Committees
Standing Committees
Archives Committee (Term: 5 years, reappointment unlimited)
The Archives Committee, consisting of two persons (appointed by the Council for five-year terms and eligible for reappointment) and the archivist at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), shall oversee the acquisition maintenance, organization, and accessibility of the Society's archives housed at the NYBG.
Members: Lisa Offringa, Chair (2020-2025); Michael Balick (2020-2025); Archivist NYBG.
Auditing Committee (Term: 3 years)
The Auditing Committee, consisting of a member of the Finance Committee as Chairperson and one other person appointed to three-year terms by the Council, shall complete an examination of the Treasurer's report prior to the annual Council and Business meetings of the Society. In addition, the Chairperson will arrange for independent audits of the financial records as called for by the Council. The Treasurer may not serve on this Committee.
Members: Thomas Brendler (2023-2026) and John de la Parra (2023-2026)
Bylaws and Protocol Committee (Term: 3 years, reappointment unlimited, no Council member may serve except Secretary)
The Bylaws and Protocol Committee, consisting of the Secretary and two other persons, shall be appointed by the Council to serve three-year terms. One of the two appointed members will be named Protocol Secretary by the President; the other will serve as Chairperson of the Committee. Members will be eligible for reappointment, but the only member of the Council who may serve on the Committee is the Secretary. The Committee will receive proposed amendments to the Bylaws and prepare these for submission to the Council and Membership. The Committee may also initiate recommendations for changes in the Bylaws. It is the duty of the Protocol Secretary to maintain files of the information needed for the efficient running of the Society, such as duties and timeline guidelines for the officers, operating policies decided upon by the Society, and information needed by the Local Chair for the Annual Meeting.
Members: Gayle Fritz, Chair (2022-2025); Karsten Fatur, Secretary (2022-2025); Robbie Hart (2022-2025)
Conference Coordinators
TBD
Editorial Board Committee
The Editorial Board shall consist of Associate Editors and others appointed by the Editor of Economic Botany subject to confirmation by the Council. Editorial Board members will assist in the editorial process and will volunteer or give advice on requests concerning policy matters, and encourage authors in their disciplines, institutions, or geographic areas to submit manuscripts to Economic Botany.
Ina Vandebroek, Editor of Economic Botany, please see current associate editors by clicking here.
Education & Outreach Committee (Term: 3 years)
The Committee shall consist of three members, the President to serve as Chairperson, and two others to be appointed by the Council to three-year terms. The Committee will bring to the attention of the public and scientific communities significant accomplishments and events in economic botany, and promote educational programs involving plants and people.
Members: President, Chair, Alex McAlvay (2025-2026), Laura Roberts-Nkrumah (2023-2026), Chunlin Long (2023-2026)
Endowment Committee (Term: one year)
The Endowment Committee shall consist of the Immediate Past-President as Chairperson, President-Elect, President, and, if desired, one or more additional members appointed by the President for one-year terms. The Committee will seek to raise monies to create endowments for awards and other purposes authorized by the Council or the Executive Committee.
Members: Heike Vibrans, Immediate Past-President, Chair (2025-2026), Sonia Peter President-Elect (2025-2026), Alex McAlvay, President (2025-2026).
Ethics Committee (Term: 3 years)
The Ethics Committee shall consist of three or four persons appointed by the Council to examine ethical questions relating to economic botany and the Society in particular. Committee members will serve three-year terms and will be eligible for reappointment.
Members: Morgan Ruelle, chair (2020-2025), Veronica Soledad Lema (2023-2026), Idah Manduna (2023-2026), Donald Otieno (2023-2026)
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, President-Elect, Immediate Past-President, Secretary, Editor of Economic Botany (ex officio and nonvoting), and Treasurer. The President will be Chairperson of the Executive Committee. In the interim between annual meetings all powers not delegated by the Council to committees or to specified officers will be considered as delegated to the Executive Committee acting as a body and reaching its decisions by majority vote, except as these powers may be specifically restricted by the Council. It may not modify or rescind instructions from the Council or from the membership as decided by vote in a regular meeting. The committee will make an annual report to the Council.
Members: President, President-Elect, Immediate Past-President, Secretary, Editor of Economic Botany (ex officio and nonvoting), and Treasurer.
Finance Committee (Term: 3 years)
The Finance Committee shall be composed of three persons: the Treasurer will serve as Chairperson and two other members will be appointed by the Council for three-year terms. The committee will recommend investment policies for the Society's funds and changes in dues structure, maintain oversight for special funds and endowments, and arrange for independent audits of the Society's financial records, as called for by the Council.
Members: Blair Orr, Treasurer, Chair (2020-2026); Thomas Brendler (2023-2026); David Picking (2023-2026); Heather Cacanindin (staff)
Membership Committee (Term: 1 year, eligible for reappointment)
The Membership Committee shall consist of three persons, of whom the President-Elect will be Chairperson. The two additional members of the Committee will be the Treasurer and one other member appointed by the Council. Terms of office will be one year, except for the Treasurer, who will serve throughout his/her term of office. Members will be eligible for reappointment. The duties of the Membership Committee will be to solicit new members for the Society, encourage retention of membership, and review membership applications in order that the Society may be kept informed of the nature of its growth.
