NSS Organization & Contacts
National Level
The 17-person NSS Board of Governors is composed of 12 Directors and 5 Officers. The Directors are elected directly by the membership. They then select the 5 Officers. The Officers, in addition to their role on the Board, also run the society on a day-to-day basis. Collectively the Directors are known as the Directorate. Collectively the Officers are known as the Executive Committee.
The operations of the NSS are executed by the various committees of the organization:
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:
Carol Tiderman (ctiderman@caves.org)
The purpose of the NSS Executive Search Committee is to recruit candidates for the five NSS officer positions as per Act 12-551 and Bylaw IV, Section A(3)(d) of the NSS Bylaws. The officers are elected by the Directorate and serve a one-year term from the time the officer takes their seat on the Board of Governors. Incumbents may run for reelection each year and serve at the pleasure of the Directorate. NSS officers are tasked with the day-to-day operation of the Society and accomplish this by delegating many of the duties to the various committees in his or her department.
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:
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:
Jeffrey C Karr (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)
Division Chief:
Devra Heyer (education@caves.org)
The NSS Education Division is dedicated to fulfilling the educational components of the NSS' mission statement.
Chair:
Adam Weaver (adam@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.
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 ()
The NSS Nominating Committee finds NSS Director candidates and runs the annual Director Election. If you're considering running for an NSS Director position and need more information, please get in touch with the Nominating Committee Chairman.
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 Committee manages all caves and karst lands owned by the NSS. Each preserve typically has its own management team.
PR Division Chief:
Amanda WIllis (pr@caves.org)
The Public Relations Division serves as the Society's liaison for the news media. Committee members help coordinate coverage of caving, including breaking news and features, with print and electronic media representatives. Requests for information or suggestions should be directed to the Division Chief.
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
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
