Work of the ISE Board

General Board Business

General Board business is focused on promoting the vision and mandate of the society, which includes, outreach and networking, developing member benefits, organizing Society business meetings held during the biennial congresses, and – when possible – supporting regional conferences in the years in between the congresses, and assisting in raising funds to support these activities.

While everyone on the Board is copied on business items and invited to participate in all (email and conference call) discussions, the Executive Board members (President, President-elect, Secretary, and Treasurer) are expected to work more closely with the ISE Coordinator and provide direction as needed on the daily operations of the Society as well as on the Society business items addressed during the congresses.  This also includes fundraising or collaborating with fundraising experts for core (and other) support and being named as key personnel on grant applications. This is, in part, because Executive Board members serve 4-year terms and function to provide stability and continuity for the Society over time.

The Regional Representatives are often best poised to take leading roles in outreach and membership activities; the Regional Representative serving the region of the biennial congress may also play a larger role in coordination with the congress organizers.

The primary role of the Student Representatives is to keep the Board in touch with a student’s perspective on topics under discussion, materials under development or issues being decided and to support and promote the development of emerging ethnobiologists.  Additionally, since 2010 Student Representatives have organized a pre-congress workshop for emerging ethnobiologists with the assistance of an advisory committee and the ISE Coordinator; these workshops have been very well received and Student Representatives are expected to be involved in, if not lead, the workshop during the Board term.

There are a number of committees that ISE Board members are expected to participate in.

• The Fundraising Committee, Nomination, and Membership Committees are on-going and everyone is encouraged to participate to the extent that they are able, although the immediate past-President, President and president-elect are expected to form the backbone of the Fundraising Committee.
• The Financial Management Committee, comprised of the lead persons on any grants, the President-elect, and the Treasurer, provide oversight for any grant-funded activities.
• The biennial committees, linked to the congresses, include the Indigenous Travel Award Selection Committee, the Student Prize Selection Committee, the Kimanani Fellowship Selection Committee, and the Pre-Congress Workshop Advising Committee.
• Additionally, one Board member is appointed to act as the Board liaison with the Congress Organizing Committee, even though the Chair of this committee is an ex-officio Board member.

Per the ISE Constitution, non-Board members may participate in any committee, so long as at least one Board member is involved and keeping the full Board appraised on the committee activities.

ISE Programs and Congresses

The general Board business (described above) is distinct from the activities of the three ISE programs and the Congress planning. Due to the specific skill sets and expertise required to run these core programs, program leaders are appointed by the Board, and are considered full Members of the ISE Board.  These positions include two Co-Directors of the Global Coalition, two Co-Chairs of the Ethics Program, and two Co-Chairs of the Darrell Posey Fellowship Program.

These appointed Board members are tasked with specific duties associated with their respective programs, which includes providing direction, vision, fundraising assistance, outreach and networking. Program leaders work closely with the ISE Coordinator, and with other members of the Board, the Council of Elders, and ISE Members, as appropriate.

While all Board members are encouraged to be informed and integrally involved in these core ISE programs, the programs are under the direction of the appointed persons who have been determined to have the expertise required to maintain them such that they continue to embody and implement the vision of the ISE.

The congress organizers are guided by the ISE’s vision to facilitate an ‘ethical space’ where different worldviews can interact and share information across geographical and cultural boundaries, and by the memorandum of understanding as agreed to at the onset of congress planning.

Planning and hosting the biennial congresses are also separate from general Board business, as congresses are hosted by distinct organizations/institutes, even though Society business is conducted as an integral part of the biennial congresses.  One representative from the Organizing Committee of the upcoming ISE congress is an ex-officio member of the Board. Additionally, one representative from the Organizing Committee of the most recent past congress is an ex-officio member of the Board, and serves to provide advice on congress planning.