Credit:
Courtesy of Luke Roberson
The heart of the American Chemical Society has always been found in its local sections. For many members, a local section meeting, outreach activity, or networking event is their first substantive interaction with ACS. These experiences often shape their sense of belonging to the broader chemistry enterprise and demonstrate the value of membership throughout their careers.
Yet the environment in which local sections operate continues to evolve. Volunteer time is increasingly limited, member expectations are changing, and technology is rapidly reshaping how local sections engage their communities. To remain vibrant and effective, local sections must have both the flexibility to innovate and the support needed to succeed.
Recognizing this reality, the Committee on Local Section Activities (LSAC) has spent much of the past year focused on strengthening the foundation that supports local sections while also creating new opportunities to recognize excellence and share best practices across the ACS community.
“Our goal is not simply to recognize excellence, but to cultivate it. By providing meaningful recognition, practical support, and modern tools, we can help volunteer leaders focus on what matters most, building stronger programs, engaging more members, and creating lasting impact in their communities.”
At ACS Fall 2026, LSAC approved the new Local Section Excellence Program. Developed as part of our strategic plan, the program is built on three principles: recognizing achievement, encouraging continuous improvement, and ensuring fairness regardless of section size. Rather than comparing sections against one another, the program establishes a tiered recognition framework with clear expectations and attainable milestones. Sections will be recognized for their accomplishments while receiving guidance, resources, and best practices to help them advance to the next tier.
The program broadens the role of annual reporting beyond identifying sections that may need support or providing the basis for ChemLuminary Award nominations. It also creates a structured way to recognize the many local sections that strengthen ACS through innovative programming, leadership development, partnerships, and member engagement. By providing a clear pathway for advancement, the program encourages sections to expand successful activities, explore new programming opportunities, and continuously enhance their impact within the ACS community.
LSAC plans to formally introduce the Local Section Excellence Program at the 2027 ACS Leadership Institute. The program will rely on data already collected through annual reports, meaning no additional reporting requirements for volunteer leaders. Instead, it is designed to encourage local sections to better document and showcase the outstanding work they are already doing while improving ACS’s ability to recognize excellence and share successful practices across the local section community.
Recognition, however, is only part of the equation. To thrive, volunteer leaders need access to modern tools, reliable resources, and streamlined operational support.
That need is being addressed through the ACS component support pilot. This pilot will test a new platform and support model designed to simplify many of the administrative tasks that consume too much of ACS volunteers’ time. Areas currently being explored include roster and member management, document storage and collaboration, event support, website capabilities, communication tools, reporting functions, and improved integration with ACS systems.
The goal is straightforward: reduce administrative burdens so volunteer leaders can spend more time focused on programming, member engagement, and community impact.
The pilot will be tested by a representative subset of ACS component groups, including divisions, international chapters, and 25 local sections, representing a variety of sizes, geographic regions, and operating models. This diverse pilot cohort will help ensure that the platform is evaluated against the broad range of needs across the ACS community.
Pilot participant onboarding and training activities will begin this fall. The pilot is expected to continue through the first quarter of 2027, during which time participants will engage in training sessions, regular check-ins, demonstrations, and structured feedback activities. Lessons learned from the pilot will help inform a broader rollout strategy and future support model for all ACS component groups.
Together, these initiatives reflect a broader vision for the future of local sections. Our goal is not simply to recognize excellence but to cultivate it. By providing meaningful recognition, practical support, and modern tools, we can help volunteer leaders focus on what matters most: building stronger programs, engaging more members, and creating lasting impact in their communities.
The challenges facing local sections will continue to evolve, but so will the opportunities. By investing in recognition, support systems, leadership development, and collaboration, we are positioning local sections to remain vibrant, relevant, and impactful for years to come.
ACS publishes C&EN but is not involved in editorial decisions.
Views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of C&EN or ACS.
