Another important point is that we need to clearly define our relationship to the Postal Service, particularly as I know many of our members truly believe we are sleeping with the enemy. A recent specific issue that has come up, for example, is the concern for providing a comfortable bourse setting for APS Stampshow and any other shows in which the society participates. Everyone who attends our shows as visitors or vendors seems to be concerned about the seating problem and this must be addressed. As President I will report all significant information on APS - Postal Service relations back to the membership in a timely manner as I know that currently many members have the perception that the APS has not been as open as it should have been in terms of information about our relationship with the Postal Service.

We also do have a problem in that we need to improve our communication to members as so much has happened lately has been poorly communicated. For example, a lot of people are still confused about the insurance plan. Members still don't understand the Tiffany Fund and the All Star Stamp Clubs. We've asked members for money, but we have not told them clearly and exactly what it is going to be used for and how it is going to work. This must and will change.

There are also many concerns about our specialized APS sponsored exhibitions. Americas 99 is a national in-house APS show, that is only the second of our "Winter" APS shows. The Winter shows are an experiment designed to create more interest in different types of exhibitions and something that we hope will be self-supporting in the future. However, if after three or four attempts, we can not make the Winter shows at least break even then we must rethink the approach and perhaps return to the old spring meeting format in conjunction with a regular national show. Philatelic interests: Collecting interests are the postal history of several of the British Caribbean islands, which I have exhibited both nationally and internationally. I am both an accredited APS national judge and an FIP international judge. I am a member or officer of a number of philatelic organizations, and I am also a member of eight local clubs in seven states I have lived or worked in; Arizona, Massachusetts, Ohio, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Maryland.

With regard to service to the APS, I have been a member since 1969, and have served as Vice President since 1995, and am now the current Chairman of the Board of Vice Presidents. I am chairman of the Committee on Accreditation of National Exhibitions and Judges, which oversees all the 33 national exhibitions and approximately 200 APS national judges. I am past chairman of the International Relations Committee, which provides liaison with all APS appointees with international responsibilities back to the APS Board. I also am past chairman of the Greater APS Fund Committee, coordinating fund-raising activities with APS staff, and helped to raise more than $ 40,000 for the APS Expertizing Service.

Personal background:

I am 55 years of age and have an AB from Columbia University and a PhD in molecular biology from Syracuse University. I am currently serving as president of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, one of the 13 universities that make up the University System of Maryland. I also hold the position of professor of cell biology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and am one of the editors of the Biochemical Journal.