I hope you are enjoying the early days of summer. It is an honor to serve as your new CEO and I’m grateful to the search committee and Board of Directors for their confidence in me. ASHG is a community of dedicated and talented members and staff – I admire all of you and am filled with pride to be a part of this community. I am delighted to be here and am keen to meet as many of you as I can in the months ahead. I would like to thank ASHG’s Chief Operating Officer Marie Ternieden who served as Interim CEO and the ASHG staff for all their hard work over the last few months – and for their warm welcome. Working for scientific and medical societies for the past 20 years, every role that I had was related to strategic development and strengthening collaborations between stakeholders. I also have a personal commitment to ensuring that we have a strong and talented workforce pipeline and have worked to develop educational programs to support trainees while ensuring that there are also programs for members across the career continuum. I am passionate about challenging myself and others to reach our full potential, never stop learning and lifting one another as we reach new heights!
Three key insights from my first 30 days at ASHG….
- ASHG has an incredible community working to advance human genetics and genomics in science, health, and society through excellence in research, education, and advocacy. Our mission is clear. We are focused on developing and implementing strong programming, advancing policy and advocacy, and cultivating diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Our members are transforming lives. For many types of cancer, as one example, researchers are aiming to identify classes of mutations using technologies that provide whole-genome long-read sequencing and transcriptional analysis. Our members are at the forefront of investigating genomic variation and translating new knowledge to propel biomedical research and improve human health. It’s amazing to hear and learn about the ASHG members’ scientific research that is having a major impact on some of the most devastating diseases and conditions impacting humankind.
- Our ASHG staff team is energetic and highly dedicated. As a thriving organization, I’m witnessing their commitment to delivering results and quality service for our membership. Together, the ASHG Board of Directors, committee leaders and members, staff, sponsors, and our community of human geneticists continue to be our greatest asset. It is the combined power of the individual and the village that will drive the Society forward to enormous success.
What’s Next?
Having spent my first 30 days with an intentional focus internally on connecting with staff and members of the Board of Directors to understand the Society’s operations and get to know the leadership, I now intend to learn even more about the depth and breadth of our premier association by engaging more externally over the next few months. Three key areas I will be focusing on will include:
- COMMUNICATIONS. We will fully communicate with our amazing base of long-standing, generous partners including NHGRI and others who believe in us and allow us to do what we do at ASHG to lift up our communities. I look forward to meeting you in person at the ASHG 2024 Annual Meeting in Denver, CO from November 5-9, 2024.
- FOCUS ON OUTCOMES. We will continue in our efforts to build strong partnerships to increase participation in ASHG’s programs; create impactful venues for sharing science and look for new ways to grow membership, build revenue and increase our impact, by leveraging technology.
- PLANNING AHEAD. We will continue building upon the work that has already started on ASHG’s strategic plan. This three to five-year vision is well underway through the thoughtful direction of the Society’s Board and staff. I envision building on a simple formula for success at ASHG: Engaged Members + Focused Strategy + Sustainable funding = Impactful Growth @ ASHG I welcome your ideas, dreams, and feedback for our ASHG team — share them with me at ceo@ashg.org.
Thank you for your engagement, volunteerism, and contributions to the Society and field, as we continue this important work of transforming lives and helping people everywhere realize the benefits of human genetics and genomics research. I am excited about the future and deeply appreciative of your generous support on this journey.
I look forward to meeting and working with you!
Warmly,
Amanda Perl, ASHG CEO