The ISTEB is a non-profit scientific organization whose main function is to organize the biannual conference series, the ICOBTE. Its governing body, the Executive Board (EB), consists of volunteers whose mandate is spelled out in the society by-laws. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the President whose surrogate includes the vice president (the incoming president). The EB members are elected by members of the society and serve for at least 2 years.

The ISTEB was co-founded in 1999 by Walter Wenzel of BOKU (University of Agricultural and Natural Sciences) and Domy Adriano of the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory and was incorporated in Vienna, Austria but was moved to the U.S. in 2001. Its general membership consists of individuals who have registered in one of the previous ICOBTEs.

 The EB is supported by an Auditing Committee and an International Committee. The Auditing Committee, in concert with the Society Treasurer, audits the financial activities of the ISTEB and reports a balance sheet to the entire membership. The International Committee is charged with promoting the series in their respective constituencies. More importantly, they participate in reviewing submitted abstracts and assist in setting the program. In addition, members from this committee usually participate in the editing and publication of the proceedings.

The society also elects “Honorary Members” as a way of expressing its appreciation to key individuals for their unselfish service to the society and the scientific community in general and for advancing the frontiers of trace element research. To date five members have been elected Honorary Members: Prof. Emeritus Al Page of the University of California, Riverside; Prof. Emeritus Ian Thornton of Imperial College, London; Scientist Emeritus Alex Iskandar of the U.S. Army Cold Region Research and Development Center, New Hampshire; Prof. Emeritus Alina Kabata-Pendias, IUNG, Poland; and Prof. Emeritus Domy Adriano, University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Lab who is also serving as its Honorary President.