PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Soup and Recycling I’ve been told that to avoid spillage when carrying a bowl of soup from counter to table, one should not look at it. This advice hasn’t helped me. I spill whether I stare with hostile intent at the bowl or ignore it as if it weren’t there. Thus, while I would have liked to have been in the service industry, waiting tables was not to be on my re´sume´. There are many ways to serve, however. As a physician, I have found that service to APMA can complement service to patients in ways that will dramatically enrich your career. APMA past presidents often say that appointing members to committees was one of the toughest tasks they had. I wondered why. As it turns out, filling the ranks of our uber-important committees is indeed a multifaceted—and quite difficult—task. Committee positions are granted for 1-year terms. All APMA members must annually request appointment or reappointment to committees in writing to the president-elect. What happens to committee members who serve on a committee and are doing a fantastic job? Common sense says reappoint them. Conversely, what if an unknown rising star is on the horizon, just waiting to fill a vacuum? I served on the APMA Membership and Student Liaison Committee from 1993 to 1995, long before my election to the Board of Trustees. When my 2 appointment years ended, I did not receive a request to serve again. I assumed I had failed miserably and would never be reappointed. I made inquiries and discovered that appointees were usually cycled off
656
after their service, and often would be asked to serve elsewhere. Ah, recycling. Sure enough, thenPresident Ron Lepow, DPM, recruited me for the Health Policy Committee soon afterward. The committee process begins with notices in various APMA publications requesting an application to be sent to the president-elect and executive staff, usually by September 1. The president-elect presents his or her nominations to the Board of Trustees by the February board meeting for discussion and approval. Appointment letters are sent immediately following the APMA House of Delegates. So how does the president-elect choose from among current committee members and new candidates? A good deal of research regarding an applicant’s background must occur beyond a mere review of a CV, including calls to leaders of our profession who have insight into the applicant’s abilities. The APMA Board of Trustees, in 2014, approved a new standard for committees, which sets term limits for appointees. A committee member can serve up to 5 years in the same position. That member may then serve on another committee, and/or be recycled back to the same committee after a one-year absence. While this standard presents some risk of losing talent in a particular area, it allows for new blood. Nonprofit organizations are typically served by 20 percent of their membership. The other 80 percent are content to read (or not) monthly bulletins. Volunteerism is the lifeblood of nonprofit organizations, and committee service is the epitome of volunteerism. So, volunteer! Serve on an APMA committee. You will receive more than you give. Frank Spinosa, DPM President
November/December 2014 Vol 104 No 6 Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association
Soup and Recycling I’ve been told that to avoid spillage when carrying a bowl of soup from counter to table, one should not look at it. This advice hasn’t helped me. I spill whether I stare with hostile intent at the bowl or ignore it as if it weren’t there. Thus, while I would have liked to have been in the service industry, waiting tables was not to be on my re´sume´. There are many ways to serve, however. As a physician, I have found that service to APMA can complement service to patients in ways that will dramatically enrich your career. APMA past presidents often say that appointing members to committees was one of the toughest tasks they had. I wondered why. As it turns out, filling the ranks of our uber-important committees is indeed a multifaceted—and quite difficult—task. Committee positions are granted for 1-year terms. All APMA members must annually request appointment or reappointment to committees in writing to the president-elect. What happens to committee members who serve on a committee and are doing a fantastic job? Common sense says reappoint them. Conversely, what if an unknown rising star is on the horizon, just waiting to fill a vacuum? I served on the APMA Membership and Student Liaison Committee from 1993 to 1995, long before my election to the Board of Trustees. When my 2 appointment years ended, I did not receive a request to serve again. I assumed I had failed miserably and would never be reappointed. I made inquiries and discovered that appointees were usually cycled off
656
after their service, and often would be asked to serve elsewhere. Ah, recycling. Sure enough, thenPresident Ron Lepow, DPM, recruited me for the Health Policy Committee soon afterward. The committee process begins with notices in various APMA publications requesting an application to be sent to the president-elect and executive staff, usually by September 1. The president-elect presents his or her nominations to the Board of Trustees by the February board meeting for discussion and approval. Appointment letters are sent immediately following the APMA House of Delegates. So how does the president-elect choose from among current committee members and new candidates? A good deal of research regarding an applicant’s background must occur beyond a mere review of a CV, including calls to leaders of our profession who have insight into the applicant’s abilities. The APMA Board of Trustees, in 2014, approved a new standard for committees, which sets term limits for appointees. A committee member can serve up to 5 years in the same position. That member may then serve on another committee, and/or be recycled back to the same committee after a one-year absence. While this standard presents some risk of losing talent in a particular area, it allows for new blood. Nonprofit organizations are typically served by 20 percent of their membership. The other 80 percent are content to read (or not) monthly bulletins. Volunteerism is the lifeblood of nonprofit organizations, and committee service is the epitome of volunteerism. So, volunteer! Serve on an APMA committee. You will receive more than you give. Frank Spinosa, DPM President
November/December 2014 Vol 104 No 6 Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association
