NATIONAL COUNCILORS MEETING (Highlights):

Spring ACS Meeting - New Orleans, LA April 6 - 10, 2008

1. President - Elect candidates for 2008: Joseph S. Francisco and Josef Michl.
2. Attendees: 13,302 including 319 exhibitors.
3. Section name change; University of Kansas is now Wakarusa Valley.
4. Section Councilors - 30 new councilors.
5. One step closer to electronic voting for national candidates.
6. ACS Member Network or so-called "ACS Facebook" was inaugurated at Spring meeting. Official rollout is set for August.
7. Budget surplus of $9.6 million last year. This number was $2.2 million favorable to the approved budget.
8. 2008 dues set at $140 - passed. This is in keeping with the fully escalated CPI index.
9. Approved revised Academic Professional Guidelines.
10. 2006 membership (as of 12/31/07) was 160,052. Also, 2007 recorded the second highest number of new applications - 16,533.
11. Multi-year dues payment option to be offered in 2009.
12. Hospitality Award - Salt Lake winner. Second place to South Texas. Third place tie to Green Mountain and Western Carolinas. Illinois-Iowa had been nominated for this award.
13. Special Recognition "Salutes to Excellence" award to Louisiana local section for their efforts on helping to coordinate this meeting and for their recovery from the flood.