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UNIVERSITY
CORPORATION FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
MINUTES
Board
of Trustees Meeting
13
February 2002
Boulder,
Colorado
The
duly convened meeting of the UCAR Board of Trustees was
held in the Walter Orr Roberts Board Room, Fleischmann Building,
Boulder, Colorado. Present for all or portions of the meeting
were:
Otis
Brown, University of Miami, Chairman
Richard
Anthes, President, University Corporation for Atmospheric
Research
Leo
Donner, Princeton University
Kelvin
Droegemeier, University of Oklahoma
Neal
Lane, Rice University
Ronald
McPherson, American Meteorological Society
Mary
Jo Richardson, Texas A&M University
David
Skaggs, Council for Excellence in Government
Ronald
Smith, Yale University
Soroosh
Sorooshian, University of Arizona
Orlando
Taylor, Howard University
Gabor
Vali, University of Wyoming
Former
Trustee:
David
Houghton, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Counsel
and Corporate Officers:
Lise
Carney, UCAR Counsel, Holland & Hart
Steve
Dickson, Associate Director of Operations, NCAR
Jack
Fellows, Assistant Secretary, VP for Corporate Affairs
& Director of UOP
Susan
Friberg, Assistant Secretary, Corporate Affairs, UCAR
Tim
Killeen, Director, NCAR
Jeff
Reaves, Assoc. VP, Business Services, Finance & Administration.,
UCAR
Kathryn
Schmoll, Assistant Treasurer, Vice President, Finance
& Administration, UCAR
Dan
Wilson, Assistant Treasurer, Director of Treasury Operations,
UCAR
National
Science Foundation:
Cliff
Jacobs, Head, UCAR & Lower Atmospheric Facilities
Oversight Section, ATM
Bernard
Grant, Financial Operations Specialist, UCAR & Lower
Atmospheric Facilities Oversight Section, ATM
Shaun
Young, UCAR & Lower Atmospheric Facilities Oversight
Section, ATM
UCAR,
NCAR, UOP:
Meg
Austin, Program Manager, Visiting Scientist Programs,
UOP
Peter
Backlund, Director of Research Relations, NCAR
Rena
Brasher-Alleva, Director, Budget & Planning Office,
NCAR
Laura
Curtis, Program Specialist, Office of Development &
Government Affairs, UCAR
Ben
Domenico, Acting Director, Unidata, UOP
Janet
Evans, Budget & Planning Office, NCAR
Michelle
Flores, Office of Corporate Affairs, UCAR
Brant
Foote, Director, Research Applications Program, NCAR
Roberta
Johnson, Director, Education & Outreach, UCAR
Al
Kellie, Director, Scientific Computing Division, NCAR
Dale
Kellogg, Executive Assistant to the Director, NCAR
Michael
Knoelker, Director, High Altitude Observatory, NCAR
Mary
Marlino, Director, Digital Library for Earth System Education,
UOP
Melissa
Miller, Director, Budget & Finance, Finance &
Administration, UCAR
Meg
McClennan, Director, Legal Services, UCAR
Susan
Montgomery-Hodge, Executive Assistant to the President,
UCAR
Bob
Roesch, Director, Human Resources & Employee Relations,
UCAR
Karyn
Sawyer, Director, Joint Office for Science and Support,
UOP
Cindy
Schmidt, Director, Office of Development & Government
Affairs, UCAR
Kathy
Strand, Manager of Budget & Administration, UOP
Betty
Valent, Executive Assistant, Finance & Administration,
UCAR
Susan
Warner, Executive Assistant, Corporate Affairs, UCAR
The
Board convened in Executive Session in the Walter Orr Roberts
Board Room of the Fleischmann Building from 8:15 to 9:35am.
(The minutes are kept in the corporate offices.)
1. WELCOME
AND AGENDA REVIEW
The
Board convened in Regular Session. Chairman of the
Board Otis Brown called the meeting to order at 9:40 am
and welcomed the Trustees, NSF officials and guests. Brown
reviewed the agenda and asked for adoption. It was moved,
seconded, and passed to adopt the agenda as presented.
2. CHAIRMAN'S
REPORT
Chairman
Brown offered the following resolutions of appreciation
to honor the outgoing Trustees for their years of service
to UCAR. The resolutions were moved, seconded, and passed
by acclamation.
