Charting a Course for Success AIAA Annual Report 2O14–2O15
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Charting a Course for Success AIAA Annual Report 2O14–2O15 1 ¢ AIAA ANNUAL REPORT 2014–2015 Charting A Course For Success The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is more than 30,000 engineers and scientists from 88 countries dedicated to the global aerospace profession. AIAA convenes five yearly forums; publishes books, technical journals, and Aerospace America; hosts a collection of 140,000 technical papers; develops and maintains standards; honors and celebrates achievement; and advocates on policy issues. AIAA serves aerospace professionals around the world—who are shaping the future of aerospace— by providing the tools, insights, and collaborative exchanges to advance the state of the art in engineering and science for aviation, space, and defense. 2 ¢ AIAA ANNUAL REPORT 2014–2015 Table of Contents 4 A Snapshot of AIAA 6 President’s Report 9 Executive Director’s Report 11 Serving the Profession: Our Members 11 AIAA Honors and Awards 13 Public Policy 16 Strategic Relationship Management 17 Serving the Profession: The Future 17 Student Engagement 18 International 20 AIAA Foundation 22 Publishing Essential Technical Information 22 Books and Journals 24 Standards 26 Creating Value — Networks and Information Exchange 26 Events 30 Technical Activities 31 Regions and Sections 33 Financials 38 Leadership Cover Photo by David Spinks TABLE OF CONTENTS ¢ 3 A Snapshot of AIAA Who We Are 3,690 ASSOCIATE FELLOWS F Hon. Mbr ELLO W 730 FELLOWS Sr. Mbr 66 HONORARY FELLOWS 7,882 STUDENT MEMBERS Member S 335 ASSOCIATE MEMBERS MEMBERSHIP T U Assoc. Mbr R D E 6,204 E B MEMBERS STATUS N AGE M T E Student Members 11,976 M SENIOR MEMBERS 6 HONORARY MEMBERS 30,889 TOTAL MEMBERSHIP Hon. Fellow 9% 20–29 Fellow 16% 30–39 Assoc. Fellow 18% 40–49 25% 50–59 43% INDUSTRY 15% 60–69 19% GOVERNMENT 10% 70–79 PRIMARY 14% ACADEMIA 7% 80+ BUSINESS 14% RETIRED 10% NOT SPECIFIED 9% ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT 30% AEROSPACE SCIENCES GENDER 13% AIRCRAFT AND ATMOSPHERIC SYSTEMS PROFESSIONAL 5% INFORMATION SYSTEMS 91% INTEREST 11% PROPULSION AND MALE ENERGY 9% FEMALE 16% SPACE AND MISSILES 10% AEROSPACE DESIGN AND STRUCTURES 6% NOT SPECIFIED 4 ¢ AIAA ANNUAL REPORT 2014–2015 Financial Information 2012–2014 (in thousands U.S. $) Institute Total Assets Institute Revenue Institute Net Assets 2012 36,642 25,713 20,103 2013 38,151 22,116 26,789 2014 38,770 23,030 31,426 5 1 6 3 4 2 Where We Are 5 1 6 3 4 2 7 AIAA REGION REGION 7 7 46% EUROPE 24% REGION 1 (NORTHEAST) 38% ASIA AND PACIFIC 11% REGION 2 (SOUTHEAST) 8% CANADA AND MEXICO 8% REGION 3 (CENTRAL) 3% CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA 8% REGION 4 (SOUTH CENTRAL) 4% MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA 7% REGION 5 (MID WEST) 1% AFRICA 24% REGION 6 (WEST) 18% REGION 7 (OUTSIDE U.S.) A SNAPSHOT OF AIAA ¢¢ 5 President’s Report A year ago in the Annual Report my predecessor Mike Griffin described some of the tough choices that had been made to confront and address the challenges affecting the Institute. The difficult decisions that we’ve made, and changes we have implemented, have positioned us well for growth and we are optimistic about our future. One favorable indicator of our efforts is that the Institute ended the fiscal year 2014 with positive financial results (see page 34 for the consolidated financial report). While the current fiscal year is nowhere near complete, the early successes of AIAA SciTech 2015 and a few other endeavors are signs of a positive trend. As Mike predicted, AIAA has emerged “stronger and better suited for tomorrow.” And though the challenges of the last several years have been largely overcome, in the current dynamic environment there are always new and different challenges to face. In that same Annual Report, I described the Strategic Plan that is to chart the course for continued success. At this juncture I want to focus on one of the plan’s objectives that is critical to prepare AIAA to meet new challenges: to “develop and implement a responsive and collaborative Governance Structure and Volunteer–Staff Partnership.” This objective has been a primary focus for the Institute Development James F. Albaugh Committee, the Board of Directors, and me for the past 15 months. An overall governance evaluation began with the establishment of a Blue Ribbon Panel (BRP) in January 2014 that was tasked with • Examining the efficacy of the AIAA governance structure • Benchmarking it against our peers in the not-for-profit sector • Recommending appropriate improvements to the Board of Directors The difficult decisions The motivation for the BRP and its task, given that the AIAA of the future needs to be a more forward-leaning, flexible, and relevant organization, was to study our that we’ve made, current status and how to create the desired outcome. Consequently, the panel reviewed various aspects of the Institute including financial health, volunteer and changes we and