NOMINATING COMMITTEE

Selecting Future SNACC Leaders: Requesting All Active Members to Vote!

Deepak Sharma, MD, DM
Chair, 2021 Nominating Committee

Top row (left to right): Deepak Sharma, MD, DM,  Deborah J. Culley MD, Cornelis J. Kalkman MD, Kristin Engelhard, MD, PhD,  Jeffrey Pasternak MD. Bottom row (left to right) Marie Angele Theard, MD, Paul Garcia, MD, PhD, Peggy Wheeler, MD, Girija P. Rath, MD, DM

As you already know, SNACC will be holding elections for the positions of a Secretary/Treasurer and at least two Directors at Large this year prior to the September 2021 Annual Meeting. A third Director at Large position will become available if one of the current directors is elected as Secretary/Treasurer. In addition, for the first time, we will be electing a Vice Chair of the International Council for Perioperative Neurosciences Training (ICPNT). SNACC will also recognize its members for their accomplishments through the Teacher of the Year Award, Distinguished Service Award, and Women in Neuroanesthesiology and Neuroscience Education and Research (WINNER) Academy of Mentors Award.

The nomination period is already over. I am writing to call upon all active members to actively participate in voting to help select our future leaders. For any professional society to continue to advance, it is critical that the organization identifies effective leaders. For this, the participation of all active members in the voting process is essential. The Nominating Committee urges you to be on the lookout for an email from SNACC inviting you to vote in the coming months. Voting will be open between June 28 and July 26, 2021. Voting is both our right and our duty; it is an opportunity for all active members to have a voice in selecting the leadership team! We greatly appreciate your participation.

As you know, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are core values of SNACC. For a global organization like SNACC, it is essential to make sure we have an equitable representation of our members from diverse personal and professional backgrounds in leadership. The Nominating Committee is working towards promoting DEI in SNACC leadership and award winners. Starting this year, the chair (or a representative) of the DEI Committee will be a standing member of the Nominating Committee. All SNACC leaders are expected to be committed to DEI, and the nominees for the position this year have been asked to describe their commitment/contribution to DEI in their application. We have also made other significant improvements in the overall nomination/election process. Our goal is to ensure objectivity, fairness, and transparency in the nomination process. For example, standardized application forms were used for nominations for all elected positions to make it easier for voters to compare the candidates in terms of their contribution to perioperative neuroscience as well as their service to SNACC. We are also working on identifying ways to improve voter turnout.

With the help of engaged members of our society, the Nominating Committee hopes to help elect the best possible leaders for SNACC. I am grateful to all members of the committee for their help.

Once again, be on the lookout for the electronic ballot, and don't forget to vote!