SPIM Elects Officers for 2007-08

When the electronic polls closed on December 15, Cathleen Civiello was declared SPIM’s president-elect. Cathleen will take office as president-elect (succeeding John Bruckman, who will become president) following the Annual Conference in March. Henk Ruck was elected to a second term as treasurer. Newly elected as Board members are Connie Schroyer and Lisa Tedesco. They will replace retiring members, John Langhorne and Shirley Ross, who have served SPIM with great energy for the past three years.

Also continuing on the Board are Valerie Hearn and Connie Rath (with one year remaining on their terms), Dee Ramsel, and Marlene Thorn (with two years remaining), along with secretary Ed Johnson and Judith Albino, who moves from president to the past-president role in March.

Congratulations to all of our SPIM candidates this year. Billie Blair, Ron Giannetti, Debra Robinson, and George Schofield all had strong support, and we are fortunate that members of their talent and enthusiasm are willing to give their time and energy to SPIM.

And a very special thanks goes to Al Hollenbeck for once more running the electronic election.

The 5th annual International Positive Psychology Summit - More photos click HERE.

On October 7, 2006 at the 5th annual International Positive Psychology Summit, the Gallup Organization awarded the Clifton Strengths Prize to Professor Shelley Taylor of UCLA. The Clifton Strengths Prize recognizes the life and work of Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D. who established the Strengths-Based Psychology movement that would have people focus on what is positive and right with themselves, rather than diagnosing what is wrong with them. Dr. Taylor's groundbreaking work focused on positive strengths that help people face adversity. In her studies with cancer patients, for example, she observed patterns of self-serving "positive illusions" that fostered both mental and physical health. (excerpted from Press Release by Gallup World Headquarters)

SPIM is a co-sponsor of the award and provides a representative to the selection process. The award was presented at a black-tie ceremony with a reception following. The picture includes not only Dr. Taylor (holding the award) but several SPIM members: Dick Kilburg, Marlene Thorn, Judith Albino, Connie Rath, Marilyn Gowing and Paul Lloyd.

SPIM Welcomes New Members
The Society of Psychologists in Management extends a hearty welcome to its newest members. They are:

We look forward to seeing these new members at SPIM conferences and events throughout the year and to learning more about their professional interests and activities.

A SPIM First – Regional Meetings
The first SPIM Regional Meeting will be held November 2, 2006 for SPIM members and invited guests in the Washington D.C, Virginia, and Maryland area. Dr. Richard Kilburg, Johns Hopkins University, SPIM’s first president and recent winner of the Marian and Harry Levinson Award given by the Society of Consulting Psychology, will speak on the topic of “Wisdom and Leadership Competence.” The session will carry two CE credits.

Tentatively scheduled for 6:30 p.m., the event will be hosted by the Gallup Organization at their building in Washington. The event is being organized by SPIM members Cathleen Civiello, Connie Rath, and Marlene Thorn.

In addition to encouraging networking among SPIM members in the region, the organizers hope to reach out to other psychologists who may be interested in joining SPIM. In addition, the Regional meeting is expected to develop enthusiasm for attending the SPIM Conference in Washington, D.C. March 2007 and will provide a model for other regional meetings across the country. A similar event is being planned for the Bay Area in California.

SPIM at APA
SPIM members who attended APA in New Orleans this year not only enjoyed the superb professional programs and social activities, but also had the satisfaction of knowing that just being in New Orleans was a way of lending a hand to the still-devastated city. The French Quarter, which sustained the least damage from Hurricane Katrina, was the center of APA activities, but many attendees were grateful for the tours that allowed us to talk with residents, as well as see first hand and better understand the destruction and upheaval of lives that resulted. More than 750,000 of those who evacuated still have not returned to New Orleans, and the visible evidence of destruction fully explains that fact. Our hearts go out to the people who still struggle to find ways to repair their homes and restore their lives – still without electricity or running water in some parts of the city. Yet the spirit of the people and their love of the city shone through in those we met. Above all, they wanted us to know that New Orleans will always be their home and will always welcome guests such as those attending APA.

RHR Suite Hosts Reception at APA
On the last evening of the APA meeting in New Orleans, SPIM members and friends gathered for networking and renewing friendships in the gracious space of a lovely suite at the Hilton Hotel – compliments of RHR International! RHR CEO Al Parchem, a long-time SPIM member, and other RHR psychologists and staff were on hand, along with several SPIM officers, a number of Division 13 colleagues, and other friends and acquaintances attending the meeting. SPIM is always grateful for this type of support from RHR, which has also been a consistent major sponsor of our annual meetings.

