IEEE ELECTIONS

Editor's note: This year there are two Institute-wide elections of interest to NPSS members. They are for the posts of 2004 IEEE President-Elect and for 2004 Technical Activities Vice President-Elect. As in the past I asked all four candidates involved if they would be willing to prepare expanded (up to about 750 word) statements in which they could provide more details about their platform than is allowed in the election brochure.

The two IEEE President-Elect candidates, Cleon Anderson and Michael Lightner were pleased with the opportunity and provided thoughtful descriptions of their goals and aspirations for IEEE.They deserve our thanks.

However, for the first time ever, the two Technical Activities Vice President-Elect candidates, Celia Desmond and John Vig, decided that, since our Society consisted of less than 1% of the IEEE membership, it wasn't worth their time and effort to provide expanded statements. This despite the fact that I pointed out there are other Societies willing and happy to publish such statements. Apparently finding out who these Societies were was also not worth their time and effort. I hope that whoever gets elected will be able to apply the time and effort necessary to properly and fairly run the Technical Activities Board and that small Societies will not be adversely affected by their actions or inaction.

W. Cleon Anderson

Thirty-four years ago, my Student Branch Counselor told the Senior Electrical Engineering Class at the University of Utah, "If you think your decision to be an engineer is important, if you want to succeed in the practice of engineering, if you really care about your profession, you will join the IEEE. Not everyone will be accepted into this prestigious organization, but with my recommendation, you can become a student member." I joined, and since that time, I have been continuously engaged in interesting projects. I used my IEEE affiliation to keep me in touch with the larger engineering community. Access to technical information from IEEE made me valuable to both my employer and colleagues. The network of friends I found in IEEE helped me find engineers to hire, and provided me with an assurance of future work even during difficult economic times. I am a longtime IEEE volunteer, because I believe in the value of IEEE and its mission.

I am seeking the IEEE Presidency to:

Ensure that the volunteer members drive the entire IEEE organization. Our strength is the dedication and experience of our members. In managing the affairs of the Institute, I will listen to, and include, those members who volunteer in our planning and decision-making. There is a natural synergism between the organizational units of IEEE, which volunteers can exploit and use to benefit IEEE members.

Make business decisions that will maximize the IEEE membership-advantage in the workplace. Members have the right to expect a membership-advantage and other benefits for their dues. Service to the members of IEEE must take precedence over non-members when it comes to using the IEEE organization to improve the engineering workplace. I want to ensure that IEEE is member friendly, only then will membership recruitment and retention activities be enhanced.

Push decision-making responsibility and authority down the global organization to make IEEE flexible and adaptable to the diverse needs of our worldwide membership. The global nature of the Institute should not be monolithic. IEEE should seek alliances with national engineering organizations using Regional Activities and the IEEE Transnational Committee. Regional organizations (sections and chapters) must be given wide latitude in developing and executing plans for the benefit of our culturally diverse membership.

Challenge the liaisons between IEEE and industry, universities, and governments, to enhance our profession in general and advance the well-being of IEEE members in particular.

Ensure that our conferences, publications, and standards add value for members working in our industrial/business/academic communities worldwide. Technical Activities form the basis of fulfilling the scientific and educational mission of IEEE. Publications and Standards provide the greatest leverage and opportunity for IEEE to prosper in the industrial/business community.

Put value into every business decision, so that IEEE Standards and society publications and conferences strengthen the image of engineers, promote excellent employment, and increase membership-advantage. While acknowledging IEEE as a many-faceted global association, the strategic benefits of IEEE membership must be the central focus of each IEEE organizational unit.

In IEEE we are not without problems to solve, but I think it is the role of engineers to solve problems. I recognize the high levels of educational achievement our members have attained. I respect our volunteers as the wise and educated people they are. Together we must take the challenge to build on these strengths, enhance IEEE volunteerism, foster industrial relations, and promote the importance of IEEE products and services. These are the three main needs of the Institute and its members today.

I have demonstrated management skills in industry. I understand financial management as required by corporations. Working as an engineer in industry, and as an engineering manager, has given me the experience and fiscal discipline for developing plans, setting priorities, and completing projects. I understand how to evaluate programs for both the short-term benefits and long-term implications on income and growth. I have considerable experience in working with volunteers in not-for-profit organizations. I can delegate.

I will use my managerial skills and financial experience, developed during a demanding engineering management career, and the understanding gained through years of extensive interaction with IEEE members in developing plans, setting priorities, and controlling projects, as well as resolving financial problems within the Institute.

