As new SIOP President Georgia Chao and the new members of the Executive Board take office, the SIOP Administrative Office (AO) staff officially welcomes their new leader as well.

Tracy Vanneman, CAE, has been selected as the new SIOP Executive Director. Selection Advisory Group Chairs Fred Oswald and Will Shepherd, assisted by Alex Alonso, Kevin Impelman, Rich Klimoski, Deirdre Knapp, Julie Olson-Buchanan, and Doug Reynolds, investigated a number of viable candidates over a months long planning and search process. In the end, it was decided that the best person to lead the AO into the future was the person currently serving in the interim capacity. According to Shepherd:

If you’ve been eagerly awaiting the latest SIOP Salary Survey Report, we’re happy to announce that it has now been published.  The research is based on data gathered from 1,403 industrial-organizational psychologists across a range of company sizes and industries. This year’s report dives into timely topics like virtual work and the gender pay gap.

“The information in this report will equip SIOP member to make informed decisions about their career paths,” said Scott Oppler, PhD, Chair of the SIOP Institutional Research Committee. Kristl Davison, Chair of the Salary Survey Subcommittee added “This research is intended to empower industrial and organizational psychologists to know their own worth and negotiate the compensation they deserve for the essential work they do.”

Learn more about the authors at http://www.curphyleadershipsolutions.com/bio

Crises tend to bring out both the best and the worst in people. On one hand, the COVID-19 pandemic has people picking up groceries for their elderly neighbors, sewing masks, and sending hand sanitizers to those in need. At the same time, others are hoarding toilet paper, spreading conspiracy theories on social media, and failing to follow health directives from authorities.

Hardly anyone is going through their normal routines of getting ready for work, commuting to the office, spending the day with colleagues, returning home, and enjoying evenings with family and friends. People are struggling with how to effectively work from home while simultaneously being their children’s primary education and day care provider. Health care workers and others deemed essential are working longer hours than ever before, whereas those in the restaurant, bar, entertainment, fitness, hospitality, airline, and cruise industries sit idle.  Consultants and gig economy workers have seen most sources of income dry up, and those still employed have no idea whether their companies will be in business next year. The disruptions to our daily routine, uncertainty about finances, concerns about becoming infected or losing loved ones, and isolation are creating unprecedented levels of stress. No one is going to be at their best under these circumstances; the COVID-19 pandemic has created a perfect storm for our dark sides to emerge.

SIOP Foundation Visionary Circle members are now voting on their final choice for the first-ever $100,000 Visionary Circle grant. Voting closes on April 23, 2020 at 11:59 pm EDT.

Current plans are for the members of the Visionary Circle to learn the voting results at a webinar on April 29, 2020, and for a SIOP Virtual Conference session to share information about the process and results more broadly. The conference will be held June 16-30, 2020.

Less than 2 months ago, at the beginning of March, our volunteer leadership, Conference Committee, and the entire SIOP community, with support from the Administrative Office staff, were entering the home stretch of preparation for the 35^th Annual SIOP Conference in Austin, Texas.

Then, history began unfolding around the globe and in the United States as the coronavirus pandemic brought the country almost to a standstill. With large gatherings prohibited to limit the spread of the virus, SIOP cancelled the eagerly anticipated in-person annual event.