Organizational Structure

Officers and Their Duties

President (2 year term; cannot be re-elected)

The President is responsible for coordinating organizational business in consultation with the Board of Directors. The President is responsible for assessing, with the Board, that the Board is meeting the Society's current objectives. The President organizes and conducts the annual meeting of the Board of Directors, in consultation with other board members and Society advisors. The President also drafts an agenda for and conducts the annual Society meeting for the entire Membership. During the intervening period between annual meetings, the President conducts Society business with other officers and advisors via e-mail, phone and mail. This business is also reviewed, discussed and read into meeting minutes at the following annual business meeting. The President is the Chair of the Distinguished Ethnobiologist Awards Committee.

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Vice President/President Elect (2 year term; cannot be re-elected)

The Vice-President/President-Elect assists the President and takes a role in the organization of the annual meeting. The Vice President also serves on the Nominating committee.  The Vice President sits on the awards committee for the Undergraduate Ethnobiologist Award. The Vice President directs ethics issues, including the development and maintenance of the Society's ethics codes.

Treasurer (3 year term; can be re-elected)

The Treasurer is responsible for receiving dues, managing the Society's funds, and disbursing same. This person is authorized to sign checks for the organization. The Treasurer is also responsible for reporting to the Membership and the Board of Directors the current and projected financial situations of the Society.

Secretary (3 year term; can be re-elected)

The Secretary records and archives minutes, supports the web editor, updates by-laws, takes calls/queries from web and phone calls and redirects them to an appropriate Board member, keeps track of yearly discussions – to report as “Old Business” or put on the agenda for discussion/voting at Annual Board meeting, arranges conference calls for Board meetings, helps set up agendas for meetings, maintains an archive, supports the nominations committee, and assists with yearly elections.

Board of Trustee, Member-at-Large (3 year term; can be re-elected for two additional terms):

Terms of the six Member-at Large Trustees are staggered, so that two new Trustee members are elected each year. A member of the Board of Trustees takes part in discussions of and voting on all matters related to running the Society of Ethnobiology, both during the year, and at annual meetings held by the Society. Board members are elected as coordinators of one of the six following positions (approved April 17, 2008):

1. Web Liason:  Advise on optimizing website design to best serve our members and to engage broad audiences

  • Encourage submissions to "Ethnobiology Around the World" webpage
  • Member of Distinguished Ethnobiologist Award committee
  • Assess requests for links, etc. to our site; send appropriate links to webmaster
  • Coordinate with conference organizer to get conference information posted early
  • Coordinate with Treasurer to have annual fees and conference registration on our website
  • Work with Secretary to acquire and post up-dated bios of Board members
  • Post new information directly on the site (depending on the section to be updated) or relay this updated information to webmaster
  • Delete stale information on the web site
  • Membership in Web Committee
  • Work with volunteer to keep web page updated by doing the following:
    1. Scan the web for relevant news that can be added to our website
    2. Solicit and coordinate the addition of new web features: e.g., “Ethnobiology in the News” (i.e., posting relevant material from monthly scans); Publications Section (publications by our members, with possible links to purchasing)
    3. Monthly: look over web site to make sure all links are working properly
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2. Promotion, Outreach and Inreach Coordinator: Intra- and Inter-Community Promotion

  • In coordination with the President and two other outreach coordinators, actively promote the Society to other organizations, communities, and people
  • Develop relations and initiatives with other related societies
  • Coordinate local chapters
  • Head search for Undergraduate Ethnobiologist Award
  • Scan web, etc. for conferences, etc. where we should be a presence
  • Acquire other mailing lists to whom we can send society info
  • Help seek funds for participation by indigenous people
  • Increase participation of indigenous people
  • Strengthen ties and communication within membership
  • Membership on the Nominations Committee

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3. Promotion, Outreach Coordinator: Position 2. Fund raising and Promotion

  • Keep track of membership numbers and seek out ways to expand our membership
  • Seek out venues to advertise the Society
  • Provide input into design/content of Society advertisements
  • In coordination with the Society Vice-President, help seek funds for special outreach projects
  • Coordinate the application for funds to various granting agencies (McArthur, Christensen)
  • Liaise with the other Board Members about their funding needs and coordinate with them to apply for funds
  • Create funds to provide seed money for graduate research? For community projects?
  • Membership on Investment Committee
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4. Promotion, Outreach and Inreach Coordinator. Position 3. Student Outreach

