AFS Fisheries Information and Technology Section

Executive Committee Meeting Minutes

December 4, 2020

Attendees: Tiffany, Rebecca, Paul

• CFTC
  • Development (Rebecca)
    • Have a reasonable number and diversity of products. Can use this to send targeted letters to specific vendors. Rebecca to draft a letter
  • Member volunteers to recruit vendors and encourage reviews (Kayla)
    • Call to student and early career subsection went out 18 Nov, no responses.
  • Update on filling volunteer positions (COC, Resource Policy, ESAB, CFTC)
    • Email and responses (Kayla)
      • None
    • Reach out to student section (Rebecca)
      • November call to student and early career did not include COC – will request that (Rebecca)
    • Reach out to past ExCom (Paul)
  • President-elect election (Tiffany)
    • Some interest but little progress because Tiffany has moved into a new position. We are good on time.
  • AFS Baltimore
    • 150 Booth/History webpage (Paul)
      • Who will do this? ExCom member – could also reach out to a member who is also a History Section member.
    • Symposium (applications due January 11)
      • Idea: Leveraging data to analyze shifting dynamics in relation to COVID response (Tiffany to draft an application for circulation)
      • Ideas from membership? (Kayla)
        • None
      • By-law change (Paul)
      • Citizen Science Task Force (Paul)
      • Member recruitment and retention lotteries (Paul)
        • Types
          • Conference registration (tiered so that it favors students and early career – details?)
            • Multiple messages so that they know that it is coming. Wait until registration is open. Draw names including alternates. Need to know if they are accepting in person, virtual, or declining.
          • Membership lottery (how many?)
            • Do this now. 20 people. Using the December membership list. (Paul)
          • CFTC voucher(s)?
            • Rebecca to think about this one.
          • Draw late fall – before abstract deadlines and membership renewal –
        • Other business
          • Letter of appreciation and shout out in newsletter and social media (Paul)
          • Rebecca floated the idea of developing the FAMS software into an R package. Jason Doll, Paul, and one other are interested in participating. R is free, so this is likely to reduce/eliminate FAMS as a source of revenue for FITS. The advantages are increased usability, an opportunity to upgrade based on recent literature (last update was 2013), and FITS exposure. It may be possible to make up for all/some of the lost revenue by holding FAMS workshops similar to Derek Ogle’s FSA package workshops. It may make sense to develop FAMS inside of FITS. Rebecca is going to reach out to FAMS developer Jeff Slipke, and FSA developer Derek Ogle.

Next Meeting is January 8^th