SCB continues to make exciting strides in its transition to a global network. We want to thank everyone who has contributed to this pivotal phase in the Society’s development.
Updates
Since April, the Transition Implementation Group (TIG) has met every week to continue to develop recommendations for the Board of Governors in a set of priorities to be implemented over the next three years and realize the goals and structural recommendations summarized in the April Newsletter.
The TIG also welcomed SCB's Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Officer Tsitsi McPherson who is filling the seat for our outgoing EID Officer Ellen Hines.
The TIG held town hall style meetings with leaders from SCB's Chapters and Working Groups and met individually with SCB's Organizational Members and Section presidents to communicate our commitment to the transition and receive feedback on their needs for the transition. Finally, the TIG received questions from SCB members on the transition (see below).
Next Steps
- The SCB Board of Governors will review the first set of TIG recommendations focused on global board composition and the future business model.
- The TIG will reconvene town hall style meetings between July and September with SCB groups to gather input on the recommendations and continue working to refine the model to meet the needs for the new network.
- We are developing a dedicated webpage that will be a source of information for all members concerning the transition.
Questions Submitted by Members on the Transition to a Global Network
Member feedback and engagement is critical to the success of the transition. Your questions have been crucial to inform the ongoing design of recommendations. The recommendations are still being formulated and in a spirit of transparency and clarity we wish to share all the questions received so far. We look forward to answering all questions in the next SCB Newsletter.
- Would it be possible for women in Latin America and the Caribbean to have greater support and participation in the SCB?
- Does this mean that the SCB will no longer have an ED? If not, what is the role of the board and how will that be operationalized? This will require significant changes to the bylaws so how will this process be conducted?
- How will the chapters be supported?
- How will you enhance support of sections and chapters, as well as reinforcing equality, considering the context of each region and the challenges they face?
- What do you mean by "semiautonomous"?
- Do the changes / coming transition consider how to solve human capacity for conservation biology in less developed regions such as Central Asia?
- Regarding Recommendations #3 and #5: I feel there is a bit of contradiction between these two recommendations. I would appreciate clarity on why SCB Sections with separate affiliations be able to create their own service structure? I would appreciate more clarity on the revenue/cost sharing model between SCB global functions and semi-autonomous sections.
We've come a long way on our journey and there's still work to be done. We are excited to work towards ensuring that all members’ voices are represented in a governance structure that aligns informal and formal power, addresses historic power inequities, and operationalizes equity, inclusion and diversity within the global network. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the TIG with any questions, concerns or feedback.