Minutes from first GLRM planning session

Date: Sept. 10, 2001

Time: 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m.

Attendance: Steve Cermak (general chair), Vicki Finkenstadt, Jim Kenar, and Michelle Edgcomb (recording secretary)

General Agenda as prepared by Steve Cermak:

1. Call to order

2. Appoint secretary

3. General Chair's appointment of Site Selection Committee

a. possible meeting venues

b. request for proposal (RFPs)

4. Selection of Organizing Committee

5. Discuss possible committee chairs

6. Answer/discuss questions

7. Select date of next meeting

8. Adjourn

1. and 2. Steve Cermak called the meeting to order as unofficial general chair and asked Michelle to keep minutes of the meeting. The group decided that Steve's position needed to be finalized at the next ACS meeting.

3. Steve appointed Vicki, Jim, and Michelle as members of the site selection committee. In order to pick a meeting place, competitive offers from areas hotels were needed. To this end Steve is receiving a RFP (request for proposal) from national. All our requirements will be summarized on the RFP which can then be sent to the Peoria Visitors Bureau in order to find hotels that meet the criteria. In order to complete the form, dates for the 2004 meeting were needed. The group tentatively decided on June 6-9, 2004 as first choice. Alternative choices (in order of preference) included May 23-26 and June 13-16. All dates are from Sunday-Wednesday, with plans to begin the meeting at noon with potential events including a poster session, awards ceremony, and mixer.

4. and 5. The skeleton of the organizing committee was selected by the site selection committee. In addition to Steve being general chair, Jim will serve as program chair, Vicki as web/publicity chair, and Michelle will be treasurer/secretary. Other committee chairs were discussed, possible chairs mentioned included: Kurt Field, chem ed or organic session chair; Greg Cote, carbohydrate session chair; Gary Knothe and Terry Isbell, session chairs; Rick Haig, special events; Brad Andersh or Dean Campbell, undergraduate research; and Marge Jones, Becky Roesner, and Mike Kurz, various. Most of the potential chairs have not been contacted and their appointment is contingent on their acceptance. All assignments are tentative.

6. A variety of questions were raised regarding site selection and fundraising. Steve was told to expect approximately 400 papers with approximately two attendees per paper. After site selection, fundraising/exhibition organization became top priority. Kate O'Hara was suggested as someone to contact about local fundraising efforts.

Possible donors: A list of possible donors was started including: Caterpillar, Cefcu, Abbott, John Deere, ADM, Cargill, PMP, Dow, Dupont, Pharmacia, Aldrich, Midland, the local hospitals, Great Lakes Chemical (Lafayette, IN), Baxter, and Alltech.

Universities to contact: Purdue, University of Illinois, University of Iowa, etc.

Special Events: Spirit of Peoria river cruise, Fun Run, mixer, beer/wine tasting, baseball game in new stadium

Awards: Regional High School Teacher of Year with Keynote Speaker

Short Courses: 10 or more people are needed, cost is half what would be at regional, profits are split with national ACS, courses offered would be decided to fit with feel of meeting (provide short course selected by industry, academia, gov't).

Printing/Publicity: Vicki will talk to Ruth Hathaway from Southern Illinois.

Budget: meeting price for members, non-members, teachers, and students were discussed, but nothing was determined. Prices for exhibitors were also discussed and budgets for other regional meetings were consulted.

Future goals: For the next meeting we want to fill out the RFP and turn it into the visitors bureau and begin to contact the people on the list of possible volunteers. By the end of the year we want a site picked and the committee chairs filled.

Next meeting: October 2 at 1:00 p.m.