A New ESA Restructuring for Tomorrow Presented to the ESA Membership by Your Governing Board

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A New ESA Restructuring for TomorrowPresented
to the ESA Membership by Your Governing Board
A CASE FOR CHANGE To be clear, there is nothing
inherently broken in the ESA that absolutely
requires restructuring we can choose to
maintain the status quo. Our membership is
growing marginally after years of consistent
decline, our finances are now balanced with
significantly reduced overhead, our journals are
gaining in their reach and influence, our annual
meeting is programmatically strong with growing
attendance, and we have navigated some
significant changes in how we publish and
communicate electronically. The basis for this
restructuring proposal is not organizational
survival rather, it is increased influence and
sustained relevance for our Society. We are
proposing a model that allows, indeed requires,
expanding and accelerating our influence as we
prepare to meet future needs of our members. The
current structure and paradigm for ESA Governance
does not provide for agility in change and focus
for a changing environment, nor does it drive a
clear expectation for influence and impact with
relevant institutions, funding sources, and
societal needs and perceptions. Our design goal
is to successfully drive the following five
capabilities throughout the fabric of the ESA
Sections
Communications
Program Issue Leadership
Continuing Education
Influence Science Public Policy
Fostering Interest in Entomology
ESA Central Unity in the Essentials
At the Core A New Ambition for Sections
This proposal is about empowering ESA Sections to
take charge of their members interests, while
ensuring unity in those areas deemed essential to
all ESA members and while leveraging ESA
administration/services. Today, the role of
Sections has evolved to focus on designing
symposia for the annual meeting and assigning
volunteers to ESA committees. We envisage the
future role of Sections to be that of driving
change for their members by building and
sustaining the five core capabilities in a way
that is relevant and meaningful, with the ability
and accountability for securing funding and
developing strategies on how to emphasize and
address opportunities on behalf of their
membership. The Annual Meeting program endorsed
by Sections will not change, but will be only one
key tactic from a multi-year, multi-objective
agenda to fulfill the core capabilities.
Form must follow function, not the reverse. If
we aspire to achieve our capabilities, we must
structure Sections to enable empowerment. We are
recommending a far less defined structure, less
overall regulation, and significantly more
freedom to operate. Consistent with these
operational proposals, we are recommending a
restructuring from six Sections to four Sections
for two primary reasons. First, we believe four
Sections is the correct number based on the
size of the ESA and our member aspirations for
influence (i.e., critical mass is important).
Second, when we looked at the broad areas that
represent reasonable groupings of common
interests, these four named groups or Sections
emerged as our best proposal to achieve the
desired capabilities (e.g., similar context to
influence policy). Clearly, there are unlimited
combinations of possibilities available and, of
course, many special interests -- but this
proposal is the Governing Boards overwhelming
recommendation after extensive deliberation of
alternatives and constructive debate.
Although this restructuring proposal is about
empowering Sections, there is need for a central
governance structure with primary accountability
for focus areas where unity across Sections is
essential. For example, the core capability of
communications will be one managed and owned by
ESA Central -- no substantive changes to our
Annual Meeting or Journals are planned.
Similarly, we must continue to recognize
excellence within our total membership base with
General Society Awards (e.g., Fellows, Honorary
Members), and sponsor standing committees that
can address the common needs of Society members.
ESA Central will fund activities that benefit all
members (e.g., Annual Meeting, Website) but
Sections will have flexibility for developing
funding models that support their specific
agenda-driven needs (e.g., affiliation fees).
Evolution
Structural, Veterinary and Public Health
Systems
Plant-Insect Ecosystems
Sub-organismal Systems
80/20 Goal 20 ESA Central Governance
ESA Governing Board ESA President ESA
Vice-President (Secretary) ESA Vice-President
Elect ESA Past-President ESA Treasurer Section
Representatives (4) Branch Representatives
(5) ESA Executive Director

• Governance Role
• Approve Budget and Set Fees
• Establish Scope of ESA-wide Programs
• Manage Cross-Section Enterprises
• Establish Central Policies

• Unity in the ESSENTIALS
• Leveraged Services via ESA Central
• Publication and Periodical Technology and
  Support
• Annual Meeting Planning and Management
• Membership Services
• Legal/Financial Services Corporate Systems
• Certification and Society-wide Awards

