Membership Board: 2017 Annual Report

The Membership Board (MB) is a standing board of the association. Members are elected by the Council of Representatives (COR). The 2017 MB consisted of nine members as follows: a minimum of four are Fellows of the association and the remaining members represent the diverse membership. A minimum of one member is an early career psychologist. The board has oversight for the recruitment and retention activities for the association, has the authority to elect qualified persons to initial member status, and has the responsibility for establishing and regulating the APA criteria that the Fellows Committee uses to review and recommend member nominees for the election of Fellow status.

Nancy Diehl, PhD, chair; Amber Hewitt, PhD, chair-elect; Juan Dominguez, PhD; Kenneth Drude, PhD; Michi Fu, PhD; Linda Forrest, PhD; Lynn Kahle, PhD; Roberta Nutt, PhD; Ellen Williams, PhD

At the spring 2017 consolidated meeting, the Membership Board reviewed two applications for membership. Of these, one application was recommended for associate membership status.

Some of the important work of the MB for 2017 is highlighted below:

1. Provided feedback and input regarding many of the new products and services launched by the Membership Office. Some of the new products and services for which the Membership Board provided feedback included: APA's webinars, "how I got this job," and working toward a research conference.
2. Worked with Membership Office to support their immediate needs including two Bylaws and Association rule changes.
   A. Removal of the $2 credit for joining the first division at an approximate cost of $40,000 to implement. Item passed (greater than 2/3 of vote).
   B. Moving the specific details of lifetime membership from presence in both association rules and bylaws to just association rules. Item did not pass (greater than 50 percent but not 2/3).
3. At the fall consolidated meetings, met with Committee on Aging to discuss above and met with Committee on International Relations in Psychology regarding international issues.
4. Reviewed results of APA's latest member research surveys and focus groups conducted by Ian King's office.
5. Continued Membership Board's goal of working toward being more fiscally responsible by using video conference calls whenever possible, and smaller items such as sharing airport taxis and selecting moderately price dining establishments.
6. Other aspects of our strategic planning focused on ways in which the Membership Board can best assist the Office for Member Recruitment and Engagement. Some of the areas of focus that King and the Membership Board agreed would be mutually beneficial areas of focus included: improving and enhancing diversity efforts within APA to better serve the needs of our increasingly diverse membership; considering ways to build and engage "community" between APA members; improving and enhancing APA's efforts to reach international members; and better resources and services for APA members who have retired from their work as practicing psychologists but would like to remain engaged in the association.
7. Reviewed and forwarded nominations for initial Fellow status as recommended by the Fellows Committee to the Board of Directors (BOD) and COR for approval. A total 90 new APA Fellows were approved by the COR in 2017. The MB also reviewed and forwarded the rank-ordered slate of candidates for the Fellows Committee to the BOD.
8. Responded to various Cross Cutting (CC) agenda items, including but not limited to the following items:

Spring 2017

• Cross Cutting Agenda Item #1 — Request for Information To Be Used In Planning A New Ethics Code: Call For Comments

• Cross Cutting Agenda #2 — Transparency of Decisions Recommended Policy and Procedure for Council, Boards and Committees

• Cross Cutting Agenda Item #3 — APA Guidelines on Core Learning Goals for Master's Degree Graduate in Psychology

• Cross Cutting Agenda Item #7 — Resolution Affirming Support for Research and Teaching with Nonhuman Animals Request for Adoption As APA Policy

• Cross Cutting Agenda Item #9 — Report of the Working Group on Health Disparities in Vulnerable Boys and Men

• Cross Cutting Agenda Item #10 — Request to Review the APA Working Group Report on Stress and Health Disparities: Examining Contexts, Mechanisms, and Interventions

Fall 2017

• Cross Cutting Agenda #1 — Call for Questions to the President-Elect Candidates
• Cross Cutting Agenda Item #2 — Proposed Resolution on Physical Punishment of Children by Parents
• Cross Cutting Agenda Item #3 — Call for Nominations; Raymond D. Fowler Award for Outstanding Contributions to APA-Member
• Cross Cutting Agenda Item #4 — Call for Nominations: APA Citizen Psychologist

9. Assembled three slates (for the 2019-21 term) to be reviewed by the BOD and elected by the COR. Established priorities for nominating MB members for the 2019-21 term with expertise and/or backgrounds in the following three areas:
   Slate 1: Diversity
   Slate 2: Early Career Psychologists — with advanced social media and technology experience
   Slate 3: Public policy
10. Conducted several virtual meetings, with excellent attendance and input.
11. Four members of MB attended COR in August. Two overlapping members of MB and COR, and two who attended to represent MB as related to the bylaws amendment initiatives.
12. Subgroup virtual meeting with Jean Lau, Council Leadership Team regarding video link and diversity initiatives.
13. Diversity subgroup presented at October meeting.
14. Meeting with APA counsel to gather information regarding the request for feedback on another initiative to change by-laws for consideration in 2018.
15. Approved the Fellows Committee will be submitting the name of Chana Akins, PhD to the December Board of Directors for approval to fill a neuroscience vacancy on the committee beginning in January 2018.
16. Formal memo of response related to possible broad changes in bylaws late in the year. Among other suggestions, MB suggested delay or reconsideration of the amendment, if the other amendment to provide council the authority to determine the eligibility requirements for the dues-exempt category did not pass. It did not pass.

The MB would like to thank the dedicated APA staff members as we could not have been as successful without their support and guidance. We are especially indebted to Sonja Wiggins for her tremendous organization, knowledge, sparkling personality and competency.