staff responsibilities for governance, and management of the programs and services for which AIAA is known. Additionally, the panel assessed the current have implemented, governance structure’s ability to navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex have positioned us environment especially in light of the fact that traditional models for professional societies are under pressure to change. well for growth and The BRP’s findings highlighted that fundamental change is not only necessary we are optimistic but critical to the long-term health of AIAA. The BRP notably observed that the governance structure created an environment that impeded an integrated about our future. approach to establishing Institute goals, lacked a strong strategic focus, and operated more like a managerial structure. In addition, although the organization desired international representation, the Institute’s governance lacked true international engagement. It was also determined that the governance structure itself obstructed the Board’s ability to govern nimbly and act quickly in the pursuit of new opportunities. Against this backdrop, the need to right our course is undeniable. 6 ¢ AIAA ANNUAL REPORT 2014–2015 The BRP also studied the changing external environment in which AIAA, and indeed all professional, nonprofit societies, must operate. When AIAA’s None of these antecedents and peers were established, professional societies served as THE technical and professional information sources and networking venues for the external forces industries that they represented. Today, the Internet and its rapid free flow of facing AIAA today information, the sheer amount of material available at one’s fingertips, and the ability to connect virtually to almost anyone in the world fundamentally could have been challenges the traditional role of the professional society. None of these external forces facing AIAA today could have been foreseen at AIAA’s founding over foreseen at AIAA’s 50 years ago. To thrive and remain relevant, the BRP concluded that AIAA must keep pace with and quickly react to these changes. Concurrently, as the Institute founding over 50 evolves to stay relevant and important for members, likewise, governance years ago. structures, policies, and procedures established 50 years ago also need to evolve to meet the demands of operating in a dynamically changing environment. Our call to action is clear: we must collectively roll up our sleeves and to do what we do best—problem-solve—using the facts and circumstances presented to us. When the BRP reported its findings to the Board at the August 2014 meeting, the AIAA leadership committed to addressing the symptoms and their root causes. We sought and engaged outside expertise in guiding governance reform for professional societies. The Board established a Governance Working Group (GWG) composed of a subset of the Board and other invited stakeholders to identify the tangible steps toward change. The GWG’s first task was to establish specific Performance Requirements that would be necessary to support a more strategic and visionary organization. The Performance Requirements were derived from a projection of what the organization’s attributes should be to function effectively in the current and future environment. In January 2015, the GWG, working with the Board at a focused retreat, established a list of approximately 21 such Performance Requirements to improve upon our existing governance model. These items laid the foundation for the work that followed. Immediately, the members of the GWG met to conduct a ¢ Gap Analysis on each of those 21 requirements, which was further refined over Founding of AIAA: Allan Emil, Martin the next several weeks. The Gap Analysis identified where current performance Summerfield, Robert R. Dexter, Harold Luskin, and James Harford sign the documents did not meet the desired Performance Requirements. In early February, the merging the IAS and the ARS. completed Gap Analysis was presented to the Board for consideration, input, and further discussion in two detailed working sessions. These sessions provided feedback to the GWG, both refining and strengthening the document. The creation of the Performance Specifications and the Gap Analysis, coupled with the support of the Board, represents a recognition of, and commitment to, the need for change both in how we are governed and, ultimately, the actions we take to become that more nimble, strategic, and relevant organization our founders envisioned. While the work of the GWG is not finished, it has made remarkable strides toward those ends that we seek. The work is important and will continue. PRESIDENT’S REPORT ¢ 7 The imperative to meet the challenges outlined by the BRP requires bold leadership and reinforces the Strategic Plan goal that I mentioned previously. Our governance structure must evolve. A focus on strategy, vision, and policy at the highest level is imperative. The question of “where” the organization is going and “why” needs to be constantly asked and discussed.