Members: Sonia Peter, President-elect (2025-2026), Chair; Blair Orr, Treasurer (2020-2026); Chance Riggins (2024-2025).
Newsletter Committee (Term: editor 5 years, members 3 years; renewable)
The Newsletter Committee shall be composed of the Newsletter Editor, who shall be appointed by the Council for a renewable five-year term, and serve as chairperson of the committee, and other members of the Society nominated by the Newsletter Editor and confirmed by the Council. Committee members shall serve terms of three years and shall be eligible for reappointment.
Members: Trish Flaster, Editor (2020-2025); Sundance Visser (2023-2026); Marystella Wekhanya (2023-2026); Cathrina Geldard (2023-2026); Gail Wagner (2020-2026); Charlotte Gyllenhaal (2020-2026), Baiba Pruse (2020-2026)
Nominations and Awards Committee (Term: one year, no more than 1 reappointed)
The Committee shall consist of the Immediate Past-President as Chairperson, plus two members-at-large appointed by the Council for one-year terms. No more than one member of the Nominations and Awards Committee will be appointed for a second term. The Committee will be responsible for nominations for the offices of President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and members-at-large of the Council, and annually will select nominees for the Distinguished Economic Botanist Award, subject to confirmation by the Council. It will obtain written consent to serve from all nominees before their names are placed on the ballot.
Members: Heike Vibrans, Immediate past president (2024-2025)
Program and Publicity Committee (Term: 2 years)
The Committee shall consist of five persons. The President-elect will serve as Chairperson. Other members will include the Secretary, Newsletter Editor as organizer of publicity, and two other members appointed by the Council, one of whom will be the Chairperson of the local arrangements and the other of the symposium for the annual meeting scheduled approximately two years hence. Terms of office are for two years. Because a new Program and Publicity Committee will be appointed each year, two Committees will be operative at any given time. These Committees will plan, organize, and carry out all aspects of the annual meeting for which they are responsible, including the scientific program.
Members: Alex McAlvay (2023-2025); Karsten Fatur (2022-2025); Trish Flaster (2020-2025)
Publications Committee
The Publications Committee shall consist of the Editors of Economic Botany, Plants and People, and the Chairperson of the Web Site Committee. The Publications Committee will consider and resolve, with approval of the Council, matters of mutual concern, such as duplication of effort, and the adequacy with which areas of interest to the members are covered. The President-Elect will serve as Chairperson of the Committee. If the President-Elect is an Editor or Chairperson of the Web Site Committee, the President will appoint a Publications Committee chair who is not.
Members: Alex McAlvay (2023-2025); Ina Vandebroek (2022-present); Trish Flaster (2020-2025); Ella Vardeman (2023-2025)
Student Committee (Term: 2 years)
Consisting of six persons, of whom the two Student Representatives shall be Co-Chairperson. The three additional members of the Committee shall be nominated by the Student Representative and confirmed by the Council. Terms of office shall be two years. The duties of the Student committee shall be to maintain a student network, voice the interests and needs of the Society's student membership and organize a formal student social at the annual meeting, including providing an itemized budget to the Council. Only bona fide undergraduate or graduate students are eligible.
Members: Char Farfadet (student representative, 2024-2025); (student representative elect); Guadalupe Maldonado Andrade (2022-2024); Christina Youngpeter (2023-2025); Belkes Stambouli (2023-2025); Savannah Grace Anez (2023-2025)
Web Site Committee (Term: 2 years, alternating start dates; Editor 1-3 years)
The Web Site Committee shall consist of three voting members appointed by the Council for alternating two-year terms, and an ex officio and non-voting Web Editor appointed by the Chairperson of the Committee for one to three years at the discretion of the Chairperson. The voting members will be eligible for a two-year reappointment. The Web Site Committee will be responsible for the Society Web Site (hereinafter designated Site), which serves as a communication and information venue for the Society and its members in keeping with the purposes stated in Article II of these Bylaws. The Committee shall present annually a budgeted plan to the Council for maintenance of the Site, for new initiatives, and for the priority to be assigned to such initiatives. The Committee will have operational authority for design and content of the Site (such as posting of messages and the use of interactive facilities), and for supervision of the Web Editor, who may be accorded such freedom of action as the Committee may delegate. Commercial messages will not be accepted.
Members: Ella Vardeman, Chair (2023-2025); Kaylie Lively (2023-2025); Funmilola Mabel Ojo (2023-2025); Heather Cacanindin/Rob Brandt (Web Editors)
Special (ad hoc) Committees
Ad-Hoc Klinger Book Award Committee
Members: Wendy Applequist, Chair
Ad-Hoc Richard Evans Schultes Award Committee
Members: Anna Waldstein, Chair
Ad-Hoc Committee for Online Symposium
The Online Symposium Ad-Hoc Committee will be responsible for organizing and implementing annual Fall and Spring Symposia and other Webinars as deemed appropriate. This committee will also assist with online capacity for the Summer Annual Conference. Members: Alex McAlvay (president, 2024-2025); Karsten Fatur (secretary, 2022-2025); Char Farfadet (student representative, 2024-2025); Ella Vardeman (2023-2024).