Report from the IAPHS Board

The new IAPHS Board has met three times since it took office in February, and it’s done a great job of moving the organization ahead.  Under President Sandro Galea’s direction, it began by setting up a number of essential committees:

• A Membership Committee, co-chaired by Hedy Lee and Anjum Hajat, has enlisted an outstanding group of people to develop a membership campaign. The goal is to double IAPHS membership (individuals and institutions) by the end of the year!
• Tiffany Green is chairing a Communications Committee that will oversee our new blog as well as the newsletter, website and social media.  The Committee is still being staffed, but has already developed a plan to ensure that the blog will remain active for the foreseeable future.  Sarah Burgard and Kristin Masters, a communications specialist in Dallas, Texas, have agreed to serve as co-editors starting in May, when current editor Kristin Harper will step down.  We are deeply grateful to Kristin and our blog manager Liz Ayerle for getting the blog off to a great start.
• Our President-Elect Bruce Link got off to a great start by recruiting the Program Chair for the 2018 IAPHS Conference.  Thanks to Bob Hummer for agreeing to take the lead on planning the conference! Meanwhile, Board member Lourdes Rodríguez is keeping the Board up to date on planning underway for the 2017 conference.
• Sarah Stoddard is chairing the Nominations Committee, which is responsible for creating a slate for this election this summer of new IAPHS leaders.  She has issued a call for suggestions, due April 30.   
• Last but not least, Lindsey Leininger and Dave Kindig are co-leading the Finance Committee, which is charged with keeping IAPHS on a sound financial footing.  This committee is also in full gear and will be working closely with Treasurer José Pagán and Executive Director Chris Bachrach.

A full roster of all Committee members should be up on our Committees webpage soon.  Thanks to everyone who is helping to move IAPHS forward!

The Board has also focused on two key questions for IAPHS.  First, what is IAPHS’s unique role in population health science and application? What are the implications for our outreach efforts? Watch this space for an upcoming post that lays out the Board’s answers.  Second, what are our specific goals for 2018?  Do we want to expand our mentoring programs, hold workshops, engage in translation activities, begin an awards program?  This newer, and still ongoing, conversation has important implications for financial planning.

The Board meets monthly by conference call.  Please contact us if you’d like further information or to offer suggestions.