Victor J. Bernet, MD Secretary/Chief Operating Officer

Secretary's Report
December 2018

On the behalf of the ATA leadership and office, we hope you have been having an enjoyable holiday season and send wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year. We hope that you are able to get some well-deserved rest and relaxation with family and friends.

For the ATA, a new calendar year means it is time to gather leadership nominations for Director positions on the Board and also for the position of President-elect. Please consider nominating a colleague who you believe has the talents and interest to contribute thru one of these important roles. Individuals that are nominated as a candidate for the BOD or president-elect remain under consideration for 3 years and future re-nomination is possible. While the ATA BODs provide the Nominating Committee with some general direction in regards to ensuring a balance on the BOD of the various constituencies within the ATA family, the final recommendation and selection is left in the hands of the Nominating Committee. The candidates for Director and President-elect undergo a democratic election process and the final representatives are decided through a vote by membership. The vibrancy of our Association is dependent on an active membership which includes service in various pathways to include elected office.

As previously announced, Peter Kopp's tenure as Editor-in-Chief of Thyroid® will come to an end in December 2019. We are presently accepting applications for the EIC position. The Thyroid EIC Selection Committee is capably led by Brendan Stack as Chair and consists of a broad group of individuals representing the many stakeholder groups within the membership. If you have any questions about the position please contact any of the following: Brendan Stack, Elizabeth Pearce, Bobbi Smith or myself.

The beginning of 2019 means we are quickly approaching the ATA 2019 Spring Symposia Diagnostic Imaging and Image-Guided Therapies for Thyroid Disease will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans on 22 March from 1-5 pm. Our program committee, led by co-Chairs Jennifer Sipos and Ralph Tufano, has put together what we feel will be a very stimulating and informative event. We hope you will join us. Please register early and for more information go to: https://www.thyroid.org/2019-ata-spring-satellite/.

It is essential that as the ATA grows and moves forward that the association remain relevant to all our stakeholders while staying true to our mission and core principles. Having come to a successful conclusion of our 2015 ATA Strategic Plan, ATA leadership has started the process of formulating another strategic plan which we intend to have ready for membership review no later than Fall 2019.

Also, please note that membership renewal notices have already gone out. Please renew promptly so as to retain the benefits of membership to include access to the ATA journals bundle.

Happy New Year,

Victor J. Bernet, MD
Secretary/Chief Operating Officer