Martha A. Zeiger, M.D. ATA President

President's Report April 2020

New Executive Director, Amanda Perl, to lead the ATA May 11, 2020

The American Thyroid Association® (ATA®) proudly announces the appointment of Amanda Perl as the organization's new Executive Director, beginning May 11, 2020. She will succeed Bobbi Smith, who is retiring after 24 years of dedicated and transformative leadership for the ATA. Amanda and Bobbi will work together to provide a smooth transition of responsibilities and management of the excellent ATA staff.

Amanda Perl

Amanda Perl is an established not for profit executive with more than 20 years leading medical, scientific, and professional organizations. She is currently the Chief Global Member Engagement Officer at the Endocrine Society, where she leads the team responsible for key organizational initiatives including governance, global society partnerships, member engagement, leadership development, and trainee programs.

Prior to joining Endocrine Society, Amanda served as the Vice President of Development for Feeding Tomorrow and Vice President of the International Food Science Certification Commission (IFSCC) for the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). In this dual role, she led Feeding Tomorrow's fundraising and development activities and oversaw the strategic direction for IFT's Certified Food Scientist program.

Amanda has spent her career working with nonprofit organizations on educational program development, strategic planning, governance training and international program development. Prior to joining IFT, Perl was an associate at Association Management Bureau (now MCI USA), where she served as director of program development for the National Association of Women Business Owners and the managing director for the Audio Publishers Association. She also served as the manager of education programs at Community Associations Institute.

Amanda received a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies: Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics and Government and in Public Communication from American University in Washington, DC. An active member of the American Society of Association Executives, Perl was also named one of the Association Forum's 40 Under 40 in 2014.

When not at work, Amanda enjoys spending time with family, exploring new restaurants in Washington, DC, and traveling. Originally from NJ, she loves to spend time on Long Beach Island and is an avid NY Jets fan. Amanda lives in Arlington, VA with her husband, Adam, a Dolphins fan.

And, a sincere thanks to the selection committee, led by John Morris, for selecting a superb new executive director for the ATA. I have no doubt that Amanda Perl, building on ATA's strong foundation created by Bobbi Smith, will bring the ATA to a whole new level in the world of medical societies.

Bobbi Smith

Bobbi says "On behalf of the ATA staff, I want to offer a warm welcome to Amanda. We look forward to being able to meet her in person and to have the entire team in the office again. In the meantime, I would like to applaud our ATA team of association professionals for their length of service, their remarkable spectrum of skills, and their ability to lead the implementation of the strategic plan. Amanda will certainly have a soft landing into the culture of the ATA and we will support her in every way possible to carry the ATA into the future."

ATA Staff - Claudia, Adonia, Bobbi, Sharleene, Josette, Carrie

and Kelly

Stay tuned for virtual educational opportunities!

Both our ATA Satellite Symposium @ Endocrine Society and our Spring Meeting Programs will soon be available virtually to all our members in modular educational packages. The effort, led by Adonia Calhoun Coates and program committee chairs (Laura Boucai, Francesco Celi, Whitney Goldner, & Kepal Patel) are hard at work creating these exciting venues!

Stay healthy as we navigate these challenging times. I leave you with a quote hung from a wall @ Vanderbilt University!

Martha A. Zeiger, M.D.
President, American Thyroid Association