The 2013 Annual Business Meeting of the San Diego Chapter

1. The 2013 Annual Business Meetingof the San Diego Chapter San Diego Chapter: Past, Present, & Future Presented by Robert L. Newcomb, PhD University of California, Irvine President, Orange County/Long Beach Chapter

2. Prelude: Prior to 1970 • Prior to 1970 the Los Angeles Chapter had served all of Southern California with a simple, but successful, series of monthly meetings featuring an invited speaker. • At that time there were no academic departments of statistics (with competing seminars), so the Chapter filled an important role serving the community of statisticians in Los Angeles • San Diego was a part of the Los Angeles Chapter’s geographic area.

3. Prelude: 1972-1978 • In 1972, in response to the growing number of statisticians outside of Los Angeles, the Chapter was renamed the Southern California Chapter. • By the late 1970s it had become clear that the San Diego statistical community was not well served by this arrangement. • In 1978, the Joint Statistical Meetings were held here at the Town & Country Hotel and this provided an opportunity for beginning a serious discussion of the idea of establishing a San Diego Chapter.

4. The Segue • Following the 1978 JSM San Diego operated as if it were a Chapter. Under the leadership of John Chambers, the San Diego group held regular, well-attended dinner meetings at the University of San Diego. • When John Chambers retired in 1992 the group lost its access to the USD faculty club and that led to a loss of group momentum. • No immediate replacement activity was found, and by the late 1990s the group had become inactive.

5. The Frane Infusion • Jim Frane had worked with Wilfred Dixon on BMDP when it was a UCLA project and later moved with BMDP when it became a for-profit business. Jim had been an officer in the LA/SoCal Chapter. • In 1998 Jim Frane came to San Diego when he took a position with ISIS Pharmaceuticals. • Almost immediately Jim began organizing and hosting a series of meetings to establish a San Diego Chapter. • Importantly, he established the practice of doing all Chapter business and publications via the internet.

6. The Beginning of the San Diego Chapter • In 1999 the San Diego Chapter was chartered by the ASA Council of Chapters Governing Board. • In its first year the Chapter was quite active and staged several successful events: • Careers Day • Chapter Picnic • Business Meeting • Election of Officers

7. Demographic shift in the San Diego Chapter • In its early years, the majority of its members and leaders were academic statisticians and students of statistics. Most Chapter events were held at on- campus sites. • As the years passed, the number Chapter members who were non-academic (off campus) statisticians grew. • At present, the majority of officers and active members are off-campus statisticians. Most Chapter events are held at off-campus sites.

8. The Challenge of the Future • Unlike the pre-1970s where a Chapter’s role was more simply defined and stable, the Chapter of the future must anticipate or, at least, keep up with the changing needs and interests of its community. • So, the future poses a challenge to the San Diego Chapter: Can this Chapter evolve so that it: • maintains the loyalty and active involvement of its current members • attracts non-members within the San Diego statistical community to become more involved in its activities

9. Five Keys to a Successful Chapter Future • Develop a widely-held Sense of Agreement about Chapter Purpose(s) • Promote a Shared Vision about what it takes for the Chapter to fulfill its Purpose(s) • Implement a Strategy for increasing and sustaining Current-Leadership Energy • Publish a Plan for identifying the next generation of Chapter Leadership • Foster a Chapter Culture that Embraces Change

10. The End