You may have noticed that there have been some changes at ASHRM recently. In June, Evan Williams became the new Executive Director for ASHRM and the Society for Health Care Strategy and Market Development (SHSMD). With nearly 20 years’ experience in association management, Evan is a great addition to the team, and I am excited for you to meet him at the annual conference in San Diego in October. In welcoming him to ASHRM, we said goodbye to former Executive Director, Lizzie Ortolano. She will be continuing as Executive Director of the American Society for Health Care Engineering and also will oversee the Association for the Health Care Environment.
Staff Additions
Over the past few months there have been two other additions to our ASHRM team. Benedict Hane is our Lead Specialist of Content Development & Publications. He has extensive experience in this area and has attended ASHRM events in his previous role. Sharon O’Connell also started recently as Administrative Coordinator and has hit the ground running. I am thrilled that these essential positions have been filled.
I would also like to congratulate Katie Carlson, whom many of you know as the Director of Education for ASHRM. Katie has been promoted to Deputy Executive Director and I could not be happier to be working so closely with her this year. She has developed a stellar program for ASHRM with the education team and I look forward to seeing what is on the horizon for ASHRM.
The Advisory Board met in June and worked on strategic planning for 2025-2027. We will continue developing the plan when we meet again later this year. The direction of the plan is taking shape, and we look forward to presenting it to you when it is completed.
ASHRM Election
You should have received an email on July 11 about voting in the ASHRM election for advisory board and nominating committee members. Voting closes on July 30. Please check your spam folder if you have not seen the message. If you need assistance, you can email ashrm@aha.org or Michael Stubbs (mike@associationelections.com). This is an opportunity to vote for members you feel best represent you and the membership. Results will be shared in early August. Good luck to those who are running this year! Thank you to the Nominating Committee members and Chair Caroline Bell for their time reviewing applications and their thoughtful discussion. I hear there were many impressive candidates!
Later this month, the call for volunteers for ASHRM committees and task forces will go out by email. Please keep an eye out for that if you are interested in participating. Volunteering is a great opportunity to learn more about ASHRM, give back and network with your peers.
As you can tell, a lot of change has happened and will be continuing to occur over the upcoming months. Change can be uncomfortable, but it is necessary for us to continue to evolve and grow. I recently left my previous employer after 12 years to learn another side of the industry. I can confirm that it’s been scary, but it’s also been exciting and amazing! Moving out of our comfort zone can be rewarding once we get past the fear of uncertainty.
“We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.” – Dolly Parton
Tatum O’Sullivan, RN, BSN, MHSA, CPHRM, DFASHRM, CPPS
