Team

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is responsible for making final decisions about the Cooperative's future based on guidance from the Advisory Board. The Board of Directors is composed of the Cooperative’s co-founders:

Amy Goldman

Amy Goldman (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

 

 

 

Sujata Emani

Sujata Emani (US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service USDA-ARS)

 

 

 

 

James Stegen

James Stegen (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

 

 

 

Board Charter: The charter for the ICON Science Cooperative’s (herein referred to as ‘Cooperative’) Board of Directors is to steward and oversee the management and affairs of the Cooperative, including making decisions about how it is run and its future trajectory. The Board of Directors can make rules or regulations for its management, create positions or special committees, and select or remove committee members, Partner projects, or Advisory Board members as it deems appropriate. The Board of Directors is informed by opinions and advice from the advisory board. The Board of Directors also educates others about ICON science principles as well as increases awareness of the Cooperative itself in terms of its goals, the resources it provides, and ways that diverse stakeholders can engage with it. Successful implementation of this charter will result in (1) the Cooperative developing resources that are useful across an increasingly broad range of scientific disciplines, settings, and stakeholders, (2) the community becoming increasingly aware of and making increasing use of the Cooperative, and (3) ICON principles being increasingly used to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. 

Board Composition: The Cooperative’s Board of Directors is composed of Sujata Emani, Amy Goldman, and James Stegen, hereafter called “Directors.” Any Director may resign at any time giving written notice to the Board of Directors. Such resignation shall take effect upon receipt of the notice, or at any later time specified therein.

Board Communication: The primary mode of communication is via recurring virtual meetings and asynchronous methods (e.g., email, Slack, Google Drive and associated services).

Board Expectations: Directors are expected to interact in a professional manner that fosters an inclusive culture in which all voices can be heard and respected. A key element is using a ‘yes and’ approach when referencing the ideas and perspectives of other Directors and Advisory Board members in all discussions and interactions. It is expected that an inclusive approach is used equally and consistently regardless of the identity and ability of other board members. Directors are also expected to participate in meetings and contribute substantively. If a Director feels they are not being allowed space to voice their opinions, it is expected that they will communicate this to the other Directors; the Board of Directors is, in turn, expected to rectify the situation. 

Amendments: The Board of Directors will review this document at least once every 12 months and discuss revisions with the Advisory Board. The Advisory Board can propose amendments at any time. Any revisions will require a majority vote of the Board of Directors.

Advisory Board

The Advisory Board guides the Cooperative. The Board is made of representatives from Partner projects (see Current Partners page) and individuals interested in helping to guide appropriate use of ICON principles across diverse research settings. 

The current Advisory Board members are:

  • Vanessa Bailey, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
  • Mikayla Borton, Colorado State University
  • Avni Malhotra, University of Zurich
  • Lina Pérez-Angel, University of Colorado Boulder
  • Josué Rodríguez-Ramos, Colorado State University

Advisory Board Charter: The charter for the ICON Science Cooperative’s (herein referred to as ‘Cooperative’) Advisory Board is to provide opinions and advice to the Board of Directors with the goal of guiding the Cooperative in terms of what challenges are addressed, what content and tools are developed, and how current and future stakeholders are engaged. Final decisions about how the Cooperative is run and its future trajectory remain with the Board of Directors, but all such decisions are informed by the Advisory Board. When relevant, Advisory Board members also act as representatives of the Cooperative’s Partners such that they can speak to the needs of those Partners and may report back to Partner leadership/teams on the status and directions of the Cooperative. Advisory board members also help connect the Cooperative to a broad range of stakeholders that are beyond the experience and knowledge of the Board of Directors. Advisory Board members are encouraged (but not required) to help educate others about ICON science principles as well as increase awareness of the Cooperative itself in terms of its goals, the resources it provides, and ways that diverse stakeholders can engage with it. Successful implementation of this charter will result in (1) the Cooperative developing resources that are useful across an increasingly broad range of scientific disciplines, settings, and stakeholders, (2) the community becoming increasingly aware of and making increasing use of the Cooperative, and (3) ICON principles being increasingly used to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. 

