AFS Fisheries Information and Technology Section

Executive Committee Meeting Minutes

January 8, 2021

Attendees: Kayla, Paul, Tiffany, Rebecca, Chelsea

• Introductions
• Update on filling volunteer positions (COC, Resource Policy, ESAB)
  • COC: Chelsea Myles-McBurney, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
    • Discussion of COC priorities
      • Social media: Facebook and twitter accounts
      • Ideas: member highlights, interesting new technology/papers, Fisheries magazine specials
      • Action item: Paul to connect Chelsea with Sarah for transfer of information
    • RPC: Dirk Miller, Wyoming Game and Fish
    • ESAB: Jeff Kopaska, Iowa DNR
    • CFTC: Rebecca plans to reach out to Student and Early Career
    • Webmaster: Vacant until transfer from ExCom at a later date if necessary
  • President-elect election (Paul, Tiffany)
    • Action Item: Tiffany is working on getting the announcements together and out to the membership
  • CFTC (Rebecca)
    • Draft letter for targeting specific vendors (Rebecca)
      • Letter going out to Vendors today
    • Efforts to identify volunteers (e.g., through the Student and Early Career SS)
  • AFS Baltimore
    • History webpage (Paul): need to find a FITS member who is also a History Section member.
      • Action item: Paul to reach out to History section ExCom and ask to announce to their membership
    • Symposium (applications due January 25) (Tiffany)
      • Discuss draft of “Leveraging data to analyze shifting dynamics in relation to COVID response”.
      • All: Feedback to Tiffany as soon as possible
    • By-law change (Paul)
      • Clarifying the roles of president-elect and past president
      • Reached out to the Constitutional consultant and waiting on further instruction
      • Action item: Paul will reach out again
    • Citizen Science Task Force (Paul)
      • Close the loop between anglers collecting data and scientist getting information back to the anglers to reinforce participation
      • Collaboration with Communication section
      • Will “live” within the newly developing Stakeholder engagement section
      • Action Item: Paul to draft message to recruit members for task force
    • Member recruitment and retention lotteries (Paul)
      • Membership lottery complete (20 lucky winners)
        • Next year to focus on membership types with associated fees
      • Conference registration giveaway is next
        • Waiting until registration costs are confirmed
      • Discussion of CFTC voucher(s)
        • Members would sign up for this lottery
        • Would require working with the vendors and their cooperation
        • Tabled until CFTC has matured
      • Other business
        • Action Item: Paul to draft Letter of appreciation to Dan and shout out in newsletter and social media
        • FAMS migration to R (FSA?) (Rebecca)
          • A lot of interest across multiple states and agencies
          • Maintenance could be responsibility of FITS special committee
          • We are talking with Derek Ogle about a broader partnership involving the FSA R package

Next Meeting is February 12^th