AIAA Houston Section Position Descriptions

Chairman - The Chairman is responsible for overall leadership of Section activities. Specific duties include the following:

- Preside at meetings of the Council
- Appoint Committee Chairs, based on the recommendations of the Vice Chairmen
- Maintain regular contact with the Vice Chairman - Technical and Vice Chairman - Operations to ensure proper coordination and preparation for upcoming events
- Maintain regular contact with the Region IV Director
- Maintain regular contact with the Staff Liaison at AIAA Headquarters
- Represent the Section in dealings with outside agencies
- With the advice and consent of the Council, establish Section policies and priorities
- At the end of the Section year, ensure the timely submittal of the Annual Report

Chairman-Elect - The job of the Chairman-Elect is to learn as much as possible about the AIAA and Houston Section activities so that he is properly prepared to assume the position of Chairman the following year. Depending on his interests and availability, he may also be asked by the Chairman to undertake special tasks or projects as required.

Past Chairman - The Past Chairman provides advice and information to the Council during the year following his term as Chairman. The objective is to transfer corporate knowledge and enhance continuity from one year to the next.

Vice Chairman - Technical - The Vice Chairman - Technical is responsible for overseeing all technical activities of the Section. Specific duties include the following:

- Make recommendations concerning the formation and/or continuation of local technical committees
- Recruit and recommend potential Chairs for all local technical committees
- Maintain regular (at least monthly) contact with, and provide guidance and assistance to, the Chairs of each of the local technical committees
- Organize and conduct an Annual Technical Symposium and/or other conferences or workshops
- At least quarterly, contact the Region IV Deputy Director/Technical to get ideas and provide status information on Section activities

Vice Chairman - Operations - The Vice Chairman - Operations is responsible for overseeing all non-technical activities of the Section. Specific duties include the following:

- Recruit and recommend potential Chairs for all operations committees
- Maintain regular (at least monthly) contact with, and provide guidance and assistance to, the Chairs of each of the operations committees

Secretary - The Secretary is responsible for maintaining all records of the Council and the Section that are not specifically assigned to others. Specific duties include the following:

- Develop and maintain a Section Leadership List, containing the name, mailing address, phone number, fax number, and e-mail address of key Section personnel
- Notify members of the Council of upcoming meetings
- Prepare and maintain minutes of the Council meetings
- Maintain a supply of stationery for the Section
- Regularly (at least weekly) check the Section post office box and distribute Section mail

Treasurer - The Treasurer is responsible for maintaining the financial records of the Section. Specific duties include the following:

- Oversee Section bank accounts and investments and recommend any needed changes in order to ensure a reasonable rate of return on Section funds
- As provided in the budget and/or as directed by the Council, write checks to cover Section expenditures
- Report on the financial status of the Section at meetings of the Council
- Provide for the collection of funds at dinner meetings and other Section events
- Prepare and file the Section's income tax return

Councillor - Councillors are responsible for providing advice and support to the Council. Depending on their interests and availability, they may also serve in additional positions, such as committee chair, or work on special projects.

College Liaison Chair - The Chair of the College Liaison Committee is responsible for maintaining regular communication with any Student Branches within the geographical boundaries of the Section. Specific duties include the following:

- Maintain regular (at least monthly) contact with Student Branch leaders, faculty advisors, or both. Contact may include telephone calls, letters, faxes, or e-mail
- Solicit regular inputs for the Horizons newsletter related to the Student Branches and their activities
- Help to coordinate field trips by the Student Branches to visit the Section, or by Section members to visit the Student Branches
- Encourage the formation of new Student Branches within the Section
- Provide guidance and assistance to the Student Branches and the Region IV Deputy Director/Education in planning the Student Paper Conference (alternate years)
- At least quarterly, contact the Region IV Deputy Director/Education to get ideas and provide status information on Section activities

Education and Professional Development Chair - The Chair of the Education and Professional Development Committee is responsible for promoting the education and professional development of the membership. Specific duties include the following:

- Organize and conduct special seminars and short courses
- Locate and distribute information about career opportunities and career development
- Develop and maintain the Section's video and audio tape library
- At least quarterly, contact the Region IV Deputy Director/Career Enhancement to get ideas and provide status information on Section activities
- At the end of the Section year, prepare a draft submittal for the Section Career Enhancement Award

Honors and Awards Chair - The Chair of the Honors and Awards Committee serves as the Section's focal point for honors and awards activities. Specific duties include the following:

- At the start of the Section year, identify the AIAA awards for which the Houston Section would be most likely to have a competitive nominee.
- Suggest potential candidates for such awards
- Throughout the year, keep track of and distribute information about AIAA award eligibility and nomination due dates.
- Provide advice and assistance in the nomination process for those wanting to make an award nomination.
- Make recommendations concerning the establishment of any new Section awards
- Develop and oversee programs to enable members to be selected for higher membership grades (Senior Member, Associate Fellow, etc.)

