Congratulations to GSA’s Newest Officers

By Executive Director and CEO James Appleby, BSPharm, MPH

I’m pleased to share the results of the spring 2017 GSA elections. The Society is fortunate to have a group of talented members stepping into these leadership responsibilities. I am always impressed by how willing GSA members are to stand for election. These individuals are highly-accomplished, long-time members who are fully engaged in their professional responsibilities, as well as highly-motivated junior scholars involved with ESPO. All candidates know that, if elected, they will be called upon to devote many hours to advancing GSA. And all are willing to do so.

Unlike many professional membership societies, GSA’s members come from all disciplines. GSA provides a home for scholars to pursue disciplinary excellence in aging while cultivating inter-disciplinary collaboration on specific research topics. This approach is “hard-wired” into GSA through the format of the Society’s election process.

The GSA presidency rotates among the four major disciplinary groupings at GSA, ensuring that all perspectives are represented at all times among the officers leading the Society.  For example, the current presidential officers include Past President Nancy Morrow-Howell with a background in social work and policy; President Barbara Resnick, a nurse practitioner and clinical-care researcher; President-Elect David Ekerdt, a social/behavioral scientist; and President-Elect-Elect Michal Jazwinski, a biological scientist. These presidential officers are a microcosm of the broader GSA membership.

By taking a “big tent” approach, where all scholars with an interest in advancing aging research are welcome, GSA thrives. Please join me in congratulating those scholars stepping into these new leadership roles.