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Robert Trachtenberg, APA’s chief operating officer, reported during budget discussions at last month’s Board of Trustees meeting that the Association’s Electronic Communications Project, now in its third year, is on track and progressing well.
The project’s three goals, he noted, are to develop and expand APA’s presence on the World Wide Web; to ensure that all district branches are brought online and enhance computer access between the branch office and DB members; and to update the ability of APA’s computer system to better support the Association’s key activities.
Acknowledging that achieving these goals will require a substantial continuing investment of funds, he emphasized, "If APA is to remain viable and competitive in the 21st century, it needs to have immediate access to critical information, needs to operate in an efficient and cost-effective manner, and needs to be able to analyze data across the Association. . . .The approach the project and the Information Systems Department have taken puts the Association on the cutting edge of technological development and creates systems at appropriate levels for APA’s needs." The Board approved a 1998 operating budget of approximately $848,000 for the Electronic Communications Project.