SPIM and Division 13 Honor Kilburg at APA
On Friday evening, SPIM and the Society of Consulting Psychology (Div 13) joined in a reception honoring Dick Kilburg, winner of the Marian and Harry Levinson Award. The event was one in which SPIM members in attendance could take great pride, since both Harry Levinson and Dick Kilburg have been honored by SPIM with the Distinguished Psychologist in Management Award. Levinson, in fact, was the first recipient of the DPIM Award (1985), and Dick – who, incidentally, was SPIM’s first president in 1985, also received the DPIM Award in 2002. Harry was in attendance and offered comments following Dick’s instructive and moving presentation, “Executive Coaching through the Lenses of Harry Levinson.” It was a pleasure to share memories and perspectives on coaching at the reception in the Division 13 Suite with these two outstanding SPIM psychologists.

SPIM Board Meets at APA
Meeting for the fourth time since the conclusion of the annual meeting in March in San Francisco, the SPIM Board of Directors, gathered in New Orleans – and on the telephone, in the case of the majority who were not attending APA – to consider a number of important business items. The group is making progress on developing policies and documenting a variety of business processes. Major initiatives for the current year include increasing membership and redesign of the website, in addition to our recurring goals of providing outstanding educational experiences and professional development for members.

SPIM Board Recommends “Fellows” Category of Membership
Acting on the report of SPIM Board Member John Langhorne, the SPIM Board of Directors has agreed to forward to the members for vote a proposal to create a “Fellow” category of membership. Meeting at APA, the Board agreed to a description of this type of membership, which would recognize senior (at least 10 years experience) psychologists who have made outstanding contributions “to the development of SPIM and/or to the development of management psychology.” This structure is similar to that of APA, which also has “Fellows” as well as regular members. The proposal will come to the membership in the form of a Bylaws change, most likely at the time of the ballot to elect new officers.

SPIM and SCP Form Interest Group
During the APA meeting in August, SPIM Member and Division 13 Outgoing President Debra Robinson hosted a meeting of SPIM members who also belong to the Society of Consulting Psychology (APA Division 13). This group met in the Division 13 Suite to talk about forming an “Interest Group” within SCP. The focus will be on the shared interests of psychologists in management who belong to both organizations, and the group will consider opportunities for some joint activities to be conducted under the umbrella of Division 13. Rodney Lowman, a SPIM member and former SPIM president who is now APA Council Representative for Division 13, will coordinate the development of the group. E-mail Rodney at rlowman@alliant.edu if you belong to Division 13 (or would like to) and are interested in participating in the Interest Group.

SPIM Launches Redesigned Website
With the assistance of Pouneh Web Design of San Carlos, California, SPIM has launched a redesigned website. For a number of years, Al Hollenbeck provided outstanding service to SPIM, acting as web master for the site, which was hosted at the University of North Carolina. Although Al long ago told us that he needed to relinquish these responsibilities – for both personal and professional reasons that we can all understand – he continued to serve while we looked for alternatives. In the spring, the Board decided that we could no longer expect this work to be done by volunteers and authorized the contracting of a professional web designer. We have been pleased with Pouneh’s attention to our needs and to the offer of a discounted rate for non-profit organizations. Kudos to Al Hollenbeck for all his fine work over the years, and also for his advice as we began the design of this new site with Pouneh!

SPIM Board to Consider Companion Foundation
Members of the SPIM Board of Directors, meeting during the APA Annual Convention, considered an outline for development of a charitable 501(c)3 foundation, which would be able to accept tax-exempt gifts for support of educational and public benefit purposes. SPIM has received several inquiries from individual interested in making such gifts, but SPIM’s status as a professional organization does not permit such gifts to be made as charitable contributions. Because SPIM’s work often does involve activities that are purely educational and may benefit the public through the improvement of public institutions and organizations, such a foundation could be an important next step in our growth. Additional details will be made available to members and others as the plan evolves.

Former DPIM Winners Mourned
SPIM notes with sadness the recent passing of two of our Distinguished Psychologist in Management Award winners. In May, Dr. Douglas Bray, SPIM’s 1986 DPIM winner died. Doug was perhaps best known for having developed the first assessment center in private industry at AT&T, then the world’s largest company. Later, he founded Development Dimensions International, with William Byham, to provide consulting on assessment centers and provide assessment center simulations. Doug’s wife, Ann Howard, was SPIM president in 1996-97, and both were long-time members of SPIM.

Dr. John J. Conger, SPIM’s 1991 Distinguished Psychologist in Management Award winner, died in June. Perhaps the only psychologist to have been dean of a major medical school, John also served the University of Colorado as chancellor of its Health Sciences Center in Denver. He was president of the American Psychological Association in 1981, and he also was a vice-president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. John is survived by his wife Trista and two sons, Steven and David.