Advisory Board Composition: The Advisory Board is chaired by the Cooperative’s Board of Directors (Sujata Emani, Amy Goldman, and James Stegen) with other Advisory Board members rotating through with a maximum of 2 year terms. The Advisory Board includes no more than one named person from each named Partner project. The Advisory Board may also include additional individuals that are interested in helping to guide the use of ICON principles across diverse research settings, but do not represent a Partner project. The additional individuals will, ideally, diversify the collective perspectives, scientific domains, stakeholder types, and research settings represented on the Advisory Board. The composition of the Advisory Board is guided by the existing Advisory Board, but is ultimately at the discretion of the Board of Directors. Advisory Board members can be removed at the discretion of the Board of Directors, though such situations occur only when a given board member does not meet the expectations outlined below. There is no maximum or minimum number of Advisory Board members and the number is subject to change based on needs.

Advisory Board Communication: Given that Advisory Board members may be globally distributed, the primary mode of communication is via recurring virtual meetings and asynchronous methods (e.g., email, Slack, Google Drive and associated services).

Advisory Board Expectations: Advisory board members are expected to interact in a professional manner that fosters an inclusive culture in which all voices can be heard and respected. A key element is using a ‘yes and’ approach when referencing the ideas and perspectives of other board members in all discussions and interactions. It is expected that an inclusive approach is used equally and consistently regardless of the identity and ability of other board members. Advisory Board members are also expected to participate in meetings and contribute substantively by providing their opinions and advice through one or more means of communication with the Board of Directors. All Advisory Board members can also expect to have an opportunity to voice their opinions and advice on all topics that the Board of Directors brings to the Advisory Board. If an Advisory Board member feels they are not being allowed space to voice their opinions, it is expected that they will communicate this to the Board of Directors; the Board of Directors is, in turn, expected to rectify the situation. An Advisory Board member is expected to be a volunteer that wants to help the Cooperative succeed in helping the science community broadly use and improve ICON principles. Given their volunteer status, it is expected that some Advisory Board members may not be able to continue their service due to changes in professional and/or personal situations. In such situations, it is expected that Advisory Board members communicate with the Board of Directors regarding the need to find a suitable replacement.

Amendments: The Board of Directors will review this document at least once every 12 months and discuss revisions with the Advisory Board. The Advisory Board can propose amendments at any time. Any revisions will require a majority vote of the Board of Directors.

Norms and Expectations

All individuals, teams, and entities that engage with the ICON Cooperative are expected to interact in a professional manner that fosters an inclusive culture in which all voices can be heard and respected. A key element is using a ‘yes and’ approach when referencing the ideas and perspectives of other people in all discussions and interactions. It is expected that an inclusive approach is used equally and consistently regardless of the identity and ability of others.

If someone engaging with the Cooperative feels they are not being allowed space to voice their opinions, it is expected that they will communicate this to the Board of Directors; the Board of Directors is, in turn, expected to help navigate the situation. 

Norms:

  • Listen to all voices and perspectives.
  • Approach discussions with a learning mindset.
  • Assume that the person speaking is coming from a place of good intentions and respect.
  • Do not intentionally interrupt people. Acknowledge that it is harder to know who is intending to speak next in the virtual space; consider using features like the ‘raise hand’ function in virtual platforms. 
  • Be amenable if asked to make space and allow time for other people.
  • Foster both proactive and responsive conversation (e.g., try to avoid two people having a conversation during the entire meeting) that helps to draw out voices from all participants.
  • Provide critique in a constructive way and use a first-person perspective. 
  • Approach discussions with a “yes and” perspective that acknowledges there is value in all ideas.

Expected behavior (Modified from the AGU Meetings Code of Conduct)

  • Treat everyone with respect.
  • Respect your fellow participants by using good practices for intercultural collaborations.
  • The Cooperative is currently compiling a list of best practices from external sources. Do you have suggestions or would you like to help? Please reach out to ICONS@pnnl.gov.
  • Be mindful of your surroundings and of your fellow participants.
  • Provide your true professional identity, affiliation, and contact information.
  • Be accountable: When organizers or participants fail to meet these guidelines, work together to identify problems and adjust policy and practice together.
PROVIDE FEEDBACK

We value your feedback on how we further enable the community to use ICON principles. Please email ICONS@pnnl.gov with your thoughts on what is working, what needs to be improved, and what opportunities we could pursue.  

  • Advisory Board
  • Norms and Expectations