New Chairmen Share A Unifying Goal.

Young, Millar seek closer ties between chapters and national organizations in the U.S. and Canada.

On the Agenda: Inclusion

Jeffrey Marshall

David Young, a Californian who is celebrating his 20th year with FEI, is as concerned as any CFO with GAAP. But there's another gap that he wants to address during his 2001-02 term as chairman of FEI -- a disconnect he senses between FEI chapters around the country and the national organization.

"While continuing to grow and strength en our membership, I would like to have the chapters feel more a part of the national organization," says Young, CFO of Adaptec Inc., a high-tech data storage firm in Milpitas, Calif., that distributes storage solutions that move, manage and protect critical data and digital content.

"Communication is key, and there are no easy answers," he adds. "As a group, we have worked on this, and the Web has been a wonderful tool. But for some reason, when you go to a chapter meeting, you get the flavor from the members there that national is somehow different. I don't know why."

Young says that in some cases, business practices may be at issue. The concern over pro forma earnings isn't a worry for many established companies and their members from FEI, including some national technical committee members, he notes -- but it is a huge issue in his area in Northern California, where young, high-tech firms have often released earnings focused on their pro forma numbers.

The 57-year-old Young has been an FEI leader since becoming president of the Orange County chapter in 1989, and he preaches involvement. "When I speak at chapter meetings, I urge people to get involved. You'll help the chapter, and you'll help achieve what nation al wants to accomplish."

Expanding FEI's international reach -- and building on the 2000 name change to "international" -- is another key priority, but Young acknowledges it will be a long-term project. "We need to really set the right groundwork to start the changes that are necessary over a decade or longer, to make it really meaningful. What we've got to do is work through the details and put a plan in place. It's got to be clear and succinct. And it will take a while" -- so long, he thinks, that such a plan may eventually be implemented by others not yet in leadership roles with FEI national.

The new chairman says a personal goal of his is to serve on corporate boards as an audit committee member -- in keeping with FEI efforts to position members as financial experts for such service. "When you look at qualifications of people with supposed expertise, you have to ask, 'do they really have what was intended?'" he asks. "Folks will start to realize the importance of this campaign if the SEC clamps down. If it turns out that this was just a gesture, then that's different." Another unrealized goal is to serve as chief operating officer or CEO "of a growing corporation."

Young has spent most...