We must find time to stop and thank the people
who make a difference in our lives.
-John F. Kennedy
It is hard to believe that my time as president of ANAC is coming to a close. In the years preceding my presidency, I will admit that I had moments of angst. Prior to assuming the role of president, I served on the board of directors as president elect. At that time, the organization was going through significant change-we were searching for a new executive director; we were transitioning to a virtual administrative staff; we were selling our office space in Ohio and relocating to Washington, DC; we were negotiating a new publishing contract for JANAC; and Jason Farley, who was ANAC's president during this period, was doing an incredible job leading the organization while simultaneously managing his responsibilities as a full-time researcher and educator. I was in awe of his ability to lead all of these tasks so effortlessly. Fortunately, when the moment came for me to assume the role of president, many of these issues were settled. I started my presidency with a new executive director in place; we successfully relocated our national headquarters to Washington, DC; and we began the process of transitioning JANAC to Lippincott Williams & Wilkins/Wolters Kluwer. Having all of these issues in place allowed our board of directors to focus on strengthening and growing our organization.
One of my goals when I began my presidency was to focus on improving member and chapter engagement. The core of our organization is our members. Without a strong base of members, ANAC would not exist. Beginning in 2017, we launched a series of member listening sessions, which continued again this year. These sessions allow members, many who may not be able to come to our annual conferences, the opportunity to provide direct feedback to the board of directors and the ANAC executive team. From these sessions, we identified issues that were important to our members and have been able to share updates with members across the country. Other work that we have done to enhance chapter engagement has been an interprofessional lecture series funded by Walgreens. In several chapters, we have brought a team of nurses and pharmacists together to provide ongoing education on topics that address the needs of our patients. We have provided opportunities for our members to learn leadership skills through a webinar series, we participated in several pride events throughout the country, and we have continued to grow our chapters over the past 2 years with the addition of chapters-in-formation in India and Palm Springs.
From an organizational and infrastructure standpoint, we have continued to strengthen our financial accounting systems, we have grown our investment accounts, we have continued to develop our donor base, we expanded our central office staff, and we have secured funding to create new education offerings through acquisition of new grant awards.
None of these achievements would have been possible without a team of dedicated staff, an outstanding group of board members, and committed ANAC members and volunteers. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as president over the past 2 years and to help lead some of these changes.
As my term as president draws to a close, I would like to thank my fellow board members; Carole Treston, our executive director; the central office staff; our chapter and committee leaders; and our members. It has been a wonderful journey and I hope that I have left the organization on a path of ongoing success. I am confident that ANAC's new president, Carol Dawson-Rose, will be a formidable leader, continuing to broaden and strengthen ANAC's reputation as the leading professional organization for nurses and other health care providers caring for persons living with, affected by, and at-risk for HIV infection. It is my time to give thanks to all of those who have supported me. I am humbled and honored that this organization and its members allowed me the opportunity to serve as president. Onward and upward!