Membership Committee

Mission Statement: To develop strategies to retain current members and attract new members. 

Next Meeting

IAFP 2024

July 14, 2024

How to Join

Involvement in committees and professional development groups (PDGs) offers Members the opportunity to share a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Members of committees and PDGs are the architects of the Association structure. They plan, develop and institute many of the Association's projects, including workshops, publications and educational sessions. Technical challenges facing the food safety industry are discussed, examined and debated. Members may volunteer to serve on any number of committees or PDGs that plan and implement activities to meet the Association's mission.

Standing Committees provide operational or functional support to IAFP. Individuals are appointed by the President-Elect and confirmed by the Executive Board. Membership appointments are for 3-year terms on a rotating basis with balanced representation from education, government and industry. All appointments may be renewed for one additional term. Requests for membership on a Standing Committee should be directed to the President-Elect.

Minutes

Board Responses

2024 Board Response to Recommendations
  1. 1. It is recommended that the Board considers an additional sustaining member category for public and not-for-profit entities, such as universities and research institutes, government bodies and other relevant organizations, that is tailored in terms of investment and benefit options. Eligibility criteria and benefits for this new sustaining member category as well as possible risks will need to be worked out.

    Board Response: Board Response: The Board requests the Membership Committee to define the terms of investment and benefit options.

  2. 2. The committee recommends a) that the Board increases its support to regional meetings and interaction with universities, for instance through offering a number of free membership vouchers or support to travel to annual meeting that can be used as awards; b) that the registration fee for members that are speakers/panelists at regional meetings are waived or significantly reduced (they are currently waived for non-members).

    Board Response: Board Response: IAFP has programs in place to provide funding to speakers, additional funding is currently not economically feasible.

  3. 3. It is recommended that a) new ways are explored to visibly recognize long-term membership, for instance through providing certificates (e.g. for 5, 10 and 20y) or even plaques (for 30, 40, 50y), mention in Food Protection Trends and on the IAFP website; b) that the Board considers introducing multi-year membership options (e.g. 3 or 5y as the lower end and lifetime as the upper end).

    Board Response: Board Response: We currently recognize Milestone Members on the website and in the Program Book. All Members have a digital Membership Certificate an a Member ID with their join date. With the recent changes in the membership structure, the Board will take multi-year membership options into consideration in the future.

2023 Board Response to Recommendations
  1. None.
2021 Board Response to Recommendations
  1. None
2020 Board Response to Recommendations
  1. None
2019 Board Response to Recommendations
  1. Approve Susan Linn as Vice Chair.

    Board Response: Agree.

2018 Board Response to Recommendations
  1. Put a greater emphasis towards an Annual Meeting in Canada.

    Board Response: Agree. Staff has investigated Canadian sites for IAFP’s Annual Meeting many times over the past years and continues to actively search for a location fitting our needs.

  2. We would like to have a designated representative on the Committee for LATAM (especially Mexico) and the Student PDG.

    Board Response: Agree. The Membership Committee should invite representatives from the Latin America Group and from the Student PDG to join the Membership Committee.

  3. For future reporting, we would like to see the membership numbers listed separately for Canada and Mexico. Also, all remaining Central and South America for now listed as LATAM. Asia Pacific and Europe, Africa and Middle East combined.

    Board Response: Agree. Comparison data by country can be collected for analysis.

  4. For future reporting, we would like to have the numbers for Student membership included in the reporting.

    Board Response: Agree.

2017 Board Response to Recommendations
  1. There should be increased recognition of student achievement. This may be facilitated through PDGs, who would give awards to students who present research at IAFP in the respective PDG-sponsored session. This would be a similar approach to IFT, in which their divisions sponsor student competitions.

    Board Response: Agree, this was proposed to PDGs during their meetings this year.

  2. There is only one award specifically for young professional IAFP members. The Executive Board should consider a new award, specifically for a young industry professional, to mirror the Larry Beuchat Young Researcher Award, which mainly has been awarded to young academic and government professionals. The goal of these two recommendations would be to promote students that have attended IAFP, and continue coming to IAFP as they grow into young professionals and eventually hold professional positions, in order to maximize the chances that these students will become the future pillars of IAFP.

    Board Response: Agree, the Board suggests that the Committee further develop criteria for this award.

  3. There should be increased recognition of companies that promote food safety culture, especially among young IAFP members. This may include companies that recognize the importance of IAFP and send their employees to the Annual Meeting, or companies that hold workshops on food safety, etc. Recognition could occur in the form of Industry Profiles, published in Food Protection Trends.

    Board Response: Agree, the Board suggest the Committee could work with other PDGs to recognize companies in some manner.

  4. Membership in the Membership Committee is very low. This may be due to the fact that the Membership Committee meeting is held on the Saturday before the Annual Meeting, and several members of the Committee arrive on Saturday night or on Sunday. It is proposed that the Membership Committee Meeting be moved to a time that occurs during the Annual Meeting, as this may lead to better attendance. The Executive Board should also revisit the Constitution and Bylaws of IAFP for the Membership Committee to ensure that it reflects the current state of IAFP membership.

    Board Response: Agree.

2016 Board Response to Recommendations
  1. Increased symposia related to Canadian and/or Mexican issues.

    Board Response: Symposium proposals are encouraged to address international food safety issues. Canadian and Mexican issues can also be incorporated.

  2. The IAFP should get a YouTube channel to add content and help advertise.

    Board Response: Agree. The Board is willing to review a proposal showing benefits to IAFP.

  3. Development of a new PDG for inspectors/auditors/sanitarians (though there is concern that there are too many PDGs already).

    Board Response: PDGs can be easily formed by a group of interested individuals. Contact the IAFP office for details.

  4. A survey should be developed to capture metrics on why members are staying with IAFP and why past members have left.

    Board Response: Staff will contract with a third- party vendor to conduct a membership survey. The Membership Committee can provide suggested questions to be included.

  5. A Food Safety “ask an expert” service should be established at the IAFP meeting.

    Board Response: There are possible liability issues with these types of services that IAFP would like to avoid.

  6. IAFP affiliates should be encouraged and rewarded to help recruit new members.

    Board Response: This is ongoing and has been ongoing.

  7. Approval of Zeb Blanton as Vice Chair.

    Board Response: Agree

2015 Board Response to Recommendations
  1. Request to have IAFP members (including students, industry, government, and industry members) submit short one-minute video testimonials. The clips would be screened for appropriateness and could be posted on the IAFP website and used in IAFP presentations.

    Board Response: IAFP staff will look into having a video booth for IAFP 2016.

  2. Permission to investigate the development of a virtual affiliate to engage members and attract new members from remote areas.

    Board Response: Webinars and Internet communications can help remote members to feel a part of IAFP.

  3. Region specific symposia should be considered, as a way to increase interest from non U.S. members.

    Board Response: Regional specific symposia are a part of the current Annual Meeting program.

2014 Board Response to Recommendations
  1. Recommendation: Approve Lawrence Goodridge as Vice Chair of the Membership Committee.

    Board Response: Approved.

  2. Recommendation: Currently “Membership by Region” is reported as Canada and Mexico; the US; and International. Consider tracking membership by North America (Canada & US); Latin America (Mexico, Central & South America); Asia; & Europe to provide improved reporting on marketing efforts.

    Board Response: Staff will look at options. Reporting can be done country by country but may not be able to be broken out by world region.