Winter 2022

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Alana Flexman MD, MBA, FRCPC
SNACC President

As I received the gavel (Figure 1) from Dr. Chanannait Paisanthasan at the 50^th Annual SNACC Meeting on September 10, 2022, and became the President of the Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesiology and Critical Care, I couldn’t help feeling a range of emotions to have the opportunity and privilege of leading SNACC (you can read my Twitter thread here).

The September Annual Meeting was our first in-person meeting in nearly 3 years and clearly showed what we had all been missing: the chance to reunite, connect and interact fully with our colleagues in the perioperative neuroscience community. At the meeting, I was reminded of how unique and amazing our SNACC community truly is, and I am very grateful to have reconnected with many of you (and will find the rest of you next year!). SNACC simply wouldn’t be SNACC without you. I also reflected on my gratitude to work with a truly fantastic group of SNACC leaders, including our board members, committee chairs, committee members, and our management company. We are fortunate to have a group of passionate, committed, and (intimidatingly) smart people at the helm.

I also feel my responsibility to do my part to ensure that SNACC is a sustainable and enduring organization no matter what challenges we face. The past several years certainly tested our resilience, and we met those challenges unflinchingly. As we celebrate our 50^th anniversary, SNACC continues to grow and adapt to our changing world. Several changes are underway, including a governance renewal (Figure 1) which was undertaken to recognize the growing work within SNACC and the need to extend leadership opportunities beyond the board of directors. With this renewal, committee chairs will be appointed by the Board of Directors, and each Board Director will be assigned a role or portfolio of committees. We will continue to evolve this structure in the coming year as needed, and I thank all of our leaders and volunteers sincerely for their contributions.

We will also undergo a strategic planning process over the next year. Strategic planning has been on our radar for several years now but was postponed due to the pandemic. In the coming month, you will see an anonymous member survey in your inbox, and I would be most grateful if you could share your feedback and ideas with us. This process will provide SNACC with a strategic roadmap going forward to ensure our continued success and growth.

Finally, I feel excited – about our future. After overcoming several transitions and pandemic challenges over the past few years, we now have an opportunity to renew our purpose, vision, values, and goals. Now is the time to reaffirm prior commitments and start new initiatives within SNACC. The future is bright, and I couldn’t be more honored and enthusiastic to make this journey with you!