Multitalented Directors Keep Societies On Course

As the federal science budget shrinks and the research job market narrows, scientific societies are moving to the forefront in political activism, lobbying Congress and White House science officials to bring their members' concerns to the attention of the government. Coordinating this activity have been the societies' executive directors--paid professionals, distinct from those researchers who are elected officials--who manage the day-to-day work of the organizations. The following list, reflecting the range of salaries paid to executive directors of United States science societies, was compiled from a variety of sources, principally from Science and Government Report ("Non-Profit Paychecks: SGR's Sixth Annual Survey," 23[5]:1-4, April 1, 1994), whose figures are used here with SGR's permission. John Crum, American Chemical Society--$258,455 Richard Nicholson, American Association for the Advancement of Science--$210,000 Bryant Welch, American Psychological Association--$191,908 Kenneth Ford, American Institute of Physics--$186,680 Michael Jackson, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology--$166,738 Bill Aldridge, National Science Teachers Association--$125,000 Celia Tannenbaum, National Audubon Society--$70,608 Catherine Didion, Association for Women in Science--$45,000 Below, for comparison, are salaries of a number of other nonprofit organization leaders, as cited by SGR in its April 1 issue: Purnell Choppin, president, Howard Hughes Medical Institute --$473,500 Gerald Mossinghoff, president, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association--$440,000 Barry Horowitz, president and CEO, Mitre Corp.--$295,000 Frank Press, president (now retired), National Academy of Sciences--$276,446 Robert White, president, National Academy of Engineering --$260,581 Kenneth Shine, president, Institute of Medicine--$245,896 Larry Welch, president, Institute for Defense Analysis --$218,670 J.A. Thompson, president, RAND Corp.--$241,323 --C.M. Some of these executive directors were trained as scientists; others have had productive careers in administration. As the stewards of scientific societies, they meet with and explain their concerns to those who shape United States policy--an opportunity afforded to few professionals in other walks of life. Owing in part to their frequent visits to the halls of power, many executive directors have gained national prominence and are frequently quoted in the scientific and general press. Several are well compensated in a monetary sense, also; indeed, directors of some scientific societies are paid a king's ransom compared with the salary of the average bench scientist. Yet, current and former executive directors say, the rewards of the job are counterbalanced by a heavy and unglamorous burden of responsibility, marked by long hours of administering staff, desperately trying to find enough money to enable their society to stay afloat, and doing the work that members or elected officials cannot or will not do. Robert Scala, former president of the Society for Toxicology, is among those experienced in this less publicized and more trying side of society officialdom. He points out, for example: "The executive director and staff put in, on a yearly basis, more hours than the elected officials by a considerable margin." Such challenges, these executive directors say, make it imperative for a researcher considering a career in scientific society administration to think long and hard about the position's demands before jumping in with both feet. Brian Keller was in Panama when he heard the news that the Ecological Society of America (ESA) had named him executive director, the first since the society's founding in 1915. An ecologist himself, Keller left the temperate breezes of Panama, where he had been serving as an oil-spill study project manager with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, for Washington, D.C., to begin managing the expansion of ESA's activities on April 1. It was a logical move for the 45-year old Keller. He had left research for science administration in 1984. His career had taken him to the University of the West Indies in Jamaica--where he had been acting head of the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory--as well as to Panama. Keller, who sees himself as "basically a spokesperson" for ESA, is a good example of a multitalented person playing a multifaceted role. Since he does not have the benefit of an outgoing director's advice, a portion of Keller's energies will be spent on shaping his own position. That includes consolidating the society's business office, hiring support staff, overseeing the publishing of a journal, paying the bills, and centralizing ESA's activities from Washington. Another major challenge that Keller and other executive directors must face is the matter of accommodating the wishes and objectives of executive councils. Directors of both large and small societies say that the ability to sense the concerns of the council is equally as important as running a tight budget. Fair amounts of both administrative experience and scientific acumen are necessary to accomplish both tasks, directors say. "I find having a science background improves my ability to relate to the leadership of the organization, who are working scientists," says Michael Jackson, executive director of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), based in Bethesda, Md. "But the job calls very heavily on management skills," he adds. Information on Certified Association Executive (CAE) accreditation from the American Society for Association Executives (ASAE) can be obtained by calling (202) 626-2727. In addition to ASAE, there are other groups offering resources for the enhancement of both societies and directors. The National Center for Nonprofit Boards (NCNB), based in Washington, D.C., seeks to "improve the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations by strengthening their boards of directors," says president Nancy Axelrod. NCNB offers a full range of services for societies, including numerous publications, workshops, and customized board development programs. For more information on NCNB programs, call (202) 452-6262. The Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives (CESSE)--not to be confused with the Council of Scientific Society Presidents (CSSP)--based in Washington, was established to provide executive directors with a forum for mutual exchange of experience, guidance, and discussion of common problems in operating the societies. CESSE's membership director, Cort Durocher, can be reached at (202) 646-7400 Martin Apple, executive director of CSSP, also in Washington, says that his organization's programs for presidents-elect--which cover member retention, revitalization of stagnant society sections, and effective communication with Congress and scientists--can help to strengthen the overall scientific society structure. For more information, call CSSP at (202) 872-4452. --C.M. Jackson, who has a Ph.D. in physiology, considers his experience as a research dean at George Washington University from 1985 to 1990 valuable training for the director's position. He took on a voluntary position with FASEB's scientific meetings program committee before coming on full-time as director in 1990. The experience of Charles Chambers, director of the Washington, D.C.