• Section Governance
• All Sections are bound by the Societys ESA
  Constitution and By-laws and therefore must
  support ESA Central polices, procedures, and
  central/shared services.
• Each Section is accountable to establish a
  multi-year strategic and tactical agenda to
  advance the interests of its membership.
  Sections possess a high level of freedom to
  operate on behalf of their section membership
• Each Section may levy fees based on desired
  services/activities beyond the common scope of
  ESA Central
• Members may affiliate with multiple sections for
  incremental fees
• Each Section has its own leadership council to
  establish committees relevant to its own agenda
  and needs, but also has representation on ESA
  Central Standing Committees.

Section Leadership Council President Vice
President (Secretary) Past President Treasurer
ESA Governing Board Representative (3-yrs)
Leader, Program Issue Leadership Agenda
Leader, Science/Public Policy Agenda Leader,
Fostering Interest in Entomology Agenda Leader,
Continuing Education Agenda ESA Central Staff
Liaison
Program Issue Leadership
Member Networks Something for Everyone !!
A New Entomological Society of America
The large diversity of interests across the
breadth of the ESA is our Societys true
strength, and it separates us from many other
peer professional societies. We must continue to
encourage a culture of inclusiveness and seek to
make welcome anyone who chooses to affiliate with
the ESA, no matter how narrow or novel their
focus. To that end, we are proposing to
encourage a culture of networks not as
governance bodies, but as self-forming groups
that choose to affiliate with one or more ESA
Sections to develop and advocate their interests
under the broad ESA umbrella. Networks might be
relatively large in scope and size (e.g.,
entomologists that work as Extension Specialists,
or work primarily as teachers) or small and
specialized (e.g., insect illustrators). By
groups forming unregulated networks, the ESA can
provide a forum and infrastructure for nearly any
special interest group to pursue their scientific
and professional interests, while also providing
an avenue for seeking resource support from
Sections. Moreover, by not regulating networks,
we greatly simplify the natural formation of
groups so our members can address a changing
science and minimize the possibility of any
member feeling that (s)he has no home in the
ESA.
Influence Science Public Policy
Evolution
Structural, Veterinary and Public Health
Systems
Plant-Insect Ecosystems
Sub-organismal
Structural, Veterinary and Public Health Systems
Plan-Insect Ecosystems
Sub-organismal Systems
Evolution
Fostering Interest in Entomology
Eastern Branch

• Section Governance Role
• Establish Scope and Vision for the Section
• Establish/Implement Strategic Tactical Agendas
  
• Establish Affordability/Budget for Success
• Identify Address Interests of Section Members
• Establish Initiatives and Manage Opportunities

80/20 Goal 80 Section Governance
Southeastern Branch
Continuing Education
Summary
Networks
North Central
The ESA has completed an intensive six-year
journey to restore financial stability. We
believe this is the right time and circumstance
to restructure the ESA for greater flexibility,
more relevancy, and genuine empowerment to expand
its influence on behalf of our membership. To
that end, the Governing Board proposes that we
focus on restructuring ESA Sections from six to
four and that we enable these Sections for
success in the ESA core capabilities for
Continuing Education, Program and Issue
Leadership, Influence Science and Public Policy,
and Fostering Interest in Entomology. The fifth
ESA capability, communications, will remain the
focus of ESA Central to help ensure that common
interests and needs of all ESA members are
addressed. We hope you find these proposals
compelling and based on the right ambitions for
the ESA. We acknowledge that many details must
be addressed and that the transition will require
patience and support however, we believe the
anticipated benefits are worth the journey! We
welcome your input and feedback and we hope that
you will support this restructuring proposal
because you agree that it puts the ESA on a path
to influence our collective relevance as
entomologists.
Networks
Southwestern Branch
Pacific Branch
ESA Branches
International/Corresponding Branch
ESA Central
The Governing Board believes that this
restructuring proposal should focus on Sections
and truly bring to life a vision of core
capabilities as a primary need, so it recommends
little substantive change in the Branch
structure. We are recommending eventual
consideration of a virtual International /
Corresponding Branch for ESA members around the
world who do not reside in Branches as presently
defined.
Please send your comments to ANEWESA_at_entsoc.org
SHH12/2005