Recruitment and Retention Committee

Chairpersons

Overview

The Equal Opportunities Section (EOS) of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) was founded in 1991 to
“encourage the exchange of information pertinent to the promotion of employment, education,
scholarship, participation, professionalism, and recruitment for all individuals in the fisheries
profession.” As a Chapter, ICAFS first addressed issues related to retention and career success of all
individuals choosing the fisheries profession at its 2022 annual meeting. The theme of that
meeting—“Removing Barriers: Opening Pathways to the Fisheries Profession”—grew out of grassroots
requests from ICAFS members to the meeting planning committee for workshops, presentations, and
accommodations that would open discussions about ways to make all individuals feel welcome in the
chapter. The success of the 2022 ICAFS meeting led to Dr. Sammy Matsaw, member of ICAFS and the
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, being invited to conduct a workshop and deliver a plenary address at the
2022 American Fisheries Society meeting in Spokane. As host of the 2023 Western Division AFS (WDAFS)
meeting, ICAFS ensured that meeting components intended to create a safe, professional and
welcoming environment were included in that meeting. The chapter’s efforts in recruitment, retention,
and career success for all contributed to the chapter’s receipt of several awards from WDAFS and AFS,
including the AFS Outstanding Chapter award in 2023.
To build upon these initial initiatives and ensure that they will continue into the future, the ICAFS
formed what is now called the Recruitment and Retention Committee in December 2023.

Mission

To increase participation, opportunities, and career success for all members of the Idaho Chapter of AFS
by creating programs, educational opportunities, and annual meeting accommodations that create a
safe, professional and welcoming environment for all fisheries professionals.

Goals and Objectives

1. Governance
   • Create a guiding document to implement recruitment, retention and career success initiatives within the chapter and develop metrics to measure success.
   • Participate in the WDAFS Recruitment and Retention Committee.
2. Education and Training
   • Create continuing education opportunities that educate fisheries professionals in Idaho about topics related to recruitment, retention and career success in natural resources fields.
   • With leaders from sovereign Native Nations, center their perspectives through the development of specific continuing education opportunities that focus on traditional native stewardship of fisheries and natural resources.
3. Participation
   • Increase meeting participation by seeking opportunities to provide fee waivers or scholarships for meeting attendees who do not have financial support from their school, employer or organization.
4. Affinity and Support
   • Protect the safety and well-being of members and meeting participants by distributing guidelines for meeting conduct and safety, ensuring the chapter enforces the AFS Meetings Code of Conduct, and providing mechanisms for reporting misconduct and suggesting specific actions to make all Chapter functions safe and welcoming for all.
   • Continue to develop and provide affirming features and accommodations that improve the experience of fisheries professionals at the annual meeting. These include but are not limited to resources for the hearing impaired, lactation room and childcare opportunities for parents, family restrooms, providing the opportunity for attendees to include personal identifiers on nametags, resources for students and first-time attendees, and affinity events.
   • Ensure that meetings will be safe, professional and welcoming for all attendees, and send out guidelines for meeting conduct. Devise ways for members to report misconduct, let others know about problem areas, ask for help, etc. – perhaps through a conference app.
5. Representation
   • Provide resources and support to Chapter officers and to members considering running for elected chapter office to increase the pool of candidates nominated for elected positions.
   • Provide resources and support to chapter committees to increase the pool of nominees for chapter awards.