Setting Goals for the Next Year
As I begin my term as president of The Endocrine Society, I would like to thank my predecessor, Bill Young, for his extraordinary leadership and vision. I would like to share some of the activities that I will be focusing on during my presidential year. First and foremost, I will ensure that some of the initiatives that were launched by now past presidents Jan Hall and Bill Young continue moving forward, such as the focus on health disparities and international outreach, which will no doubt become part of The Endocrine Society’s core activities.
ICE/ENDO 2014
Next year, our annual meeting will be a combination of the 96th meeting of Th e Endocrine Society and the 16th annual meeting of the International Congress of Endocrinology. This is the first ICE/ENDO in the U.S. since 1996, and it promises to be an exceptionally powerful way for endocrinologists from around the world to communicate their latest findings in research and clinical practice in a setting of powerful educational activities. Th e Annual Meeting Steering Committee co-chairs Derek LeRoith, Kevin Grove, Matthew Ringel, and Carol Wysham will lead the planning committee in developing a top-quality meeting, with outstanding content for each of our constituencies. Stay tuned for more details on the ICE/ENDO 2014 meeting later this fall.
Branding Initiative
The Society is in the process of evaluating and refreshing its brand (logo, key messages, tone, style) to ensure that its visual identity, products, services, and messaging relate cohesively to an overall brand.
We have engaged an expert branding consultant, who over the last few months has conducted interviews with a range of Society leaders and facilitated an in-depth discussion with Council and committee chairs to get broad perspective and input into this process. A Branding Task Force with diverse representation from all constituencies was appointed in January by then president Bill Young to work closely with key staff and the branding consultant on this project. This has been a very thoughtful and inclusive process and we hope to unveil the final product in early 2014.
Awards
The Society has an amazing portfolio of awards ranging from the Laureate Awards to the Trainee and Early Career Professional Awards, totaling over $700,000. An Awards Task Force was established earlier this year to review the existing portfolio of awards with a more strategic focus, ensuring that they meet the needs of various appropriate constituencies for recognition. The objective of this task force was to evaluate the Society’s awards program, reconfiguring some of the awards to better promote the awardees, their science, and the Society, and to explore the feasibility of a new high-profile award.
Some of the initial task force recommendations will be implemented in the next award cycle later this year. However, the Awards Task Force will continue to meet to consider a new award category that identifi es the most important achievements in endocrine research and treatment, and provides incentives to continue groundbreaking research. More details will be provided once the award is fleshed out and a feasible and sustainable financing mechanism is identified.
There are many other areas that will require our attention in the coming year, and I am looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that will make The Endocrine Society more visible, viable, and valuable to our members around the globe.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me at [email protected].
Teresa K. Woodruff, PhD
President, The Endocrine Society
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