From r.riddle@ieee.org Thu Jan 27 10:02:24 2000 Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 08:56:31 -0500 From: Richard Riddle To: Region3 2000 ExCom Cc: David Green Subject: Director's Report 1-29-00 To: Region 3 Executive Committee From: Dick Riddle, Director Subject: Director's Report 1-29-00 To say that the first month of my term as your Director has been eventful is an understatement. I did get to spend the New Year's weekend at home waiting to see if the Y2K bug would bite. Fortunately, with the exception of my Internet Provider all my stuff seem compliant and my family and I enjoyed our traditional New Year's meal of hog jowl, black eye peas, and collard greens. The next weekend was spent in New York at our IEEE Headquarters at a special IEEE Board of Directors meeting where I learned a lot about greed, power, and politics. Because of the legal implications of this meeting I can not share with you the specific results of this meeting, but I feel sure that it will become known at an appropriate time during this year. The third weekend of the New Year was spent in Washington, DC at IEEE-USA Board of Directors Orientation and Planning Retreat. Many of the issues facing IEEE-USA during the year were discussed and plans were made to deal with these issues. In addition to hearing presentations by the Vice Presidents of Career, Member, Professional, and Technology Policy Activities concerning their respective initiatives and plans, the IEEE-USA Staff made presentations about what was going on in their areas of responsibilities. A major concern among the Region 1-6 Directors was the IEEE Technical Activities Board's proposal for the unbundling of the geographic entities (including IEEE-USA) and to make membership in these organizations optional. It should come as no surprise to anyone that the Region 1-6 Directors will vigorously oppose this proposal and fight fire with fire. During lunch Gary Dorsey was presented the IEEE-USA Award for Distinguished Literary Contributions Furthering Public Understanding of the Profession. Gary is the author of "Silicon Sky: How One Small Start-Up Went Over the Top to Beat the Big Boys Into Satellite Heaven". Gary made a very interesting talk and read excerpts from his book. The next day, Sunday the Regional Directors were allowed to set-in on the IEEE-USA Operating Committee meeting. I am happy to report that Region 3 is well represented on this committee and on the IEEE-USA Board of Directors with our own Dale Caston as Treasurer and Lee Stogner as Vice President, Professional Activities. The fourth weekend of the New Year was spent in New Jersey at IEEE-Regional Activities Board Strategic Planning Retreat. After a briefing by Antonio Bastos, RAB Chair and Harry Bostic, Vice Chair - Strategic Planning, the group was led by Dave Green, Region 3 and Ray Findlay, Region 7 in a brainstorming session to address this question: "What do you think is the major issue in your constituency?" The group then developed a list of 48 issues. The group voted on which issues were most important. The list of 48 was reduced to about 10. The total group was then divided into groups of three and four people who would further develop these issues in terms of objective, goals, tasks, action, and budget. Although I feel that all of issues that concern the Regional Activities Board members are important and are worthy of attempting to pursue over the next year, my primary interest was in the "Structural Issues". Several issues were rolled into this item such as the apparent attack on Regions (by TAB), unbundling geographic entities, quit manufacturing issues and focus on member issues, IEEE-USA as an IEEE entity, and the lack of cohesion between RAB/TAB at the Region level and above. After a lot of discussion and word-smithing several tasks and action items were proposed that if implemented could avoid the conflict between RAB and TAB that may destroy IEEE as the premiere technical and professional society that it is today. I understand that TAB will make the following motion to the IEEE Board of Directors in February: "The IEEE Board of Directors is requested to approve modifying IEEE Bylaw I-110.4 reflect that membership in IEEE-USA be optional for all members of IEEE. They are also requested to approve any additional changes needed to reflect this change consistently throughout the Bylaw and Policy & Procedures." The fact that TAB would make the motion to the IEEE Board at this time is being interpreted by many within RAB and IEEE-USA as a declaration of war on the geographic entities within IEEE. It will only serve to separate the Society Chapters and Sections at a time when IEEE needs cooperation not division. As many of you know, the IEEE Board united last year and rejected a proposal to change our "master brand identity" from our historical kite and right-hand rule to a brand that would be developed by outside consultants and graphic artist. The purpose of the new brand was to be more appealing to our potential members and to have greater market value. The fight to keep our present brand was led by W. Cleon Anderson, Region 6 Director. If you are interested in what our logo really means I invite you to read his paper on the web at: https://www.ewh.ieee.org/reg/6/Director/logoMeaning.html I hope that you who hold Society membership can convince the TAB leadership to withdraw the motion to kill IEEE-USA and allow the IEEE Board to return to providing member services, which is their primary reason for existence. After a long delay and many cancelled flights due to the snowstorm Sunday night I was able to get home. That above sums up my RAB Strategic Planning Retreat meeting. Part of the fifth weekend of the first month of my term as your Director will be spent with you in our first full Region 3 Executive Committee meeting of the New Year. Dave Green, Bill Ratcliff, Charles Lord, and the other members of the E-Conferencing team has worked long and hard to make sure that we will have every thing we need to hold our ExCom. My thanks to Dale Caston who gave us the opportunity and support to provide you with the necessary training and tools at our Nashville ExCom meeting in December. The success or failure of this experiment now depends on you. I am looking forward to joining you on Saturday, January 29th at 10:00 AM EST. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Richard L. Riddle, IEEE Region 3 Director 2000-2001 reply to: r.riddle@ieee.org