David
Houghton
David
Houghton has served on the UCAR Trustee for the past three
years during which time he was a valued member of the
Audit and Finance Committee. He spearheaded the UCAR community
survey and the survey of the UCAR Members regarding graduate
student enrollment in the atmospheric science and related
science departments.
Through
his long association with UCAR and his deep dedication
to the discipline he has contributed greatly to the success
of the education and research communities.
Upon
the completion of his term on the Board, the UCAR Trustees
are pleased to make public record of their gratitude to
David and their wishes for a productive and satisfying
retirement!
Thank
you, David!
Julia
Paegle
Julia
Paegle has been a member of the UCAR Board of Trustees
for six years. During that time, she served with thoughtful
distinction as a member of the Personnel Committee and
Board Nominating Committee. Her Board deliberations were
characterized by her great dedication to the atmospheric
sciences, and her association with UCAR was punctuated
by kind and thoughtful interactions with UCAR management
and staff.
Upon
the completion of her tenure, Julia has our deep appreciation
for time spent with us and we hope to see her often in
the coming years.
Thank
you, Julia!
Dennis
Thomson
The
UCAR Board of Trustees herewith express their gratitude
to Dennis Thomson for his three years of service on the
Board. During his term, he has served actively on the
Personnel Committee and served most attentively as the
Trustee Liaison to Unidata. His term on the Board was
characterized by his deep curiosity, and care for the
education of students in this discipline.
The
Board wishes to thank him especially for his valuable
contribution to the graduate student survey project.
Upon
the completion of his term on the Board, the UCAR Trustees
are pleased to wish Dennis every success in the future.
Thank
you, Denny!
UCAR
President Richard Anthes shared with the Trustees and
UCAR management the following thoughts he received from
outgoing Trustee Dennis Thomson:
"For
more than 36 years, since my first summer student appointment
in ATD, NCAR and UCAR have been an essential and rewarding
part of my life. Each and every scientific, committee
and administrative activity has been challenging, stimulating
and rewarding. That was, I believe, because each activity
gave me an opportunity to work with and learn from so
many really outstanding people. During the last three
years I have particularly
enjoyed
being able to work with you, Jack, Bob, Tim, Cliff, and
all the members of the Board and your staff. To you all
my heartfelt and sincere thanks-and best wishes for smooth
sailing in what may be a period of chaotic seas."
Chairman
Brown then read the following resolution on the appointment
of Mary Jo Richardson as interim Treasurer. He explained
that this appointment was necessitated by
Patti
Woodworth's resignation from the Board. It was moved,
seconded, and approved to appoint Mary Jo Richardson as
interim Treasurer.
Resolution
to elect an interim Treasurer, 13 February 2002.
RESOLVED,
that Mary Jo Richardson is elected to the office of treasurer
of the corporation to serve until adjournment of the regular
meeting of the Board of Trustees of the corporation to
be held on June 12-13, 2002 and until her successor shall
have been elected and qualified.
3. SECRETARY'S
REPORT
Secretary
Ronald Smith presented the minutes from the October 2001
Board of Trustees meeting and asked for approval. After
one correction was noted, it was moved, seconded, and
passed to approve the minutes.
4. TREASURER'S
REPORT
Katy
Schmoll, Vice President for Finance and Administration,
reviewed the Consolidated Financial Statement for FY2001
ending on 30 September, and the financial statements for
the first three months of FY2002. She said that investments
are, in general, doing well considering the volatility of
the market. She also noted that the apparent large increase
in total available funding is due mainly to NSF money for
HIAPER and Mesa refurbishment. It was regularly moved,
seconded, and passed to accept the report of the Treasurer.
The
following resolution to update corporate officer authorizations
for financial transactions, was regularly moved, seconded
and approved by the Board.
Resolution
Reconfirming the Banking, Investment and All Other Financial
Transactions Authorization of UCAR's Officers
WHEREAS,
the Board of Trustees of the University Corporation for
Atmospheric Research ("Corporation") desires
to reconfirm its authorization of corporate officers to
engage
in banking, investment and all other financial transactions.
