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SHOULD THE ATA BE A TOP-DOWN, OR A BOTTOM-UP, OR A HORIZONTALLY-INTERACTING ORGANIZATION – YES!
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| Charles H. Emerson, M.D. President, American Thyroid Association |
President's Update
February 2018
We are now into the time of the year when the days are getting longer and our last annual meeting – in late October of 2017 – is becoming a distant memory. Months prior to that meeting I started work on one of the most important functions of the President-Elect. This is to review the members of ATA Committees and appoint, in conjunction with the Board, Committee Chairs and ATA staff, the committees for the coming year. Due to the addition of a new Committee in late 2017, the Guidelines and Statements Committee (See below), it was not until early this year that their composition was finalized.
Now, as I become more familiar with the role of President, and as the new committees are galvanizing into action, I have begun to consider how the perspectives and perceptions of our members might influence their interactions with the workings of the ATA. Clearly those of a new member, of a member of one of the ATA's committees, of a committee chair, of a participant in a major ATA activity (i.e. journal Board, Guidelines authorship), of a "junior" member of the ATA Board, or as an officer of the ATA, are all bound to differ. Reflecting on my recent and earlier experience in these roles leads to the theme embodied in the title of this report. In developing this theme, I hope to highlight the importance of contributions by ATA members at all stages of their careers, and to maximize their participation in the life of the ATA. It is apparent that an understanding and consensus on how the ATA's activities are initiated and decisions made should help each of us navigate within this very special organization and, in doing so, help achieve its goals.
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