Lisa A. Carey, MD

The ASCO Nominating Committee, which is itself elected by ASCO members, is charged with selecting candidates for future Society leadership. This job is both a great pleasure and a real challenge, since ASCO has so many dedicated members who have the desire, insight, and ability to lead our organization. The ASCO Board provides goals and sets priorities for this endeavor. The committee’s primary goal is to assemble the best slate of candidates, while being mindful of the breadth and diversity of ASCO membership—we come from multiple disciplines, have both academic and community affiliations, often have disease-specific interests, and have a global role that is increasingly important.

Thanks to all of you who nominated a large number of talented individuals, we were faced with the extra challenge of so many amazing oncology professionals to choose from. Over the past several months, we have narrowed the field down to a reasonable number of candidates for the ballot. We considered diversity of practice, disease and research focus, and geography. We also considered key attributes, such as insight into the importance of ASCO both in the United States and globally; the benefits of membership and how to augment them; how to partner with sister and aligned organizations; and perspective on opportunities to enhance our mission. Practical issues such as the incorporation of technology and electronic health records into practice, how to manage the burgeoning cost of cancer care, changing patient and practice demographics, and the need to attract top-quality trainees to the field of oncology were highlighted. The candidates selected for the final ballot come from across the globe and bring an immense diversity of skills and experiences. 

This year, the open positions include seats on ASCO’s Board of Directors and Nominating Committee, Treasurer, and, of course, President-Elect. The Nominating Committee considered over 100 nominations, interviewed close to 40, and ultimately selected 16 candidates for your consideration. You can review their biographies and visions for ASCO at asco. org/election. We think you’ll agree that this is an outstanding group of leaders who have made substantial contributions to our Society and to our profession. 

It is worth emphasizing the excellence of the potential candidates who did not make the final ballot but who remain essential to the mission of the Society and who are key contributors to ASCO—our heartfelt thanks go out to these remarkable individuals. We also appreciate everyone who nominated a colleague for consideration. Thank you for making our job so hard! 

This is now in your hands. As voting-eligible members of ASCO, you enjoy substantial benefits and privileges—and with those benefits comes the responsibility to participate in the election to give the Board a clear mandate and a show of confidence. Elections matter! Please take the time to review the candidates and let your voice be heard. Vote! ■

Originally published in ASCO Connection. © American Society of Clinical Oncology. “Cast Your Vote in ASCO Election by December 4.” ASCO Connection, November 2017. All rights reserved.