Membership Chair - The Chair of the Membership Committee is responsible for leading all Section recruitment and retention efforts. Specific duties include the following:

- Maintain a supply of AIAA membership applications and distribute them upon request
- Report on the Section's membership status at meetings of the Council
- Ensure that a "Membership Table" with brochures, magazines, newsletters, applications, etc., is available during dinner meetings and other Section events
- Come up with ideas for and help to implement membership drives or other special membership events
- At least quarterly, contact the Region IV Deputy Director/Membership to get ideas and provide status information on Section activities
- At the end of the Section year, prepare a draft submittal for the Section Membership Award

Precollege Outreach Chair - The Chair of the Precollege Outreach Committee is responsible for leading the educational outreach programs of the Section. Specific duties include the following:

- Develop a list of math and science school contacts for local area schools
- Encourage area math and science teachers to sign up as Educator Associates
- Arrange for Section participation in the Houston Science Engineering Fair by providing judges and awards
- Organize activities which will encourage K-12 students to study math and science, such as classroom visits, paper airplane contests, model airplane or model rocket building programs, Engineers Week programs, etc.
- At least quarterly, contact the Region IV Deputy Director/Precollege Outreach to get ideas and provide status information on Section activities
- At the end of the Section year, prepare a draft submittal for the Section Precollege Award

Programs Chair - The Chair of the Programs Committee is responsible for organizing the monthly dinner meetings for the Section. Specific duties include the following:

- Develop a list of candidate speakers and/or program topics, including recommending requests for AIAA Distinguished Lecturers
- Make reservations for the Gilruth Center or other suitable meeting location
- Select the menu
- Establish the ticket prices
- Collect the head counts from the reservation takers and order the appropriate number of meals
- Arrange for a thank-you gift for the speaker
- Prepare and submit a Section Meeting Report following the event

Public Policy Chair - The Chair of the Public Policy Committee is responsible for organizing the public policy programs of the Section. Specific duties include:

- Develop and maintain a contact/mailing list for people or organizations that the Section would like to keep informed about aerospace activities, such as Congressional staff offices.
- Coordinate Section participation in AIAA Congressional Visit Day or similar governmental contact activities.
- Organize and conduct special activities designed to keep the public informed about the aerospace profession
- At least quarterly, contact the Region IV Deputy Director/Public Policy to get ideas and provide status information on Section activities
- At the end of the Section year, prepare a draft submittal for the Section Public Policy Award

Publications Chair - The Chair of the Publications Committee is responsible for overseeing all Section publications, including the newsletter and the web site. Specific duties include the following:

- Establish a newsletter publication schedule containing due dates for inputs, printing, mailing, etc.
- Solicit articles and other information for the newsletter and provide them to the editor
- Oversee the newsletter folding and mailing label application process
- Ensure the timely delivery of items to the post office
- Oversee the development and maintenance of a Section web page
- At the end of the Section year, prepare a draft submittal for the Section Newsletter Award

Publicity Chair - The Chair of the Publicity Committee is responsible for overseeing all Section publicity efforts. Specific duties include the following:

- Compile and maintain a list of media names, addresses, faxes, and phone numbers that are considered appropriate for reporting on AIAA activities. Examples include the Roundup, the Space Fax Roundup, the Citizen, and various company newsletters
- Arrange for photographs to be taken of Section activities for possible publication in the Section newsletter, the local press, or Aerospace America
- Submit proposed articles or other items to the selected media outlets. Articles can be of two types: 1) Information about upcoming events, and/or 2) General information about the Section and its activities or accomplishments
- Ensure that information about the AIAA and its activities is prominently displayed in local work sites, such as on bulletin boards, easels, table-top posters, etc.

Scholarship Chair - The Chair of the Scholarship Committee is responsible for administering the Spirit of Apollo Scholarship Program. Specific duties include the following:

- Develop and maintain a list of names and addresses of college engineering departments and/or scholarship offices within the geographical boundaries of the Section
- Distribute information about the scholarship and how to apply
- Respond to inquiries about the scholarship program
- Collect and review the scholarship applications
- Recommend a scholarship winner for approval by the Council

Young Members Chair - The Chair of the Young Members Committee is responsible for representing the interests of Young Members to the Council. Specific duties include the following:

- Collect and maintain a list of government and corporate contacts for co-op programs and ensure that they have information about the AIAA
- Recommend new initiatives that might increase Young Member participation in Section events
- Develop and organize special activities that would be of interest to Young Members
- At least quarterly, contact the Region IV Deputy Director/Young Members to get ideas and provide status information on Section activities
- At the end of the Section year, prepare a draft submittal for the Section Young Member Award

Technical Committee Chair - The Chair of each of the local technical committees is responsible for encouraging the exchange of information within that particular discipline. The expectation is that the Chair will organize and conduct at least two activities (such as Lunch and Learn's) during the year, plus solicit papers and serve as a session chair for the Annual Technical Symposium and/or other conferences or workshops sponsored by the Section.