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Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology: 2007 Annual Report and Reports of the Fall 2007 Annual General Meeting.

Article Excerpt
The following is a summary of reports on Federation activities and significant items of business presented at the Annual General Meeting of the Members, held October 2, 2007, during the FSCT convention in Toronto. The full reports and accompanying independent audited financial statement can be found on the FSCT's website (www.coatingstech.org).

Report of the President

The past 12 months have seen enormous change within the FSCT as well as a maturation of the Board of Directors. With the resignation of Bob Ziegler as Executive Director earlier this year, the Board acted to find a replacement by forming an ad-hoc search committee, identifying a slate of potential successors, and down-selecting the candidates to a few. The announcement of Joe Pontoski as Executive Director was made by the Board after careful consideration and pontification. We are pleased with the vitality and new direction he brings to the position.

The Board has also structurally enhanced the governance of itself, by strengthening the policies that were developed last year under the guidance of Carolyn Bailey. We now have in place the "rules" by which the Board operates and have defined the Executive limitations through which Mr. Pontoski and his staff can operate to lead the FSCT forward.

The Board continues, through each of its meetings, to develop its "aims"--those broad based initiatives that will lead us into the future. As I stated last year in my report, and as I still embrace, through listening to the words of Alan Kay, we can re-invigorate the FSCT: "the best way to predict the future is to invent it." I believe that the future lies in:

* Meeting the mission of the FSCT--"to be the leading provider of educational and professional development services to its members, as well as to professionals throughout the coatings industry, and to provide forums for the promotion and advancement of the global coatings industry"

* growing the membership of the FSCT

* allying with those that will allow us to meet our needs more efficiently and successfully

* remaining solvent and gaining additional revenue to aid in our growth

Meeting the educational needs of our members is achieved in several arenas and formats:

* Publications

* Internet Communication

* Web-based Programs, e.g., VLCs

* Short Courses and Technical Programs

* Exhibitions.

As a member of the Publications Committee, I have the pleasant experience to co-edit, along with Ray Dickie, Jon Martin (NIST) and Joanie Chin (NIST), the second Service Life Prediction book (which is a compilation of the latest scientific and technical advances leading to more reliable and qualitative predictions of the weathering performance of polymeric materials). The chapters consist of refereed papers presented at the Service Life Prediction Symposium that was held in Key Largo, FL, in February of 2006. The book will be published by the FSCT and released in 2008.

The Publication Committee has also been involved in the release of the Journal of Coatings Technology and Research, a joint publication between OCCA and the FSCT. The addition of Springer as the printer and distribution center for the journal has enabled a reduction in expense, improved marketing to institutional subscribers, and increased readership.

The Advancement in Coatings Series (ACSeries) has continued to grow and flourish. Developed by a group of dedicated volunteers, headed by the Technical Events Coordinating Committee Chair Ray Fernando, and supported by the FSCT Staff, the Wood Coatings Symposium was held in Seattle in July. Joint sponsorship by Technology Publishing Inc. and the American Institute of Architects helped raise a new level of excitement and opportunity for the program.

The FSCT has continued the tradition started last year of "Future-Coat!" the technical program offered at ICE during exhibition years and separately in ICE off-years. Under the leadership of PDC Chair Jamil Baghdachi, and Program Chair Latoska Price, over 100 technical papers, 12 short courses, and 36 posters will be featured. Although it is with great regret that I accept the resignation of Latoska Price as Annual Program Chair, I wish her success in her future endeavors, and thank her for her dedication and hard work to the FSCT. I wish her replacement, Dr. LiPiin Sung, of NIST, the best for success filling Latoska's shoes.

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The FSCT is continuing to investigate potential partners in allied industries capable of providing technical education to our membership. Several meetings have been held with the organizers of PACE, the biannual technical conference and exhibit created through the alliance of the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America and the SSPC, to investigate potential alliance opportunities. These discussions will continue in efforts to enhance the value and expansion of the every-other-year ICE, which the FSCT Board has endorsed. The alternate year schedule for ICE will continue, with the host city being Chicago.

Under resolutions agreed upon by the Board in May, FSCT and OCCA will develop a Strategic Alliance to cover all aspects of membership publications, technical meetings, and exhibitions of the two organizations. FSCT and OCCA have already combined their technical publications into a co-owned journal published by Springer. While the alliance does not change the corporate governance of either organization, it does provide for increased Internet services, and expanded delivery options of technical programs. With the formation of this alliance and the addition of OCCA's...