NOW,
THEREFORE, IT IS RESOLVED that the Corporation's President,
Vice President for Finance and Administration, Director
of Treasury Operations, and Director of Budget and Finance
be, and they are hereby authorized to open regular or
special purpose bank accounts, investment accounts, or
engage investment managers, and to conduct all financial
transactions of the Corporation, with financial institutions,
such as, but not limited to, commercial banks, investment
banks, investment firms, and brokerage firms as they may
designate from time to time, and/or continue or close
such existing bank and/or investment accounts as necessary
to meet the financial needs of the Corporation.
FURTHER
RESOLVED that the opening or closing of any and all
such accounts shall be reported to the Audit and Finance
Committee of the Board of Trustees of the Corporation
at regularly scheduled meetings;
FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Corporation's President, Vice President
for Finance and Administration, and Director of Treasury
Operations be, and they are hereby, authorized to purchase,
sell, assign, and endorse for transfer, certificates representing
stocks, bonds, or any and all securities (whether registered,
certificated or not) in the name of the Corporation or
held in trust for the Corporation or registered in the
name of the Corporation's nominee;
FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Corporation's President, Vice President
for Finance and Administration, Director of Treasury Operations,
Director of Budget and Finance, General Accounting Manager,
and other staff of the Corporation at sites outside of
Colorado, as authorized by the Corporation's President
or Vice President for Finance and Administration, all
or any one or more of them be and are hereby authorized
to execute, collect, discount, negotiate, endorse and
assign, in the name of the Corporation, all checks, drafts,
notes, and all other papers, which are payable to the
Corporation, or in which the Corporation has an interest;
also in the name of the Corporation, to endorse all checks,
drafts, notes or other paper, for deposit in a duly authorized
financial institution, to the credit of the Corporation,
all checks against the funds of the Corporation on deposit
in any such financial institution, and upon such checks
to withdraw from any such financial institution such funds,
and to do all such other acts and things as may be incidental
to the authority and powers herein before given; provided
that any check, draft or wire transfer in excess of Ten
Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) shall be signed or authorized
by at least two of them; and
FURTHER
RESOLVED that such financial institutions are authorized
and directed to honor and pay any checks, drafts, notes
or orders so drawn, whether such checks, drafts, notes
or orders be payable to the order of any such person signing
and/or countersigning said checks, drafts, notes or orders,
or any of such persons in their individual capacities
or not, and whether such checks, drafts, notes or orders
are deposited to the individual credit of any person so
signing and/or countersigning said checks, drafts, notes
or orders, or to the individual credit of any of the other
officers or not. This resolution shall continue in force
and all of said financial institutions may consider the
facts concerning the holders of said offices, respectively,
and their signatures to be and continue as set forth in
the certificate of the Secretary or Assistant Secretary,
accompanying a copy of this resolution when delivered
to any such financial institution or in any similar subsequent
certificate, until written notice to the contrary is duly
served on said financial institution.
5. AUDIT
AND FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT
Schmoll
then reported on the Board Audit and Finance Committee meeting
held the previous day. She highlighted recent business activities
of the corporation for the Trustees, including the following
items:
-
the
NSF Best Practices review group meeting with F&A
earlier in the month. Schmoll reported that this review
group found UCAR to be the "standard bearer" for financial
and accounting practices.
-
the
NSF Total Business Systems review will be held next
week.
-
Deloitte
and Touche, UCAR external auditors, visited recently
and raised 3 issues which since have been resolved.
-
Deloitte
and Touche have separated consulting and auditing services
in response to recent events involving the Arthur Andersen
accounting firm.
Schmoll
then reminded and assured the Board that they have access
to our representative from Deloitte and Touche at any time,
and that the Audit and Finance Committee is always given
the opportunity to meet with them.
6. PERSONNEL
COMMITTEE REPORT
Chairman
of the Personnel Committee, Leo Donner, reported on the
Personnel Committee meeting held the previous day.
Donner
reviewed the compensation package presented by Robert Roesch,
Director of Human Resources. The recommendation is a 3%
increase in the salary ranges, and a 4% total salary budget.
Donner noted that this is a bit higher than the universities,
but a bit lower than other national laboratories.
A
motion was made and seconded to approve the compensation
package as presented.
After
some discussion on the two components of the salary structure,
and on UCAR's current situation regarding higher compensation
offers for more technical and scientific new hires because
of the competition, the Trustees voted to approve the
UCAR 2002/3compensation package as presented.
