----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear ARLIS/NA members, On behalf of the Executive Board, I am pleased to make the following announcement. Effective May 1, 2000, ARLIS/NA has retained Elizabeth A. Clarke & Associates Inc. to provide the Society with Headquarters and management services. Replacing Adler Droz Inc.(Laguna Beach, CA), Clarke & Associates is located in Kanata, a suburb ("Silicon Valley north") of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada. Clarke was originally identified as a candidate for ARLIS/NA Headquarters during the search carried out in 1998/99 by the Board in office during Mary Graham's tenure as President. Following the Society's mutual agreement with Adler Droz Inc. in March of this year to terminate their relationship, the Board led by Kathryn Wayne re-interviewed Clarke and voted unanimously to retain the firm as successor. Clarke is a leading Canadian association management firm with a current headquarters roster of eight other professional groups, and which in addition manages conferences and events for clients such as the Government of Canada. Already a professional presence in the eastern half of North America, the firm is currently expanding, having recently opened an office in Western Canada (Calgary) with the intent of extending its presence throughout the western part of the continent. For ARLIS/NA, a move to Canada offers unique advantages, which the Board believes will enhance the Society's international profile and its position as the leading association for information professionals in the visual arts. Chief among these advantages are: a reduction in overhead expenses (thanks to a lower cost of doing business and a very favourable rate of exchange for the U.S. dollar), which will enable us to direct a greater proportion of Society income to membership programmes; a North-American calibre business infrastructure; a highly skilled and professional headquarters staff; and bilingual (English/French) membership services, of special interest to our French-speaking members, overseas members and the international attendees attracted to ARLIS/NA's annual conferences. Elizabeth Clarke, the firm's founder and owner, will be ARLIS/NA's Executive Director. Elizabeth's background is in medical records, government, high tech, and management consulting. She will provide day-to-day management, administrative and logistical management of operations and special events. Clarke has already been instrumental in contracting the hotel selected for ARLIS/NA's 2002 annual conference, to be held jointly with VRA in St. Louis. She is event planner for our forthcoming 2001 annual conference in Los Angeles. Tania Robert will be ARLIS/NA's fulltime, bilingual association manager. Tania's background is in marketing and business administration, and she has extensive experience working with a variety of associations. Her responsibilities will include managing the membership database, coordinating publications, organizing meetings and conferences, and liaison to the Board. Elizabeth and Tania will be backed up by additional, experienced staff in web site maintenance and finance. The physical move of the Society's administrative records records, bank accounts, web site, 800 telephone line, and so on, from Laguna Beach, California to Ottawa, Canada is presently underway. Contact information will be posted soon. A temporary Headquarters telephone number has been established, please make a note of it: (613) 599-3074. Karen McKenzie ********************************************************************* Karen McKenzie President ARLIS/NA Art Gallery of Ontario 317 Dundas Street West Toronto, CANADA M5T 1G4 Phone (416)979-6660 Ext. 389 Fax (416)979-6602 E-Mail [log in to unmask] http://www.arlisna.org __________________________________________________________________ Mail submissions to [log in to unmask] Administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc) to [log in to unmask] ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance: http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html Questions may be addressed to list owner at: [log in to unmask]