President's Address

Fellow SWS Members, I want to start my first message with a big thanks to all the organizers for our recent JASM22 meeting in Grand Rapids, MI. It was a wonderful gathering of scientists from all over the world and a great moment to learn, network, and be inspired. I know not all of us William Kleindl, Ph.D. attended this meeting, so I would Montana State University like to recap a few elements I SWS President covered in our awards luncheon.

The theme of JASM22 was “Rapid Changes – Collaborative Solutions.” I am sure it is the same for many of you, but I am frequently the only scientist in several of my social circles, and I hear a lot of concerns about our rapidly changing planet. I generally reply that we live in interesting times. But as I thought of this year’s conference theme, it is these interesting times that inspire many in our Society to measure and report elements of this rapidly changing world that touch aquatic systems. Still, others in our Society use that information to inform policy and economic incentives to shape how we address these changes. Others keep up on the latest papers and newly formed policies and incentives to consult and guide people trying to conduct their own important business but want to do their best to help with the environment. Still, other SWS members educate the public about this innovative and vital information, guidance, and practical approaches to help concerned individuals make a difference. Then all through our Society are students eager to join our efforts and help us create collaborative solutions to make this a better world. All our hard-working members make SWS a solid and vibrant organization with a global reach of diverse skills, experience, knowledge, and passions.

During my year as President of this great organization, I will focus on our 2020-2025 strategic plan. This plan intends to harness our passions and keep us vibrant into the future. There are four goals: 1) Communication, 2) Education and Research, 3) Global Reach, and 4) Membership. Within these goals are many specific objectives, including focused elements such as increasing diversity, supporting student research, and supporting members in far-reaching corners of the globe. Over this summer, I will be reaching out to chapters, sections, and committees to celebrate all the objectives we have already achieved in our plan and to prioritize our actions to complete the remaining by 2025. You can find a copy of the strategic plan on our website. Go to the About tab, then to Governance, and it is at the bottom of the page (https:// www.sws.org/governance/). We will need help with some of this, so I will be reaching out to you in the next few months as well. Stay tuned!

I am looking forward to working with you in our upcoming productive year. If you have comments or are interested in taking a more active role in the Society, please reach out to me directly. Together we will continue to provide solutions to address the impacts of this rapidly changing world on the wetlands that we love.

Fellow Wetlanders, Now that I have completed my year as President of SWS, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of you who step forward to support our Society. The past year reinforces the truism that the engaged members who volunteer their time are the bedrock of our community. It was immensely rewarding to work with you all to help harness our passion towards good work. It has been my privilege and honor to serve our Society. I hope to continue to contribute in other roles well into the future. Leading SWS fulfills a career goal that was far from my expectations of possibilities when I started my wetland studies and joined the Society. Don’t think that it couldn’t happen for you – step up to help out.

It is an honor to pass the torch to our new President, Bill Kleindl. Bill will do a fantastic job of engaging with our members and advancing our Society of Wetland Scientists. Onward!

With appreciation, Greg Noe SWS Immediate Past President (2022-2023) gnoe@usgs.gov

Gregory B. Noe, Ph.D. Florence Bascom Geoscience Center, U.S. Geological Survey SWS Immediate Past President