing, with the Board, that the Board is meeting the Society's current objectives. The President organizes and conducts the annual meeting of the Board of Directors, in consultation with other board members and Society advisors. The President also drafts an agenda for and conducts the annual Society meeting for the entire Membership. During the intervening period between annual meetings, the President conducts Society business with other officers and advisors via e-mail, phone and mail. This business is also reviewed, discussed and read into meeting minutes at the following annual business meeting. The President is the Chair of the Distinguished Ethnobiologist Awards Committee.

TOP

Vice President/President Elect (2 year term; cannot be re-elected)

The Vice-President/President-Elect assists the President and takes a role in the organization of the annual meeting. The Vice President also serves on the Nominating committee.  The Vice President sits on the awards committee for the Undergraduate Ethnobiologist Award. The Vice President directs ethics issues, including the development and maintenance of the Society's ethics codes.

Treasurer (3 year term; can be re-elected)

The Treasurer is responsible for receiving the Society's finances, managing dues, and disbursing funds. The Treasurer reports to the Membership and the Board of Directors on current and projected financial situations of the Society. The Treasurer pursues creative ways to use our funds to help grow the Society.

Secretary (3 year term; can be re-elected)

The Secretary records and archives minutes, supports the web editor, updates by-laws, takes calls/queries from web and phone calls and redirects them to an appropriate Board member, keeps track of yearly discussions – to report as “Old Business” or put on the agenda for discussion/voting at Annual Board meeting, arranges conference calls for Board meetings, helps set up agendas for meetings, maintains an archive, supports the nominations committee, and assists with yearly elections.

Board of Trustees Members-at-Large (3 year terms; can be re-elected for two additional terms)

Terms of the five Members-at-Large Trustees are staggered, so that two new Trustees are elected each year. Members of the Board of Trustees takes part in discussions of and voting on all matters related to running the Society of Ethnobiology, both during the year, and at annual meetings held by the Society. (Approved April 17, 2008.) The names of the five Trustee seats are given below.

Position 1. Web and Social Media Liaison 

  • Advise on optimizing website design to best serve SoE members and to engage broad audiences
  • Encourage submissions to "Ethnobiology Around the World" webpage
  • Member of Distinguished Ethnobiologist Award committee
  • Assess requests for links, etc. to our site; send appropriate links to webmaster
  • Coordinate with conference organizer to get conference information posted early
  • Coordinate with Treasurer to have annual fees and conference registration on our website
  • Work with Secretary to acquire and post up-dated bios of Board members
  • Post new information directly on the site (depending on the section to be updated) or relay this updated information to webmaster
  • Delete stale information on the web site
  • Membership in Web Committee
  • Work with volunteer to keep web page updated by doing the following:
    1. Scan the web for relevant news that can be added to our website
    2. Solicit and coordinate the addition of new web features: e.g., “Ethnobiology in the News” (i.e., posting relevant material from monthly scans); Publications Section (publications by our members, with possible links to purchasing)
    3. Monthly: look over web site to make sure all links are working properly
 
TOP

Position 2. Promotion and Outreach Coordinator: Publicity and Community Engagement

  • Coordinate with the President, Vice-President, and Promotion and Outreach coordinators to publicize the Society and promote its engagement with diverse communities.
  • Coordinate with Promotion and Outreach coordinators to promote visibility and involvement internationally and among local communities.
  • Coordinate with Promotion and Outreach coordinators to cultivate relations and spearhead collaborative initiatives with other related academic societies and community organizations.
  • Publicize the Society through the distribution of announcements and other outreach communications inside and outside the Society membership.
  • In coordination with the Student Engagement coordinator, develop and maintain electronic mailing lists for the distribution of announcements and other communications outside the Society membership.
  • Oversee local activities forum in coordination with the Student Engagement coordinator and Website and Social Media Coordinator.
  • Participate as a member of the Board of Directors Nominations Committee.
  • Coordinate with the Board of Directors and Promotion and Outreach Coordinators to identify and develop funding sources for special outreach projects.

Position 3. Promotion and Outreach Coordinator: Membership and Development

  • Coordinate with the President, Vice-President, and Promotion and Outreach coordinators to stimulate membership and develop outreach opportunities.
  • Coordinate with Promotion and Outreach coordinators to promote membership among underrepresented segments of the ethnobiological community.
  • Coordinate with Promotion and Outreach coordinators to develop and implement strategies for member recruitment and outreach in university departments, academic societies, and other institutions.
  • Promote membership through the distribution of announcements and other outreach communications inside and outside the Society membership.
  • Monitor membership and website visitation data in order to identify appropriate actions.
  • Oversee membership policies and the member website interface in coordination with the Treasurer and the Website and Social Media Coordinator.
  • Coordinate with the Board of Directors and Promotion and Outreach Coordinators to identify and develop funding sources for special outreach projects.
TOP

