Present: Oli Schabenberger (ENAR Treasurer), Jane Pendergast (ENAR President), Lance Waller (ENAR Secretary), Scarlett Bellamy (ENAR RAB Chair), Kathy Hoskins (ENAR Executive Director), Lisa LaVange (ENAR President Elect), Peter Imrey (ENAR Past President), Marie Davidian, Dennis Dixon, Aniko Szabo, Larry Gould, Craig Borkowf, Linda Young, Elizabeth Margosches, Steve George, Judy Goldberg, Janet Wittes, John Koval, Dana Creanga, Christine Clark, John Bailer

1. Welcome
   Jane Pendergast

   ENAR President welcomed attendees and all introduced themselves.

2. Review of Executive Committee Minutes — JMS 2005
   Lance Waller

   Lance Waller (ENAR Secretary) presented ENAR Business Meeting minutes from the August 2005 meeting at JSM 2005. Minutes approved unanimously.

3. Executive Director's Report
   Kathy Hoskins

   ENAR Executive Director Kathy Hoskins provided the current update regarding the Tampa meeting:

   • 913 participants with over 200 attending shortcourses.
   • 17 exhibitors totaling about $27,000 in exhibitor fees.
   • Sponsorships brought in approximately $48,000
   • Advertisements in the program brought in about $4,700.
   • Upcoming meeting sites are Atlanta in 2007, Crystal City in 2008, and San Antonio in 2009.
   • Membership: 1390 (about the same as last year).

   Jane Pendergast thanked all involved in moving the 2006 meeting from New Orleans to Tampa, then noted that hwe have contacted New Orleans about the possibility of returning in 2010, but the quoted room rates are quite high, so ENAR is considering other sites as well.

   Jane Pendergast also discussed the possibility of a joint ENAR/WNAR meeting in San Antonio in 2009, noting that there is interest from both ENAR and WNAR but many details to work out. She reported that RAB, RECOM, and the ENAR Executive Committee all recommend to proceed with San Antonio contracts for our meeting, and if we can accommodate WNAR, we will. If we can't make satisfactory arrangements, we'll continuing working with WNAR toward a joint meeting in another year.

   Dennis Dixon asked if WNAR was willing to meet at the time of year of the usual ENAR Spring Meeting. Jane Pendergast responded that WNAR is willing but, again, there are details work out regarding meeting space and accommodations.

4. President Elect's Report
   Lisa LaVange

   ENAR President Elect Lisa LaVange provided committee appointment updates:

   • Maura Stokes to ASA Committee on Meetings (ENAR Rep for 3 years)
   • Chris Coffey ENAR representative to JSM 07
   • Amita Manatunga to Nominating Committee (2 year term)
   • Stacy Lindborg will serve on the Nominating Committee
   • ENAR 07 Program Chair: Amy Herring (45 Session ideas already)
   • ENAR 07 at-large members: Laura Meyerson, Constantine Frangakis, Debashis Ghosh, Jeff Morris
   • Gene Pennello will be ENAR 07 Program Co-chair
   • Program Committee also includes representatives from:
     • ASA Biopharmaceutical Section
     • ASA Section on Statistics in Defense and National Security
     • ASA Section on Survey Research Methods
     • ASA Biometrics Section
     • ASA Section on Risk Analysis
     • ASA Section on Teaching Statistics in the Health Sciences
     • ASA Section on Statistics in Epidemiology
     • ASA Section on Statistical Education
     • ASA Section on Statistics and the Environment
   • ENAR 07 Local arrangements: Bob Lyles
   • ENAR 07 Continuing Education: Barry Graubard, David Dunson, John Bailer, Maura Stokes, Amy Herring, and Gene Pennello (so far 10 short course and 1 tutorial ideas)

5. Treasurer's Report
   Oli Schabenberger

   Oli Schabenberger (ENAR Treasurer) passed out the ENAR balance sheet noting several items:

   • ENAR's net revenue last year was $31K (down from $43K the year before but still sizable).
   • The current Calendar-Year Expenses are a close match to Year-End Fund Balance.
   • In reviewing expenses over the past few years, Oli S. noted that we have a New Investigator Workshop every other year which is revenue neutral, but expenses appear artificially high in those years by $40K because of the New Investigator Workshop.
   • We are currently quite far from ENAR goal of 150% of annual expenses in reserve.
   • Drohan Management costs are now broken out into management services and fees related to the meeting (but this distinction has not always been made in the past).
   • Net revenue down since 2002; part of the decline is the change in management fees.
   • Suggest tracking shortcourse/tutorial attendance as well as revenue/expenses.

6. IBS Notes
   Jane Pendergast

   Jane Pendergast reviewed several items relating to IBS Business:

   • IBS is in the process of instituting a new "Sponsoring Membership" category where members can join additional regions without paying the IBS portion of their dues more than once. Some details remain (including the on-going ENAR and IBS by-laws revisions).
   • IBS is currently working on increasing its web presence, including systems for online membership registration.
   • IBC 2006 will take place in Montreal and ENAR members are encouraged to participate. IBC 2008 will take place in Dublin.

7. By-laws Review
   Peter Imrey

   Peter Imrey (ENAR Past President) provided an update on the scheduled 5-year review of ENAR by-laws. The process is almost complete, including the incorporation of the sponsoring membership category. He also thanked the by-law review committee for their careful work on this important project.

8. General Discussion
   All attendees

   Discussion addressed specifics of sponsoring memberships. Linda Young noted that statisticians in North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Nebraska, and Kansas all consider themselves within ENAR territory, even though the official dividing line between ENAR and WNAR (reflected in both sets of guidelines) splits these states. Further discussion involved the possible impact of the WNAR/ENAR boundary on potential (corporate) sponsors. Another question raised the issue of the potential impact of sponsoring memberships on student memberships. Jane Pendergast clarified that sponsoring members are non-voting in regional election and cannot run for regional offices except in the region of primary membership.

   Floor discussion also included several comments on declining membership:

   • Larry Gould asked if the ENAR Executive Committee has a plan to deal with the consistent drop in membership. Jane Pendergast reviewed some of the reasons for declining membership including the general sense that people don't see the need to join professional societies if they can access on-line copies of the journals and attend meetings without strong implications. Registration fees are higher for non-members, but if employers will reimburse the non-member fee, does the higher fee encourage membership?
   • Linda Young pointed out that increasing student membership is key to increasing overall membership, noting that the American Statistical Association is making progress along these lines. Jane Pendergast encouraged attendees to send any ideas regarding why people are not members and suggestions for increasing membership to her or Kathy Hoskins.

Meeting adjourned at 6:10pm.