The American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers
The American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers
The American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, Inc. Report of the
2001 President Grant P. Schneider
The year 2001 marked AIME's
130th anniversary; it was also a year marked by significant
accomplishments. Most significant was the implementation of the new Long
Range Plan, which was approved in 1999. We also took positive steps, using
the new governance structures provided in the Long Range Plan, to search for
and engage new investment advisors in the form of a Chief Investment
Officer. With the new AIME Executive Director in place at the start of
2000, the Institute was able to fill the two open positions with permanent
employees and I know I echo the sentiment of the entire Board of Trustees
when I tell you that we are pleased, not only with the people themselves,
but with their immediate contributions to AIME.
I am pleased to report to
the AIME Community on the significant progress made in these areas and on
other pertinent developments.
2001 Annual Meeting
AIME celebrated its 130th
year with the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) at their
Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, on February 26, 2001. The AIME banquet
and awards ceremony was an impressive event.
An account of the 130th
annual meeting, keynote session, and the awards ceremony may be found on
page 8 [of the AIME Annual Report], followed by the names of the various
award winners. I wish to thank both the SME and AIME staffs for organizing
this event and to express my appreciation to SME leadership for creating
such an inviting host environment.
The 2002 Annual Meeting
will be at Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee. On Sunday, March 10, 2002
following the banquet and awards ceremony, I will hand over the gavel to
George H. Sawyer of SPE.
Government Affairs Through
AAES
AIME government affairs
activities continued during 2001 through the American Association of
Engineering Societies (AAES) located in Washington, DC. These efforts
involved several volunteers, each representing a member society, and AIME
and TMS staff serving on various AAES councils, commissions and task
forces. The AAES Board of Governors continues its focus and limited AAES
resources on the engineers' public policy activity and a program of public
awareness of engineers and engineering that fits with AIME's initiative to
Enhance the Image of Engineers. AIME, the Member Societies and AIME through
its United Engineering Foundations activities have actively supported these
efforts.
The AIME President,
President-Elect and Executive Director had the opportunity to spend a day in
Washington, DC each visiting his senator and representatives to talk about
three items of interest to the engineering community as a whole.
During 2001 the AAES
Executive Committee, of which the AIME Executive Director is a member,
worked diligently on a reorganization plan for AAES to bring its activities
into sharper focus and at the same time reduce the dues to the AAES Member
Societies. AIME's dues for 2002 are two-thirds of the dues of the last
several years.
Overarching and Member-Direct
Programs
Overarching and Member
Direct programs were added to the AIME lexicon in 1994. Overarching
programs are defined as those that carry out the purposes of the Institute
and may include participation by one or more of the member societies;
member-direct programs are those carried out by the Member Societies.
Approval of specific programs is limited to those that clearly carry out the
purpose of AIME, as described in its bylaws (Article I, Section 2). The
selection of specific projects and the balancing of programs is the
responsibility of the Board of Trustees.
Since the inception of
these programs, AIME has committed in excess of five million dollars to the
Member Societies for these programs. Unfortunately the investment climate
in 2000 and 2001 resulted in a hiatus. This program will be reexamined
every year with AIME's fiscal well being in mind.
In addition to the
Overarching and Member Direct funding, AIME distributed over eight million
dollars to the Member Societies from the proceeds from the sale of the
United Engineering Center.
Finance
You are invited to review
the audited financial statement for the AIME Corporation for fiscal year
2001 (ending November 30, 2001) starting on page 15 of this report [the AIME
Annual Report]. This is the third year the audit firm selected in 1999
audited the AIME Corporation and the combined savings plan for AIME and the
member societies. We think you will find this financial report even easier
to read this year than it was last year.
AIME assets decreased $1.3
million from the end of fiscal year 2000 to $10.5 million at the end of
fiscal year 2001.
During 2001 AIME continued
to look at the most cost effective and efficient ways to handle its
financial functions and to achieve cost reductions in all areas of the
operation.
The Strategic Direction
Committee, as defined in the 1999 Long Range Plan was charged with looking
at various long term options in the way in which AIME might conduct its
business Inter-Society Affairs.
United Engineering Foundation
(UEF)
>I am pleased to report that
AIME continues its effective involvement in the governing of the UEF. As
the terms of present trustees expire, effective with the 2000 UEF Board,
AIME and the other Founder Societies were represented by their executive
directors; by 2002 both their presidents and executive directors will
represent them. John Hammes, former AIME Vice President-Finance was the
2000 UEF President and was reelected for 2001.
Founder Societies
I am pleased to report our
continued effective interactions with the Founder Society officers and
executive directors in matters of common interest. This interaction has
provided the president-elect, the executive director and me with an
important opportunity to become cognizant of the broad spectrum of issues
affecting the engineering profession. One of the ways we worked together in
2001 was to approve a United Engineering Foundation grant to AAES for Voices
of Innovation, daily two-minute radio spots directed toward enhancing the
public's awareness of engineers. We also had the opportunity to approve a
UEF grant to the Iron & Steel Society.
ABET
The Institute also retained
its relationship with the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
(ABET), as an affiliate body, and is represented by its Executive Director
who serves as an official observer at ABET board meetings. ABET is revising
its own governance and it is anticipated the affiliate bodies, which already
"sit at the table," will soon have an official vote. The AIME Executive
Director, as a sitting board member was involved in the ongoing ABET
Strategic Planning Initiative being conducted by an outside firm.
In Appreciation
It has been an honor for me
to serve as your AIME president, to have had the opportunity to associate
with and be assisted by the many fine people who comprise the AIME family,
and to have the privilege of representing AIME on many auspicious
occasions. I reflect with great gratitude and affection on my visits to the
local sections and on the opportunity to strengthen AIME's ties with its
Member Societies and with the other Founder Societies.
I appreciate the
cooperation of the Board of Trustees of AIME. I also extend my sincere
appreciation to the Member Societies' boards of directors and executive
directors, the staffs of AIME and the member societies, committee members,
others and especially the AIME Past Presidents for their dedicated support
during the past year. During the past year I had two opportunities to visit
the new AIME headquarters in New York City and I encourage all of you to
stop by and "look us over." I also congratulate and pledge my full support
to 2002 President George H. Sawyer and the new Board of Trustees, all of
whom are depicted in the AIME Annual Report.
The American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, Inc. Report of the
2001 President Grant P. Schneider