J.Roberto
B. de Marca (S’71-M’72-SM’84-F’95)
Professor,
Center for Studies in Telecommunications – CETUC
Pontifical
Catholic University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
IEEE
technical societies and councils face significant and immediate challenges that
must be addressed in the next two to five years. Some of these challenges are internal
to its technical organizational structure, some are due to changes in IEEE modus operandi and yet others, probably
the most threatening ones, are caused by advances in technology and a changing
attitude in industry.
The most visible challenge is how societies can have a
viable and healthy future in light of IEEE’s new financial reality. However
there are several other threats which have compounded this issue and will
require very creative solutions, namely:
(i) the shift to electronic media and
centralized products such as IEL and Enterprise and the associated threat to
the visibility of societies and councils
and to the ownership of the intellectual products they create;
(ii)
maintaining society and council memberships when they are no longer required
for access to IP;
(iii) the growth of open access publishing and the associated threat to publication
products and income;
(iv) the attitude change in industry where pre-competitive
research is no longer a priority and as a consequence IEEE society products and
activities are perceived as less critical by industry top management;
(v) the
need for the IEEE Technical Activities Board (TAB) to organize itself better so
that it can be more effective in achieving its goals within IEEE and in influencing
IEEE Board of Director (BoD) decisions and;
(vi) the need for TAB to truly act as a single and cohesive entity
where Societies/Councils can spontaneously develop joint strategies and foster
evolutions, while making sure our members and the engineering community are
always provided the best services possible.
It
is clear to me that these difficulties equally affect S/Cs of all sizes. Therefore
there is a need for a joint and concerted effort by everyone concerned in IEEE
technical activities to find the most effective and enduring solutions that
will guarantee the collective well-being of the Societies and Councils for many
years to come.
These solutions will most likely come from ideas and
contributions of volunteers representing different S/Cs.
If elected I will lead a joint, concerted and
focused effort to identify effective and enduring solutions that will guarantee
a healthy future for IEEE Technical Activities and high quality, high value
member services.
In
addition to serving as chair of the Technical Activities Board, the VP-
Technical Activities (VP-TA) is a key player in IEEE management structure. I am
a firm believer that IEEE must remain a member-driven organization and that
volunteers are the organization’s most valuable asset. I have also been a
longstanding and vocal defender of the importance of strong and vital
Societies/Councils (to attract the world leading volunteers and the IP they produce
to IEEE’s success.
As an IEEE Board member I pledge to continue to be a firm
advocate of these concepts as well as always demand that the BoD actions are
guided by fiscal responsibility (please see editorial in IEEE Communications
Magazine – Is IEEE strangling its golden
geese? -
http://www.comsoc.org/livepubs/ci1/public/2001/sep/cipresmess.html
Finally, as VP-TA I will always make sure Societies/Councils
concerns as well as member needs are heard and properly addressed by the IEEE Board
of Directors.
I
have proven management and leadership skills as demonstrated by my achievements
as ComSoc President
http://www.comsoc.org/livepubs/ci1/public/2001/dec/cipresmess.html
including the best Society year ever in terms of total revenue, <>IEEE Division
Director and IEEE Secretary.
For the past two and half years, as a very
active IEEE Board member I have taken the initiative, or collaborated with
other Directors, in sponsoring more then twenty motions, most of them
successful.
I seek your support to add my contribution to those of
past Vice Presidents in leading the necessarily multi-level effort towards a
bigger and brighter future for IEEE
 "J.
Roberto B. de Marca" <rdemarca@comsoc.org> |