Today, more than ever, IEEE needs a president with managerial skills. Together, let’s focus IEEE’s great engine of volunteers in a business-like manner. Your vote for President Elect will give me the opportunity to help us reach these goals. Please visit http://www.cleonanderson.com.

Cleon Anderson can be reached at L-3 Communications Systems-West, 640 N. 2200W, P.O. Box 16850, Salt Lake City, UT 84116-0850; Phone: +1 801 594-7323;E-mail: w.c.anderson@ieee.org

Michael Lightner

IEEE, the largest and most diverse professional organization in the world, is the integrating thread of my 33-year career: a source of colleagues, technical information, opportunities to present results, to help participate in defining different research fields and ultimately providing the possibility of participating in leading different activities within the IEEE.

The strength of IEEE lies in its diversity, incredible volunteers and staff, global membership, and the international reach of its products and services.

Our challenge is to maintain these strengths in the midst of our current economic climate and the increasingly complex needs of our members and the profession. A balanced and dynamic response is the key to our organizational vitality and our economic viability. This balance consists of:

A decentralized organization of creative, entrepreneurial volunteers partnered with a professional staff;

An efficient, coherent, flexible, affordable, and consistent infrastructure;

Continual development, marketing and delivery of products and services with affordable member rates;

Extending our connections to industry, including new products and services, continuing education, leadership and management opportunities for volunteers, and an expanded standards activity;

Quickly and visibly responding to our rapidly changing technical environment.

The IEEE is a large, complex organization operating in a complex business environment. A decentralized organization allows us to respond to rapid technical and market changes. Many of our operations have been become complex and intertwined with the related global businesses. Over the past seven or more years the level of professionalism and expertise of our staff has risen to match the complexity of our business environment. Our volunteers understand the detailed technology trends and the possibilities for effective and innovative support of members and the profession. Creative partnership between volunteers and staff is key to our future development.

We should have the most efficient and cost-effective infrastructure possible. I will continue working with the Board of Directors and other organizational units to understand and vigorously pursue opportunities for cost reductions based on the analysis of service levels and requirements. Detailed analysis has shown that, over the past five years, the annual corporate infrastructure has accounted for 19 to 20 percent of expenditures. We must work to control these costs. Recent changes, both in our allocations and in the general economy, have created severe hardships within the IEEE. I am not convinced that we currently have effective cost accounting and allocations, and I will work specifically to understand, reduce and clearly communicate the allocations.

It is critical that where we have common infrastructure, such as Xplore, we institute mechanisms to support innovation by societies. As VP of Publications I am leading an initiative for an Xplore product development lab that will allow societies to use our exceptional infrastructure to develop innovative, experimental products and services.

Partnering with industry is critically important. IEEE does provide service to members and companies. Many companies purchase our intellectual property and find it essential to their mission. IEEE standards are absolutely critical to industry and industry is our key partner in this global activity.

Increasing services to industry is important but increasing visibility is vital. A simple first step would be to work with all those who purchase our products and services to put the IEEE logo somewhere within their website. The logo would link to a page customized for the company. This simple step would increase the awareness and potential interaction between companies and the IEEE. Next, I would continue the President Adler’s executive forums. I would coordinate these through societies, councils, sections and chapters. Finally I would work to increase our certification efforts, pioneered by the Computer Society, as a specific activity that integrates the needs of both engineers and employers.

IEEE is entering a time of organizational and operational change. These changes should be driven by a broad vision. We need to be strategic, far-sighted and inclusive. I offer the following expanded vision - – the IEEE should be the integrating thread of our Profession.

My professional background, leadership skills and extensive IEEE experience enable me to work with volunteers and staff, companies, organizations and members, to provide open and timely communication, consensus building, imaginative problem solving, efficient use of resources, and a sense of both responding to and driving the future. We are an incredible group of people in an incredible profession. Together we have the opportunity to increase the impact of IEEE by making it the integrating thread of our profession!

I respectfully request your vote and would be honored to work with you for the future of IEEE.

Mike Lightner can be reached at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering East, 3100 Marine St., Rm A436: Phone +1 303 492-5180; E-mail: m.lightner@ieee.org or visit http://ece.colorado.edu/~lightner/IEEE/

W. Cleon Anderson
Candidate for 2004
IEEE President-Elect

Michael Lightner
Candidate for 2004
IEEE President-Elect

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