• At the February 1998 Technical Activities Board (TAB) meetings, John Vig, who, at the time, was president of the IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control Society, asked several of his fellow presidents about the possibility of creating an entity in IEEE for the purpose of creating a focus for the IEEE’s widely scattered sensor activities, via a journal and conference.  He received favorable responses.
• At the June 1998 TAB meetings, Vig proposed a motion to create an IEEE Sensors Council.  TAB approved a substitute motion to create an Ad Hoc Committee to Organize an IEEE Sensors Council.  Subsequently, TAB Chair L.A. (Pete) Morley appointed the Ad Hoc Committee on Sensors, with Vig as Committee chair, and representatives of interested societies as committee members.

From the minutes of the June 1998 TAB meetings:

“92. Approval of Ad Hoc Committee to Organize an IEEE Sensors Council. A proposal was submitted for establishment of an IEEE Sensors Council. After discussions, it was consensus that an Ad Hoc Committee be created to organize the IEEE Sensors Council, and a Motion was made that:

TAB approve that the TAB Chair appoint an Ad Hoc Committee for the purpose of exploring cooperative activities around the topic of sensors.

Financial implications toTAB: none

The Motion passed.”

At the November 1998 TAB meetings, Vig made a presentation to TAB arguing for the creation of the Sensors Council, and then proposed a motion (cf. # 127 appearing below) to approve the Council’s Field of Interest Statement, and Constitution.  (The Field of Interest Statement is ARTICLE II of the Constitution.)  The motions were

According to the minutes of the November 1998 TAB meetings:

“127.  Approval of the IEEE Sensors Council Field of Interest Statement.  A proposal for approval of the proposed IEEE Sensors Council Field of Interest Statement was submitted, and a Motion was made that:

TAB approve the IEEE Sensors Counci Field of Interest Statement.

Financial implications to TAB: none

The Motion passed.

128.  Approval of the IEEE Sensors Council Constitution. A proposal was also submitted for approval of the IEEE Sensors Council Constitution, and a Motion was made that:

TAB approve the IEEE Sensors Council Constitution.

Financial implications to TAB: none

The Motion passed.”

• At the February 1999 TAB meeting, a motion (cf. # 42 appearing below) the formation of the Sensors Council was approved.  Prior to that, 14 presidents signed a “Petition for the Formation of the IEEE Sensors Council.”

According to the February 1999 TAB meeting minutes

“42.  Approval of the Formation of the IEEE Sensors Council. A proposal was submitted for approval of the formation of the IEEE Sensors Council, and a Motion was made that:

TAB approve formation of the IEEE Sensors Council.

Financial implications to TAB: none

The Motion passed.  Barry Brusso, Ira Pitel, Stanley Booker and Philip Krein abstained.”

• It took several months for the societies to decide whether or not to join the Sensors Council and to appoint AdCom representatives.  Eventually, 26 societies joined the Council.  Each society contributed $2,000- towards startup expenses of the Council.

• At the June 1999 TAB meetings, TAB approved a motion to assign the Sensors Council to Division I.

According to the minutes of the June 1999 TAB meetings:

“Approval of Inclusion of IEEE Sensors Council in Division I. Since the IEEE Sensors Ad Hoc Committee became a Council in February 1999, a determination of its Division was necessary. Therefore, a Motion was made that:

TAB approve including the IEEE Sensors Council in Division I.

Financial implications to TAB: none

The Motion passed.”

• The first Administrative Committee (AdCom) meeting was held November 6, 1999, at the Wyndham Hotel near Newark Airport, NJ, USA.  The President, Finance Chair, and Secretary were elected at this meeting, with terms to begin January 1, 2000.  The AdCom decided that the Council would select a Nominations Committee to fill out the slate of officers, and elect the remaining officers by means of an E-mail vote.  The following were elected at the meeting:

President:                                                    John R. Vig

Finance Chair:                                            Michael Vellekoop

Secretary:                                                     Thomas F. Wiener

Nominating Committee Chair:              Kang Lee

Nominating Committee members:      Jerry Coté, Jim Nevins, Tom Weller, and Paul Zavracky.

An E-mail voting policy was adopted, as follows:

After a motion is proposed via E-mail, discussions will be held on-line (E-mail or bulletin board), by telephone, or otherwise.  The time allowed for discussion shall be at the discretion of the President.  E-mail voting will have three choices: Yes, No, and Hold (because some may feel that an item ought to be held for in-person votes). If more than 50% vote yes, the motion carries.  If at least 50% vote No, the motion is defeated.  If at least 50% vote No or Hold, the motion shall be tabled until the next AdCom Meeting.

The following additional officers were elected in an E-mail vote conducted in January 2000:

President-elect:                                     Franco Maloberti

VP for Technical Operations:                 Jerome Schultz

VP Conferences:                                    Martha Pardavi-Horvath

VP for Publications:                                   Jose’ Moura

At the February 2000 meeting of the IEEE Technical Activities Board, the TAB approved a $100K loan to the IEEE Sensors Council for the initial costs of the IEEE Sensors Journal.  The loan was to be repaid within six years.  The Council repaid the loan in less than three years.