HIGHL IGHTS A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 7 2 FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK To date, ASM’s 16 classes of policy areas have already been screened for redundancies, duplications, consolidations, revisions, updates, and documents to be sunset. In the next couple of months, teams of board members, staff, and volunteers will iterate proposed revisions for their respective areas and report back to the entire group with their recommendations. The streamlined set of policies with accompanying procedures will then be reviewed by general counsel and proposed modifications will be incorporated, as appropriate. The compiled documents will then be presented to the board for final discussion and approval. From this process, we aim to align our Constitution, Rules for Government, and board policies with the prioritized actions in the ASM Strategic Plan and the Annual Operating Plan and budget led by Ms. Robert and her staff. Our intent is to bring efficiencies into ASM operations, make strategic investments in both immediate and long-term revenue generating activities for our Society, advance our members, and empower our staff leadership as they develop their areas of expertise in collaboration with the board and ASM volunteers. I wish to thank the entire team for the time they are investing in bringing ASM to leadership preeminence in the global materials community. Meanwhile, it will soon be time for us all to meet in person at IMAT 2022 in New Orleans, for the first time in two years. We have many exciting programs, activities, and celebrations planned. I look forward to seeing you all at our reunion! ASM President, Judith A. Todd, FASM judith.todd@asminternational.org Aligning ASM’s Constitution, Governance, Board Policies, Strategy and Annual Operating Plan for the Next Decade of Opportunity At the annual meeting on September 13, 2021, the ASM membership approved the Constitution and Bylaws of ASM International, as amended and restated on April 22, 2021. Rules for Government of ASM International as amended and restated by the Board of Trustees were also approved on September 13, 2021. These documents bring the 2004 revision of the ASM Constitution into compliance with the current State of Ohio regulations and ensure internal consistency of requirements, and completeness of definitions and statements for critical governance issues. Our year-long, deep dive into governance issues highlighted the critical need to review ASM’s board policies to distinguish policies (determined by the board) from procedures (led by the staff) and to align both with ASM’s current practice, strategic plans, and the annual operating plan. Consequently, we have embarked on an ambitious plan, in partnership with ASM Executive Director Sandy Robert, the ASM staff, and volunteers from ASM’s Committees, Affiliate Societies, chapters, and the membership, to review 76 documents and propose a revised set of policies with their accompanying procedures for approval at the board meeting during IMAT, or soon thereafter. Todd FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK Robert EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CORNER The Role of Governance and Strategic Planning in Designing our Future In my last column, I shared with you how I am developing a deeper understanding of our organization through meetings, travel, and financial review. Building on this initial orientation, I have familiarized myself with key activities in our governance and strategic planning cycle. If you haven’t volunteered with ASM International or other professional societies, the notion of governance and strategic planning may be unfamiliar concepts. To those of us who serve as chief staff executives of associations, they are familiar and essential tools for collaborating with volunteer leadership to design our future. First, let’s consider governance. Associations are mission-driven organizations, generally governed by a volunteer board. At ASM International, our Board of Trustees exercises this responsibility, providing oversight for the organization according to our Constitution and Bylaws, and Rules for Government. The officers and board work closely with the executive director to set strategic direction, to provide required resources, and to make key decisions that staff operationalize to meet the needs of our members and partners. Many of my duties as executive director relate to supporting ASM International’s governance activities, and particularly those relating to the work of the board. Since late spring, I have developed a clearer understanding of our
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