My Fellow Councilors,
I often comment on how impressed I am with the leadership of this Society; you, the members of council, our Board of Directors and its officers as well as our local and divisional leaders. Strong and effective leadership during these uncertain times is essential to our long term and collective success. Thank you, for your valuable contributions, involvement, and continued support as the chemical enterprise rides this economic storm to its logical conclusion while we reestablish ourselves as the central science that will catalyze and fuel the next era of prosperity for this great nation. My fellow councilors, I am proud to be a chemist; improving people’s lives and rebuilding the economy through the transforming power of chemistry!
All of you know, that a single year as president is not enough time to affect transformational change. However, we have been extremely fortunate that those who have taken residence in the succession have been positive, supportive, and like minded individuals who support important initiatives which may not have taken root during any given presidential term. I am pleased to inform you that one such example is the ACS Diversity Partner Program initiated under Katie Hunt, supported by Bruce Bursten and continuing during my tenure. To help ensure that we do not lose the momentum achieved during its formation, I have agreed to chair the subcommittee, Diversity Partners, which will report to Board Committee on Professional Member Relations. The three diversity workshops which were held during 2008 will be the subject of a presidential event at the national meeting Washington DC.
The theme for the Washington DC meeting is - Chemistry and Global Security: Challenges and Opportunities. There will be a presidential plenary session on Sunday featuring speakers from the government, academia, and industry. Dr. Sadiq Shah is responsible for the thematic programming for the meeting and he has created an exceptional program. Consistent with my platform on education there will also be three presidential events exploring selected aspects of education: Chemical Education at a Crossroads, Bridging the Gap; Building Collaborations with High School Chemistry Clubs, and Revitalizing Chemistry Education to Increase Competitiveness and Diversity.
Friends, 2009 is proving to be a very interesting year for the Society and our discipline – together, we will affect positive, productive change thereby, and I quote from the objects of our national charter, “...fostering public welfare and education, aiding the development of our country’s industries, and adding to the material prosperity and happiness of our people.”
This concludes my report.