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
- Discussion of COC priorities
- 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)
- Draft letter for targeting specific vendors (Rebecca)
- 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
- Membership lottery complete (20 lucky winners)
- History webpage (Paul): need to find a FITS member who is also a History Section member.
- COC: Chelsea Myles-McBurney, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
Next Meeting is February 12th
