After five years of extraordinary service as the AAS administrator, Jo Thurman has taken up a new position in Darwin. It is hard for us to not overstate the contribution that Jo has made to the Society in her role. She built a new website, adopted a more efficient membership management system, set up AAS Forums, and streamlined AAS communications with her excellent e-Bulletins. She played an essential role in the success of our first online conference last year and has helped the Executive function smoothly in very difficult years. She is efficient in all the behind the scenes work that keeps the AAS on track, calm and sensible in managing challenges, and a brilliant anthropologist!

We on the Executive Committee are sure that we speak for the entire AAS membership in sincerely thanking Jo for all she has done for the Society and wishing her well in her new role. We know that she’ll continue to be part of the AAS, and perhaps the AAS Executive Committee, in years to come. (AAS board nominations coming later in the year!)

Sad though we are to farewell Jo from her AAS administrator role, we are really pleased that Chris Marcatili has accepted the role. Chris comes to us with a wealth of experience. He has a longstanding commitment and interest in anthropology, having majored in the discipline in 2010. He has worked extensively as a research assistant with a number of anthropologists while operating his own business as a freelance editor and operations consultant for the NFP sector. He is currently developing a research proposal to extend his studies in anthropology at ANU. Chris’ expertise in administering small organisations is long-standing and he enthusiastically brings this to his new role as the AAS Administrator.  On behalf of the Society we warmly welcome Chris to this new role.

Sincerely,
the AAS Committee.