  • To be filled by a student, or someone recently graduated
  • In coordination with the President and two other outreach coordinators, actively promote the Society to students
  • Increase communication among student members
  • Actively seek out new student members
  • Represent student interests to the Board
  • Organize special student events at the meetings, such as round table discussions with senior figures in the field and student social events
  • Organize special projects in which students can spearhead or take an active role (web pages, student chapters, etc.)
  • Membership on the Web Committee
  • Membership of the Undergraduate Ethnobiologist Award Committee
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5. Journal of Ethnobiology – Board Liaison: Responsible for helping J. of Ethnobiology editor with maintenance and expansion of our journal

  • Assist Editors as need arises
  • Work with Editors to solicit reviewers
  • Member of Distinguished Ethnobiologist Award committee
  • Promote subscription to BioOne.2 to libraries
  • Help procure further indexing on anthropological search engines
  • Promote the journal (e.g., at professional meetings, ads, etc.)
  • Help with any updates to the format, etc. of the journal
  • Help identify future candidates for Editors
  • Assist with transitions between Editors
  • Help reviewing press contracts
  • Solicit competitive bids from other presses
  • Solicit advertisements and announcements
  • Promote Special Publication Series
  • Seek out publications for Special Publication Series
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Advisors and Their Duties

Editor, Journal of Ethnobiology (term is variable)

The Editor of the Journal is appointed by the President, in consultation with the Board of Directors. The Editor appoints an Editorial Board representing diverse sub-disciplines of Ethnobiology, to help review and assess manuscripts submitted for publication in the Journal. The Editor may also appoint an editor for book reviews. The Editor solicits manuscripts from the membership and outside scholars, and has full responsibility for decisions concerning publication.

Conference Coordinator (term is variable)

The Conference Coordinator is appointed by the President, in consultation with the Board of Directors. The Conference Coordinator recruits potential future conference venues for consideration and selection by the Board, and identified the conference location, preferably two years in advance. The Conference Coordinatorupdates the conference handbooks is also the keeper of the Society's collective memory on conference logistics, maintains and updates the Conference Guidelines. This person makes a list of where our conferences have been and should be. The Conference Coordinator makes a list of when and where other conferences during that year. The Conference Coordinator advises and assists the current conference host as needed (applying for funds, contacting interested groups, organizing round tables, putting together schedule of papers).

Website Coordinator (term is variable)

The Website Coordinator is appointed by the President, in consultation with the Board of Directors. The Website Coordinator is the custodian of the Society's presence on the World Wide Web. The Website Coordinator modifies www.ethnobiology.org in response to input from the Society's Officers, Advisors and Members. The Website Coordinator also occasionally communicates directly with the entire membership, sharing timely information or important reminders.

Outreach Coordinator -- European Ethnobiologists

The European Outreach Coordinator will liaise with European ethnobiologists, encourage European scholars to publish in the Journal, and promote SoE in Europe.

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Past Presidents (advisors for life)

Each Past President has served the Society as both Vice President/President Elect and President, for a total of four years. Past Presidents retain the right to be heard and to participate in all Society Board and Committee Meetings, whether open to the public or not. They comprise a group of experienced general advisors that support the Society and its efforts, and help with all decisions related to Society business. The Society's Past Presidents are: Steve Weber (1981-1986), Amadeo Rea (1987, 1988), Elizabeth Wing (1989, 1990), Paul Minnis (1991, 1992), Cecil Brown (1993, 1994), Catherine Fowler (1995, 1996), Nancy Turner (1997, 1998), Deborah Pearsall (1999, 2000), Karen Adams (2001, 2002), Jan Timbrook (2003, 2004), Eugene Hunn (2005, 2006, 2007), and Gene Anderson (2008, 2009), Dana Lepofsky (2010, 2011), Justin Nolan (2012, 2013).

Society Membership

Membership includes both individuals and institutions. Paid members are entitled to receive semi-annual issues of the Journal of Ethnobiology, to attend the annual Society of Ethnobiology meeting hosted in diverse cities, and to attend and vote in the annual Society Business Meeting. Members may currently pay for either one or two years of membership. See "How to Join or Renew" for list of current dues.

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