It is an honor to be nominated as the Chair of the Council, a position that helps encourage, facilitate, and coordinate communications and strategies among the Academy, State Societies, and Ophthalmic organizations. I have been privileged to serve as the Vice Chair of Council of the Academy since January of 2016 and to have previously served as a Councilor in the State Society Section, as a Councilor in the Subspecialty/Specialized Interest Section and as a past Deputy Section Leader. These experiences allowed me to see the challenges and opportunities in both sections and prepared me to be able to lead the Council as Chair.
My other leadership experiences, both inside and outside of the Academy, also helped to prepare me to take on this next role. I have served on multiple Academy committees including a Council Task Force, the Performance Measures Workgroup, BCSC Neuroscience Section, Nominating Committee, Awards Committee, and Credentials Committee and completed the Leadership Development Program in 2008. Past leadership experiences also include being past president of the California Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, past president of the Los Angeles Eye Society, past president of Women in Ophthalmology, and past board member for the North American Neuro-ophthalmology Society. Currently I am also the past chair of the Group on Women in Medicine and Science for the American Association of Medical Colleges.
As an active clinician scientist for 3 decades I understand the challenges of providing excellent clinical care while maintaining an active research portfolio and training the next generation of physicians. Importantly, following fellowship training I also spent 5 years in private practice before returning to academia– these were wonderful years that gave me the perspective and respect of caring for patients within different practice settings, affording me a greater understanding of the pressures and challenges of different models of clinical care.
I have been fortunate to have received funding from governmental institutions as well as foundations and the research has resulted in multiple patents and more than 100 publications, book chapters, and reviews. Editorial board service includes Ophthalmology, IOVS, the Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology, and Ocular Inflammation and Immunity. Past awards include the regular and senior Academy Achievement Awards, Jules Stein Eye Institute Faculty Teaching Award, the Suzanne Véronneau-Troutman Award from Women in Ophthalmology, and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Award for Excellence in Education.
I am passionate about the future of our profession, and care deeply about ophthalmology, education, comprehensive patient centered care, and surgery by surgeons. The Academy and the Council are in the best position to protect our patients and ensure that their care represents the greatest in skill, utmost compassion, and visionary innovations. As Chair of the Council I promise to continue in the spirit of camaraderie, respect, and dedication to help ensure bidirectional communication with the Academy leadership and to provide representation for all. It is a great honor to be nominated for this position and I appreciate your consideration and support.