Donner
also reported that the recently proposed Paid Time Off (PTO)
policy was discussed at length. The committee expressed
concern that there was lack of consultation with staff in
the initial development of the plan, with specific issues
raised regarding merging sick time with vacation. Donner
said he appreciated that this new plan was developed to
contain costs, and reported that the PTO draft plan will
be revised with staff input over the next 2 months.
Donner
then reported that the Personnel Committee recommended that
the Board approve the following two nominees for NCAR Affiliate
Scientist positions: Christopher Bretherton, University
of Washington, and Steven Jayne from Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution. It was moved, seconded, and passed to approve
the Affiliate Scientists appointments for the nominees named
above.
7. BOARD
NOMINATING COMMITTEE REPORT
Gabor
Vali, in the absence of Chairwoman Julia Paegle, presented
the report of the committee. After he reported that Mary
Jo Richardson will be the interim Treasurer and Audit &
Finance Chairwoman until the beginning of the June Board
meeting and that the Unidata liaison position has been discontinued,
Vali asked approval of the following slate of officers and
committees:
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OFFICERS
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Chairman
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Otis
B. Brown
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Vice
Chairman
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Leo
J. Donner
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Secretary
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Ronald
B. Smith
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Interim
Treasurer
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Mary
Jo Richardson
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Assistant
Secretaries
|
Jack
D. Fellows, Susan J. Friberg
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Assistant
Treasurers
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Kathryn
Schmoll, Dan J. Wilson
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EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE
|
|
Chairman
|
Otis
B. Brown
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|
Members
|
Leo
J. Donner
|
|
|
Mary
Jo Richardson (interim)
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Ronald
B. Smith
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Members
at large
|
Richard
A. Anthes
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Charles
F. Kennel
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Ronald
D. McPherson
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AUDIT
AND FINANCE COMMITTEE
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Interim
Chairwoman
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Mary
Jo Richardson
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Members
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Kelvin
K. Droegemeier
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Ronald
D. McPherson
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David
E. Skaggs
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PERSONNEL
COMMITTEE
|
|
Chairman
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Leo
J. Donner
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Members
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Eugenia
Kalnay
|
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Neal
F. Lane
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Paola
Malanotte-Rizzoli
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Soroosh
Sorooshian
|
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Orlando
L. Taylor
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NOMINATING
COMMITTEE
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Chairman
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Otis
B. Brown
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Members
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Eugenia
Kalnay
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Gabor
Vali
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TRUSTEE
LIAISON
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URC
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Ronald
B. Smith
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It
was moved, seconded, and passed to approve the slate of
nominations.
Discussion
followed on the issue of diversity on the Board of Trustees.
Brown reported that the Members addressed this issue at
their Annual meeting, but did not act on any presented options.
The Trustees agreed that action may be needed to increase
the breadth of experience on the Board and it was proposed
that the diversity issue be further discussed at the June
Board meeting.
8. NSF
REPORT
Cliff
Jacobs, Head of UCAR and Lower Atmospheric Facilities Oversight
Section-ATM/NSF, reported on the status of the NSF budget
and the NSF Review of NCAR. He reported that NSF's FY 2003
Budget Request is a 5% increase over FY2002 and pointed
out that Mathematical Sciences "is the big winner in the
priority areas" and that the MRE account is slated for a
9% decrease. He reported that GEO's budget will increase
by 13.4% but further noted that the number of mandates were
greater than the funding and that, as a result NCAR's budget
may actually decrease by 3.9%.
Jacobs
then reported on the next steps in the cooperative agreement
renewal process. He said that in March, ATM will make a
recommendation to Margaret Leinen (Assistant Director of
the Geosciences Directorate) on whether UCAR will have to
compete the cooperative agreement for the management of
NCAR. If the cooperative agreement will be renewed without
competition, UCAR's proposal will be due at NSF in September
2002 and if competitive, the current cooperative agreement
would probably be extended for one year.
The
Board convened in Executive Session in the Walter Orr Roberts
Board Room of the Fleischmann Building from 12:00 noon -1:30
pm. (The minutes are kept in the corporate offices.)
9. UCAR
PRESIDENT'S REPORT
UCAR
President Richard Anthes reviewed the activities of the
corporation since the last Board meeting. He outlined the
advocacy activities on behalf of the community over the
past 4 months; reported on the NSF reviews of NCAR and of
UCAR management which took place at the end of 2001; reported
on the Student Session at AMS in January; and noted opportunities
for UCAR and the community, including the HIAPER aircraft
acquisition and the opportunity to purchase the Center Green
building.
