Welcome to The Coastal Society!
Welcome to The Coastal Society! Join forces with your colleagues in an international society that addresses technical, policy, educational, and management issues that relate to coastal areas. The heart of the mission of The Coastal Society (TCS) is to foster dialogue, forge partnerships, and promote communication and education around these issues.
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News:
April highlight 2025: MAD Coastal Career Event in Raleigh, NC
Find out more HERE
BIG NEWS!!
January 30, 2025
Hello all, and my very best (somewhat belated) Happy New Year wishes to you. I hope that your 2025 is fun, fruitful, and outstanding in every way. I’m very pleased to offer this short message as The Coastal Society (TCS) begins its fiftieth year of continuous service to the coastal management community, an extraordinary achievement made possible by the hard work and passionate dedication of its members, Directors, Officers, partners, supporters and friends throughout the decades. Although much has changed since 1975, TCS has steadfastly maintained the clarion call of our mission: to actively address emerging coastal issues by fostering dialogue, forging partnerships and promoting communications and education. Please keep an eye out for more information and upcoming events to celebrate this milestone.
This note marks the end of my tenure as TCS President but, far more importantly, marks the beginning of new leadership and fresh ideas to help move TCS even further forward. We’re all proud of our past successes, including the 2024 development of a new organizational Long-Term Strategic Plan and our MAD workshops, among others, but eagerly look forward to continuing our work with eyes to the future.
First, please allow me to express my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to our members and all who were involved in any way in the success of TCS last year. Although too numerous to mention individually, this long list includes the outgoing members of the Board of Directors: Alexis Maxwell and Andrew Wilson who both served with distinction; and former TCS President Lisa Schiavinato who left her Director role to now serve as TCS Secretary. And a very special thank you to Steve MacLeod who was so vital to TCS in his many roles, most notably as President for 2020, 2021, and 2022. You all were and continue to be invaluable to fulfilling our important objectives. Last but never least (usually first!) our long-time Executive Director Judy Tucker continues to be an inspiration to us all.
Second, a very warm welcome to our newly elected TCS President and Board members. Leadership transition is often fraught with pitfalls, but we are thrilled to welcome these outstanding individuals who ensure a smooth changeover in TCS governance.
Our new President, Dr. Jennifer Biddle, is an Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Jenny was elected by the TCS members to serve as President-Elect but, in a fairly unique situation, will now assume the role of TCS President absent the usual one-year period of serving as President Elect. Through our bylaws (Article X – Officers; Section 5 Vacancies) a vacancy for the President requires immediate action by the Board of Directors. In this case, Jenny was unanimously voted in and approved by the Board as the new TCS President while I step down and serve as Past-President. We are all so pleased (as you must be, also) that she has agreed to this new role. We will also now begin a search to fill the vacant President-Elect position.
Jenny is not only very accomplished in her own right, but has extensive previous experience with TCS. This holds true for our new Board members too: Kate Fuller, Polly Glover and Kelly Graves. Please get to know them better by reading their bios on the TCS website (thecoastalsociety.org/board-of-directors-bios). I know that you’ll be impressed, and agree with me that TCS is in very fine hands.
Third, we are also very proud of the excellent efforts of our various Committees, the true heart and soul of TCS. Focusing on specific but interwoven tasks the Development, Chapters, MAD Coastal Career Development, Communication, and Coastal Connections committees, and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group, through the leadership of committee chairs and co-chairs, worked consistently to enhance all of the Society’s goals. Be it establishing and maintaining relationships with universities around career development activities; working across committees to spread the word about TCS programs; holding a series of career development workshops to benefit early- and mid-career professionals and the next generation of coastal practitioners; developing a Web Conferencing Series to provide opportunities to learn about interdisciplinary coastal issues, diverse professions and career pathways; seeking new sources of funding for our programs; or ensuring that diversity, equity, and inclusion will continue to be a key factor in everything we do, we salute the leadership and members of the committees for all of their critical work.
Fourth, similar to many non-profit organizations, TCS continues to face financial challenges so as to continue all of our programs. Although this has offered us an opportunity to be creative and to try to “do more with less,” we look forward to strengthening our fiscal position in 2025, and hope that you’ll consider being a part of this revival.
Finally, as I now assume the role of Past-President, please know that my gratitude in helping to lead TCS for the second time runneth over. It’s always been a great honor to be associated with the Society. Many sincere thanks to all! The soul of any organization is its people, and the extremely talented, enthusiastic and devoted folks who care about TCS and its mission, now into its fiftieth year, are simply the best. Let’s continue our important journey together.
All the best,
Paul
Paul C. Ticco. PhD
Past-President
The Coastal Society