-based American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) from 1983 to 1993, is an example of how administrative ability often takes precedence over scientific knowledge. A physicist by training, Chambers was a dean at George Washington from 1972 to 1977 and served for a time as director of the independent Council on Post- Secondary Accreditation (COPA) before joining AIBS. But while he feels that a good director brings with him or her a set of "portable skills" applicable to virtually any society, he says that the more effective organizations are led by people who "can speak intelligently and with some conviction about what the associations are doing." Others have had similar high-level executive experience. Richard Nicholson, director of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) since 1989, was appointed assistant director of the National Science Foundation by President Ronald Reagan in 1987. Charles Hancock brought to the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) administrative talents developed in a 21-year stint, much of it in command positions, in the Air Force. "The emphasis is on administration," says Hancock, who has been director of ASBMB for the past 15 years. "Committees basically take care of the science; the editor takes care of the science in the journal; the science in the annual meetings is taken care of by scientists." Opinions vary on the need for political savvy in a society director, although some may assume that a prerequisite for anyone running an organization with a stake in policy and legislative development is status as a "player" in Washington. But that is a label most directors are uncomfortable with. In fact, Bill G. Aldridge, director of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), scoffs at the suggestion of influence-peddling. "Power-brokering is garbage," he states. "The fact is, you don't influence Washington--the idea that we can influence government is just stupid. It's far more important to know your own society members than it is to know the federal government." Others take a different view. While not seeking an active political role, directors like Chambers feel their interaction with policymakers provides inherent opportunities to maximize the impact of their executive councils. Nicholson, for one, regards the position of AAAS's science policy directorate as an "honest broker" of information and "convener" of experts relating to questions in science policy. "We always try to have a balanced representation so that the policymakers hear the full spectrum of views," he says. Jackson maintains that FASEB benefits more from a knowledgeable legislative staff so that the members can "interact effectively with that process." Indeed, Catherine Didion, executive director of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS), finds Washington the perfect environment and close interaction with its science policymakers necessary to make the concerns of her organization known. "It's the ability to have access to those who can influence change," she says. "The ability to have someone take your phone call, or hear you out, is still very important in this town." >From the perspective of one society president, though, familiarity with the right channels in Washington takes a back seat to the skills that make a director an asset to both the executive council and members. Scala, president of the Society for Toxicology from 1976 to 1977, says a politically astute director is "nice to have, but I'd much rather have somebody with experience in budget development and cost control." Scala says that a nonprofit association must provide a service to its members while existing on their dues and other incidental income sources. Sound fiscal management is paramount to running an association because "there's only a certain amount of elasticity in membership dues before you begin to lose members," he stresses. AAAS's Nicholson agrees that cost control is the primary concern of the association, as with most small businesses, "so that we have some reserves to protect for exigencies." Jackson's position at FASEB can be seen as a conduit between the professional and elected segments of the society, he says: "My job is to translate the leadership vision to action by the staff." In his case, that means running an office of approximately 100 people with an operating budget of slightly more than $10 million. Typically, the director oversees the operation of the departments or directorates, which cover public affairs and policy, journal publishing, payroll and expenses, and annual meetings. To accomplish this, the director must recruit the most qualified people for key posts, as well as ensure that the general direction of the management office is consistent with the objectives of the executive council. "It's more to be sure of doing the right thing, than to be sure of always just doing things right," says Martin Apple, executive director of the Council of Scientific Society Presidents (CSSP) in Washington, D.C. Managing the internal affairs of an association also requires a straightforward approach to problem-solving--a method somewhat different from those used by research scientists, AWIS's Didion says. Many of the daily challenges require "a generalist who needs to feel out what's going on, look at a couple of different methods of how a problem was handled before, and try to apply it." Smaller societies that can't afford to hire a full-time administrative staff may opt to contract the services of a professional management company. A cost-effective alternative to managing financial and operational affairs, these organizations allow executive councils to concentrate on association goals by releasing them from duties that would normally occupy large portions of limited time. The Society for Toxicology, for example, has enjoyed a productive relationship with the Reston, Va.-based Association Development Group (ADG) since 1985. Joan Walsh Cassedy, managing director of ADG and executive director of the toxicology organization, feels her firm offers a "neater, simpler process for the society" and spares the society "the obligation to be the custodian of leases, furniture, and employees." Those considering a move into society administration are apt to find an engaging and well-paying career path--but should be ready for the work load, directors say. "I once had an intern who said, `I never knew that being executive director meant that you had do everything nobody wanted to do,'" Didion says. Individuals who are not top-level executives with the type of professional credentials associations look for in a potential director might want to volunteer for associations too small to afford a permanent staff, advises Chambers. "Certainly there's many, many volunteer opportunities for people who have an interest [in society management] to step up and take on administrative responsibility," he adds. Chambers can speak from experience: He started his career in society management by volunteering for the newly established American Association of University Administrators (AAUA) in 1970, organizing the fledgling society's first annual convention in Washington. A route available to people who are entering society management from another career path is earning accreditation from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). The 22,000-member society offers courses that cover the mechanics of running an organization. "Since virtually nobody has a degree in association management," says R. William Taylor, president of ASAE, "almost everyone comes in from the outside." But in Aldridge's case, ascending to the top spot at NSTA in 1979 didn't require a resume festooned with first-tier government experience, society accreditation--or, for that matter, a Ph.D. A high school science teacher from Kansas, he found himself competing in a field of approximately 600 candidates. Aldridge maintains he was hired because "I had done some homework." He was the only candidate who took the extra step of looking over minutes of past work and staff meetings, and, as a result, he says, "I knew exactly what the situation was in the organization, and I told them how to fix it--bluntly."

Multitalented Directors Keep Societies On Course

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