Trustee
Neal Lane noted that the HIAPER project is unique in NCAR's
history, and said that with recent overruns and procurement
scandals in some other government facilities, that it's
important that NCAR manage the project very carefully and
thoroughly.
Trustee
Sorooshian commented on the need for hydrologists on the
NSF review panels in the future.
10. GRADUATE
STUDENT SURVEY
In
his update on the second graduate student survey, Gabor
Vali noted that the picture has not changed appreciably-applications
were down 8.7% in the first survey and down 8.8% in the
second. He suggested that GRE data be excluded from the
survey and that the survey be conducted every other year
rather than every year. It was agreed that the next survey
will be conducted in early
2003.
11. NCAR
DIRECTOR'S REPORT
NCAR
Director Tim Killeen updated the Trustees on NCAR research
activities. He began by calling attention to the past decade's
citation statistics for NCAR, noting that NCAR ranks 4th
in number of citations between 1991-2001.
Killeen
then reported on the following items:
-
findings
from the NSF Review of NCAR divisions and programs
-
the
status of the NCAR Strategic Plan
-
introduction
of Peter Backlund, the new Director of Research Relations
who is taking the lead on the Strategic Plan implementation,
and working with the leaders of the scientific initiatives--the
core of the plan's implementation.
-
HIAPER
update, including announcing that the Gulfsteam V has
been selected as the platform. He introduced Krista
Laursen as the new HIAPER Project Director. She was
an Associate Scientist IV and Project Manager at NCAR's
Research Aviation Facility before taking her new position.
-
A
timeline showing 20 years of important aviation weather
research and development at NCAR.
-
The
current constellation of computers working for the community
in the Scientific Computing Division
-
New
initiatives planned to enhance the University-NCAR Alliance
-
An
ambitious 2002 agenda for the NCAR Director's Office,
including increased funding for the implementation of
the new initiatives, university relations, and expanded
outreach to the private sector.
12. UOP
DIRECTOR'S REPORT
UOP
Director and Vice President for Corporate Affairs, Jack
Fellows reported on the UOP activities, including the following:
-
Unidata's
search for a new director. After 17 years as director,
Dave Fulker has left Unidata to become Director of NSDL,
the National Science Digital Library program in UOP,
a new NSF/EHR program whose core integration program
is housed at UCAR.
-
New
courses and program initiatives in COMET, including
the launch of the new multimedia database in cooperation
with NSF and NWS
-
SuomiNet's
37 operational sites, with new sites being established
every week
-
DLESE's
recent submission of a $16.5M proposal for five years
of funding to NSF
13. UCAR
FY2003 ADVOCACY PRIORITIES
Cindy
Schmidt, Director of the Office of Government Affairs, presented
the UCAR advocacy priorities for the next year. She reported
on the importance of placing appropriate parts of the community's
scientific research into a national security context. This
would include providing information to Congress on work
related to economic impacts and protection of life, environment
and property, and emphasizing that NSF and other agency
support of basic research has made applied defense work
possible.
Schmidt
also presented outlines of planned advocacy activities on
behalf of Climate and Energy; Weather; Education; and Cyber
Infrastructure research and development. Advocacy activities
in most of these areas will emphasize NSF's key role.
She
outlined UCAR's continuing advocacy on behalf of the US
Weather Research Program (USWRP)-including support of a
$20M plan from NOAA money to fund "the full spectrum of
the program"-from research to operations-a substantial part
of which would be used to fund university-based research.
14. WARREN
WASHINGTON'S PRESENTATION
Warren
Washington, Senior Scientist in the Climate and Global Dynamics
Division/NCAR, gave a presentation to the Trustees and guests:
"What Should We Believe about Climate Change?"
The
Board and Counsel convened in Executive Session in the Walter
Orr Roberts Board Room of the Fleischmann Building from 4:25-5:45pm.
(The minutes are kept in the corporate offices.)
15. ADJOURN
The
Board adjourned after the Executive Session at 5:45pm.
End
of Minutes
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Minutes
approved by:
Ronald B. Smith
Secretary of the Corporation
Minutes
prepared by:
Susan J. Friberg
Assistant Secretary of the Corporation
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