As you know over the past year we at SPM have been involved in rethinking our organization. How can we make it stronger? More sustainable? More impactful? And more meaningful to our members and corporate partners? As part of this we are restructuring the organization and how it works. 

For example, we are hiring an executive director, reinvigorating our already strong marketing efforts, and transitioning roles and leadership of the board. And more changes will be coming.

As part of this we have created a new role that I am excited to assume. In my prior role as chairman (for oh so many years!) I had both operational responsibility and responsibility as an ambassador and advocate for participatory medicine and the Society. As Mary Hennings has taken the helm as interim board chair it frees me to focus on the other parts of the job, which made me think about what a “chief advocacy officer” would look like for SPM. I reflected on our needs and the roles I can play (most of which formalize my prior efforts).

First and foremost, I will continue to be involved as a board member of this great organization. That involves serving on committees, leading initiatives, and engaging in group activities of the board.

Next are my outward-facing roles. I will serve an ambassador to the Society, serving as a liaison for outside individuals, organizations, and companies, and will be a public face (not the public face) of the SPM in online and in-person forums, including conferences (when we get back to those). As an extension of this I will continue to help to lead our fundraising activities throughout the year. 

Finally I will have shared responsibility for communications, thorough working with the marketing committee and by generating thought leadership and other content that helps promote the Society and the practice of participatory medicine.

I am enthusiastic about this new role, which permits me to focus on essential activities without having to divide my attention between these and leading the board. And focus is what we need to build a better SPM.

But I can’t do any of this alone; I need your help and ideas. I look forward to hearing from you.