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KGS Director Becomes President of the Association of American State Geologists

Lexington, Ky. (July 12, 2010) —Kentucky’s state geologist became the president of the Association of American  State Geologists during its recent 102nd annual meeting. Dr. Jim Cobb had served as president-elect for the past year, a position he was elected to at the 2009.  As president, he will preside over the organization and set the agenda for its meetings and activities.
“It is an honor to be chosen by my colleagues across the U.S. to serve as the president of their professional organization,” says Cobb, who has been state geologist and director of the Kentucky Geological Survey since October 1999. “This organization has worked on behalf of state surveys for over a century, promoting important policies and programs to benefit the states’ resources, environment, and geologic hazard issues.”

The state geologists of the 50 states and Puerto Rico make up the membership of AASG, which was founded in 1908. The AASG produces fact sheets and interacts with federal agencies, NGOs and Congress on geologic topics, including energy, environment, water, mapping, and geologic hazards as part of their work to promote the science and practical application of geology and related earth sciences in the U. S. and its territories, commonwealths, and possessions.

State geological surveys have existed since the mid Nineteenth Century. The first one was established in North Carolina in 1823. They serve as geologic information resources for their respective state governments, and some state surveys have regulatory responsibility over resources such as water, oil, and gas. The Kentucky Geological Survey has been in existence since 1854.

Cobb served as editor of a history of the association and America’s state geologists, Association of American State Geologists Centennial History: 1908–2008. It provides the historical context for the association and the group of state geologists who have been instrumental in advancing both geology and public policies in the United States.

More information about AASG and links to all of the state geological surveys can be found at the AASG Web site, www.stategeologists.org.