Here is a quick update on the actions at Council

The nominees for the President of the Society are:

Bonnie A. Charpentier

Willie E. May

Elections will be held in the fall. Also, beginning this year, if you want a paper ballot for the election - you will need to request one.

Candidates for Districts III and VI

=A7 The Committee on Nominations and Elections announced the results of the election held prior to the San Francisco meeting to select candidates from the list of nominees for Directors from District III and District VI on the Board of Directors for the term 2018-2020. By internet ballot, the Councilors from these districts selected Alan B. Cooper and Teri Quinn Gray as District III candidates; and Rita R. Boggs and Paul W. Jagodzinski as District VI candidates. Ballots will be distributed on or before October 1 to all ACS members in District III and District VI for election of a Director from each District.

Procedures for Removal of a Councilor or Alternate Councilor

=A7 The Council voted to approve the Procedures for Removal of a Councilor or Alternate Councilor, contingent upon approval of the Petition for the Removal of Officers and Councilors. As the petition subsequently failed, given the interdependence of the petition and related procedures, the procedures will not take effect.

2018 Member Dues

=A7 The Council voted on the recommendation of the Committee on Budget and Finance to set the member dues for 2018 at the fully escalated rate of $171. This rate is established pursuant to an inflation-adjustment formula in the ACS Constitution and Bylaws.

Distribution Formula for Division Funding

=A7 On the recommendation of the Committee on Divisional Activities, the Council approved a formula for allocating dues funds to divisions, effective with allocations for 2017 division performance.

Other Highlights

Budget and Finance

In 2016, ACS generated a Net from Operations of $23.8 million, which was $7.2 million higher than 2015.. Total revenues were $526.8 million, increasing 2.9% or $15 million over 2015. Expenses ended the year at $503 million, which was $7.8 million or 1.6% higher than prior year. This was attributable to a continued emphasis on expense management across the organization. The Society's financial position strengthened in 2016, with Unrestricted Net Assets, or reserves, increasing from $163.3 million at December 31, 2015 to $206.5 million at year-end 2016.

Additional information can be found at www.acs.org. At bottom, click =E2=80=98About ACS', then =E2=80=98ACS Financial Information'. There you will find several years of the Society's audited financial statements and IRS 990 filings.

Membership

As of December 31, 2016, the ACS membership was 156,129, which is 0.5% less than on the same date in 2015. The number of new members who joined in 2016 is 23,700. The Society's overall retention rate is 83.5%. The Committee on Membership Affairs also reported that the number of international members has increased to 27,388, exceeding the committee's target by 5%. Retention of graduate students increased by 2% to 76.2%.

San Francisco Meeting Attendance as of Tuesday April 4, 18,850

Special Discussion

The Council conducted a special discussion, "ACS Yesterday and Today: Paving the Way to Tomorrow," to gather input for the Joint Board-CPC Task Force on Governance Design. Forty Councilors approached the floor microphones to share observations, comments, and suggestions to assist the task force in identifying opportunities and issues for governance improvement. The task force offered three questions to guide the discussion: What should the Society and its governance do differently to achieve its objects? If you could change one thing about ACS governance, what would it be? What should the task force leave "as is"? A poll conducted at the conclusion of the discussion revealed that 57% (222) of the Councilors disagreed that the current governance structure, processes and procedures are already optimal to achieving the objects of ACS in the 21st century, 16% (54) agreed, and 27% (104) needed more information. Three-hundred and six (84%) said they would be willing to provide additional input and feedback to the task force. They will be contacted by the task force in the coming weeks.

Frankie Wood-Black, Ph.D., REM, MBA

Principal - Sophic Pursuits

NOTE - ADDRESS CHANGE - Mailing Address - PO Box 433, Tonkawa, OK 74653

email address fwoodblack90**At_Symbol_Here**gmail.com

or fwblack**At_Symbol_Here**sophicpursuits.com

580-761-3703

--- This e-mail is from DCHAS-L, the e-mail list of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety. For more information about the list, contact the Divisional secretary at secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org