With some of the big picture touched on, I also want to take the opportunity to explain one of the smaller objectives I am working toward this month: standardizing some aspects of the ANS presidency. Specifically, I am focusing on developing criteria for presidential citations.
As many of you know, I love to celebrate members of our community. This plan aims to increase the clarity of future ANS presidents’ work while streamlining some of the more complicated decisions. Creating a list of qualifications for the recipients of presidential citations will reduce year-to-year variances in who receives citations and the overall purpose and spirit of the award. This codification will, in one breadth, give guidance to future presidents who aren’t sure where to start in building a list of awardees and presidents who are overwhelmed by a long list of potential candidates.
In addition to the change to presidential citations, I will establish some criteria on travel. In my opinion, this is a critical change needed within ANS. Since the start of my term, I have already been invited to more than 20 conferences, events, and meetings—more than I could possibly attend.
Currently, where I go to serve as the face of the Society is largely left to my discretion. However, if this decision-making process involved in-depth conversations, detailed planning, and a collaborative consideration of our broader goals, we could decide where to go in a manner that is more efficient, cost-effective, and consistent.
I do not aim to create a black-and-white policy surrounding travel. The unique connections, experience, and background each president brings to the role is an indispensable part of their value and will naturally play a part in these decisions. But overall, ensuring that every trip an ANS president takes has a tangible, positive impact on the Society is a critical consideration as we move forward—especially as our goals for international expansion only continue to grow.
With these changes made, I hope that the role of ANS president becomes a bit clearer, and in turn allows us to better focus on the task at hand: building the next era of nuclear infrastructure.
