Hello Everyone!

It has been another exciting year of change and adaptation for IASNR.  We have advanced the internationalization of IASNR on several fronts – through the international travel awards, the discounted membership and registration fees for those from low-to-middle-income countries, and the implementation of hybrid sessions for 2024 in Cairns, Australia, which allows for a dedicated space for both in-person and online presentation sessions.  Our two regional hubs (East and Southeast Asia  and Europe) have held meetings to initiate their regional networks and dialogues.  Finally, we’ve updated our association logo to be welcoming and inclusive to members from all walks of life and geographies.

This is the last newsletter you will receive from Becky, Lee and me as Executive Officers, as  our three-year term  comes to an end  in December.  When we first stepped into our roles in January 2021, we had concerns about the impact of the global pandemic on our organizational culture and membership.  We have been so fortunate to have experienced three waves of competent and insightful council members to provide advice, make decisions, and enact policy to build a  resilient and effective organization.  At our first IASNR Board retreat in 2021, we reviewed and restructured our IASNR committees to be the loci of “heavy lifting” and emphasized the recruitment of committee members from the IASNR membership while also encouraging student members on every committee.  We also identified the themes of internationalization, membership recruitment and retention, and inclusivity as the strategic goals relevant to all committees.  We are confident of a bright future ahead under the leadership of Chris Raymond, Kelly Biedenweg and John Parkins stepping into the roles of Executive Director, Treasurer, and Secretary, respectively.

We want to extend our deep appreciation to the many members who have supported IASNR by volunteering time and effort in big and small ways.  Without our membership, our collective efforts at creating a healthier, more just, and sustainable world would not be as bright. We acknowledge our incoming and outgoing IASNR Council members who have played meaningful roles in the success of IASNR the past few years.  Two council members are rotating off in December; we are grateful to Kate Sherren and Tasos Hovardas. Jesse Abrams was approved by voters for a second, 3-year term on council.  In addition to Jesse, Tom Fish and Claudia Benham will join the IASNR Council in January 2024.  Welcome! 

We also want to thank the fabulous co-editors of the Society and Natural Resources Journal, Kristin Floress and Emily Huff, who have signed up for a second term. Also, we express appreciation to Anna Haines, for her leadership as editor of the Society and Natural Resources Book Series.  

Finally, we want to give a “shout out” to Jessica Hill who has been with us through every decision we’ve made, has counseled us with her institutional memories and good judgment, and has been a loyal ambassador for IASNR!  We could not have navigated the past 3 years so smoothly without you, Jessica.

As a heads-up, we have the election season coming soon.  We encourage all members – no matter your seniority with IASNR or stage in your professional career – to consider nominating yourself.  We’re savoring our last couple months as executive officers and grateful for the support we’ve experienced over the past few years.   

Hope to see you June 23-27 for the 2024 IASNR Conference in Cairns, Australia.

~ Bill, Becky and Lee