Executive Officer's Report
Lynne Cooper
University of Missouri
It is with a mixture of sadness and excitement that I write this, my final column as Executive Officer of ARP, on the state of the association. There are, as always, important accomplishments and exciting upcoming events to share.
Major accomplishments this past year involved reaching out to and partnering with three sister organizations.
First, ARP board members, Dan Ozer, Will Fleeson, Erik Noftle, Jennifer Tackett, and I, met in Lausanne this past summer for the first time with the board of the European Personality Association to discuss possible collaborative efforts. Discussions were lively and fruitful, culminating in a number of initiatives and agreements we intend to pursue jointly with EAP, including a joint membership category the details of which will be announced in the coming months. This meeting was regarded as a watershed event for both associations, and will hopefully usher in a new era of cooperation.
ARP also negotiated an agreement with the Personological Society to co-sponsor the Murrary Award. Future winners will be co-selected, and the winners will give their award address at the ARP Conference. Many thanks go to Jen Lilgendahl for working diligently to make this happen.
Finally, ARP also negotiated an agreement with SPSP to guarantee a personality pre-conference slot each year at SPSP. As a result, personality psychologists will always have a place to converge and share their science at SPSP, no matter how competitive or tight pre-conference slots might be in a given year. This year’s pre-conference is being organized by Jenn Lodi-Smith, Susan Krauss Whitbourne, and Erik Noftle, and will focus on personality and lifespan development.
To learn more about each of these exciting developments, see reports by Dan Ozer and Filip De Fruyt, Jennifer Pals Lilgendahl, and the organizers of the 2015 Lifespan Social-Personality Preconference.
Of course, much of my ARP time over the past few months has been devoted to wrapping up loose ends, in hopes of leaving the association in a better state of organization than it was when I took this position on. During this transition period, I have also had the distinct pleasure of working with Rebecca Shiner, incoming Executive Officer, to bring her up to speed on the various duties and responsibilities of the Office. The association is indeed fortunate to have someone of Rebecca’s caliber working on its behalf. She is supremely capable, conscientious, and committed both to the association and the field, and will serve both extremely well in her capacity as Executive Officer.
Over the past four years as XO, and prior to that as Secretary/Treasurer and member-at-large, I have been privileged to work alongside many smart, talented, highly committed individuals, and have benefitted on both a personal and professional level from these associations. I would especially like to acknowledge those individuals with whom I have worked most closely, including past and current presidents, David Funder, Will Fleeson, and Dan Ozer. I along with all members of the association owe them a debt of gratitude for their commitment and leadership. I also want to acknowledge and thank Jen Lilgendahl, with whom I have worked closely over the past 4 years, for her competence and willingness to share the load, as well as her good humor, her warmth, and her friendship. Her involvement truly enriched my experience on multiple levels. Although I am sad to be leaving this role, I am confident that the association is in excellent hands and look forward to continued opportunities to serve both the association and the field in other capacities.
I look forward to seeing you all in St Louis!