NSS Organization & Contacts
The NSS Board of Governors oversees the governance of the organization. An Executive Director runs the organization and reports to the board. 7 Division Heads oversee divisions within the organization and report to the Executive Director.
Executive Director
Annette Engel
Executive Director
annette.engel@caves.org
Division Heads
Communication Division Head
jcreighton@caves.org
Jolene Creighton
Tim White
Education & Training Division Head
twhite@caves.org
Emily Davis
Conservation & Science Division Head
emilyp@caves.org
Maureen Handler
Facilities Division Head
mhandler@caves.org
Carol Tiderman
Membership Division Head
ctiderman@caves.org
Vacant
Operations Division Head
Kristine Ebrey
Secretary-Treasurer
kebrey@caves.org
Committees & Teams
Governance Committees
Chair:
Steve Gladieux (sgladieux@caves.org )
The Bylaws Committee works to keep the published Bylaws current. They also work to assist the board in writing new Bylaws by making sure new motions are consistent with existing governance documents and the statues of the state of Alabama.
Chair:
Ben Tobin (benjamin.tobin@caves.org)
The function of the Financial Review Committee is to assist the Board of Governors in fulfilling its role in providing oversight of the Finances of the Society. This includes oversight on the integrity of the financial statements, internal financial controls, external reviews, & legal compliance. The committee DOES not manage the Society's finances. That is the job of the Society's management.
Chair:
Anna Pearce (nominating@caves.org)
The purpose of the NSS Nominating Committee is to oversee & facilitate elections and appointments to the NSS Board of Governors. Each year three candidates are elected to the Board by a vote of membership. Additionally one candidate is appointed by the Board.
The Nominating committee runs the election each spring. Candidates can be placed on the ballot by either collecting 25 signatures from members in good standing, or by being nominated by the Committee. Each year, the committee also recommends candidates to be appointed.
Chair:
Jean Krejca (jkrejca@caves.org)
The NSS Planning Committee, reporting to the Directorate, is established to lead, and facilitate for the Board, the development and maintenance of a comprehensive strategic plan for the future of the NSS. The most recent planning process included a survey sent to every single member, and was designed to help the committee rank and prioritize goals of cavers across the country. The next step of the planning process includes creating an operating plan for the society that links the activities of the NSS directors, officers and committees to the cavers they represent.
Operations Committees
Editor, ACA:
Adia Sovie (adia.sovie@gmail.com)
The American Caving Accidents Committee is in charge of keeping records of caving incidents & publishing American Caving Accidents.
Chair:
Dave Socky (avlibrary@caves.org)
The AV Library Committee solicits and develops audio-visual content related to caves and caving to disseminate that information to members and the public.
Chair:
Bill Steele (awards@caves.org)
At the awards banquet during each annual NSS Convention, the NSS recognizes exceptional people both in and outside of the Society by presenting awards for outstanding accomplishments.
More information on the individual awards and how to submit nominations is on the NSS Awards page.
Chair:
Dr. Matthew Niemiller (biologicalResponse@caves.org)
Initially created in response to WNS, the committee now covers a broad range of biological threats to caves and karst in a WNS-endemic world. This team is evaluates and prepares the NSS response to current and future threats faced by cave biota. They also strive to ensure that cavers are aware of threats and understand how to cave softly to mitigate their impact in the cave environment.
Chair:
Kim Fedrick (conservancies@caves.org)
The Conservancies Committee serves as a means for cave conservancies to access NSS services and NSS member expertise. It promotes cooperation, mutual assistance, and problem-solving among cave conservancies.
Chair:
Craig Hindman (cog@caves.org)
The Congress of Grottos (COG) is an advisory body that meets yearly at the NSS Convention where representatives of NSS Internal Organizations (IOs) discuss and vote on issues of concern to the IOs and NSS members. The Congress reports to the President who is responsible for bringing resolutions passed by the Congress to the Board of Governors.
Interim Division Chief:
Kim Frederick (conservdivision@caves.org)
The Conservation Division
Convention Planning Coordinator :
Carol Tiderman (conventionsteering@caves.org)
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Division Heads oversee divisions within the organization and report to the Executive Director.
Division Chief:
Devra Heyer (education@caves.org)
The NSS Education Division is dedicated to fulfilling the educational components of the NSS' mission statement.
Chair:
Joel Despain (govtliaison@caves.org)
The Government Liaison Committee serves as the interface between the NSS and government agencies. This includes advocating and communicating with the government to accomplish the goals laid out in the NSS mission statement. They also serve as the primary point of communication with government agencies.
Chair:
Paul Winter (iocommittee@caves.org )
The IO Committee faciliates and manages the NSS relationship with its Internal Organizations including Grottos, Regions, Surveys, Sections. Additionally, it also manages the relationships with outside affinity groups as well.
Chair:
Bob Roth (librarian@caves.org)
The National Speleological Society Library has the largest and most diverse collection of literature about caves and caving in the United States. The collection is very broad and contains publications printed by the NSS and NSS internal organizations. It also includes books, periodicals, and other literature published by independent publishing companies and other speleological organizations both in the US and other countries.
Marketing Chair:
Jolene Creighton (interim) (jcreighton@caves.org)
The Marketing & PR Division oversees the Society's website, social media, and acts as liaison for the news media. Committee members help coordinate coverage of caving with print and electronic media representatives. Requests for information or suggestions should be directed to the Division Chair.
Chair:
Kristine Ebrey (kebrey@caves.org )
The Membership Committee is focused on creating and implementing effective membership recruitment and renewal strategies.
National Coordinator :
Gretchen Baker (national@ncrc.info)
The National Cave Rescue Commission (NCRC) received its charter from the National Speleological Society in 1979 and serves as the Society’s representative on issues of cave rescue training and operations. NCRC is dedicated primarily to training and tracking cave rescue resources in the United States.
Chair:
Vacant (it@caves.org)
The NSS IT Committee supports the work of the society by maintaining server infrastructure, hosting services, websites, membership database(Your Membership), and other IT services.
Co-Chair:
Dave Socky (SalonsCmte@caves.org)
The NSS Salons Committee manages the Salons every year at the annual convention. The Salons celebrate the creative works of the caving community.
Chair:
Julie Schenck-Brown (preserves@caves.org)
The NSS Preserves & Acquisitions Committee manages all caves and karst lands owned by the NSS and ensures consistency across our portfolio in conjunction with our dedicated network of Preserve Managers.
This team also oversees the NSS Land Acquisition grants program, which provides funding to non-profit cave conservancies, Land Trusts, and similar conservation organizations for protection of caves. They also review potential properties for inclusion in the NSS Nature Preserve network whether through donation, purchase or joint management agreements.
Chair:
Donald A. McFarlane (dmcfarlane@jsd.claremont.edu)
The Research Advisory Committee is responsible for awarding the Ralph Stone Graduate Fellowship Grants and the general research Grants of the NSS
Co-Chair:
John Ganter (jganter@caves.org)
The NSS Safety and Techniques Committee serves as a national resource for caving best practices. It promotes safety and performance through NSS News articles, product analysis, media content, and discourse among cavers. It offers technical support to NSS training Commissions as requested. By developing and sharing standards, insights, and innovations, the committee helps ensure that caving remains safe, effective, and informed by the latest techniques and research.
Regions & Local Chapters
Local chapters of the NSS are known as 'Grottos'. Grottos are grouped into Regions.
Grottos
With over 250 local chapters known as grottos, the NSS has a presence nationwide.
Regions