Position 4. Promotion and Outreach Coordinator: Student Engagement

  • Position to be filled by a student or someone recently graduated.
  • In coordination with the President and two other outreach coordinators, actively promote the Society to undergraduate and graduate students.
  • Spearhead efforts to stimulate communication among student members.
  • In coordination with the Publicity and Community Engagement coordinator, develop and maintain electronic mailing lists for the distribution of announcements and other communications outside the Society membership.
  • Coordinate with the Website and Social Media Coordinator to develop and maintain a web presence for and by student members.
  • Manage the Society’s student listserve.
  • Participate in oversight of local activities forum in coordination with the Publicity and Community Engagement coordinator and Website and Social Media Coordinator.
  • Represent student interests to the Board
  • Organize social and ethnobiological events for student at annual meetings.
  • Participate as a member of the Website and Social Media Committee.
  • Participate as a member of the Undergraduate Ethnobiologist Award Committee.
TOP

Position 5. Publications Liaison

  • Help the Journal of Ethnobiology, Ethnobiology Letters, and Contributions in Ethnobiology editors with maintenance and expansion of our publications
  • Assist Editors as need arises
  • Work with Editors to solicit reviewers
  • Member of Distinguished Ethnobiologist Award committee
  • Promote subscription to BioOne to libraries
  • Help procure further indexing on anthropological search engines
  • Promote the journal (e.g., at professional meetings, ads, etc.)
  • Help with any updates to the format, etc. of the journal
  • Help identify future candidates for Editors
  • Assist with transitions between Editors
  • Help reviewing press contracts
  • Solicit competitive bids from other presses
  • Solicit advertisements and announcements
  • Promote Special Publication Series
  • Seek out publications for Special Publication Series
TOP

Advisors and Their Duties

Editors of Publications of the Society (terms vary)

The Editors of the the Society's publications are appointed by the President, in consultation with the Board of Directors.  These publications include the Journal of Ethnobiology, Ethnobiology Letters, Contributions in Ethnobiology, Forage!, and any additional publications issued by the Society.   The Editors for each publication have the rights and duties outlined in here and in the Society's bylaws only for the publication for which they have been appointed editors. The Editors appoint members to their publication's Editorial Board representing diverse sub-disciplines of Ethnobiology, to help review and assess manuscripts submitted for publication. The Editors may also appoint an editor for book reviews. Editors solicit manuscripts from the membership and outside scholars, and has full responsibility for decisions concerning publication.

Conference Coordinator (term varies)

The Conference Coordinator is appointed by the President, in consultation with the Board of Directors. The Conference Coordinator recruits potential future conference venues for consideration and selection by the Board, and identified the conference location, preferably two years in advance. The Conference Coordinatorupdates the conference handbooks is also the keeper of the Society's collective memory on conference logistics, maintains and updates the Conference Guidelines. This person makes a list of where our conferences have been and should be. The Conference Coordinator makes a list of when and where other conferences during that year. The Conference Coordinator advises and assists the current conference host as needed (applying for funds, contacting interested groups, organizing round tables, putting together schedule of papers).

Website Coordinator (term varies)

The Website Coordinator is appointed by the President, in consultation with the Board of Directors. The Website Coordinator is the custodian of the Society's presence on the World Wide Web. The Website Coordinator modifies www.ethnobiology.org in response to input from the Society's Officers, Advisors and Members. The Website Coordinator also occasionally communicates directly with the entire membership, sharing timely information or important reminders.

TOP

Past Presidents (advisors for life)

Each Past President has served the Society as both Vice President/President Elect and President, for a total of four years. Past Presidents retain the right to be heard and to participate in all Society Board and Committee Meetings, whether open to the public or not. They comprise a group of experienced general advisors that support the Society and its efforts, and help with all decisions related to Society business. The Society's Past Presidents are: Steve Weber (1981-1986), Amadeo Rea (1987, 1988), Elizabeth Wing (1989, 1990), Paul Minnis (1991, 1992), Cecil Brown (1993, 1994), Catherine Fowler (1995, 1996), Nancy Turner (1997, 1998), Deborah Pearsall (1999, 2000), Karen Adams (2001, 2002), Jan Timbrook (2003, 2004), Eugene Hunn (2005, 2006, 2007), Gene Anderson (2008), Dana Lepofsky (2009, 2010), Justin Nolan (2011, 2012), Willliam Balée (2013, 2014), Scott Herron (2015, 2016), and Cynthia Fowler (2017-2018)

Society Membership

Membership includes both individuals and institutions. Paid members are entitled to receive issues of the Journal of Ethnobiology, and to attend the annual Society of Ethnobiology meeting hosted in diverse cities, and to attend and vote in the annual Society General Membership Meeting.

TOP