No political gridlock here
By Gayle E. Woodson, MD, AAO-HNS/F President It is election time again for the AAO-HNS! At a time when there is so much polarization in our nation’s governance, it is comforting to know that our Academy does not suffer from political gridlock. The April issue of the Bulletin contained the statements of candidates who have agreed to stand for leadership positions in our Academy. The dedicated members of our Nominating Committee worked hard to identify Members who have demonstrated commitment to our mission, have agreed to serve, and who inspire confidence in their ability to move us forward. Thus we have an excellent slate of candidates. Since the last Academy election, a task force, chaired by Richard W. Waguespack, MD, thoroughly reviewed our election process, tracing its evolution and comparing our practices to those of comparable organizations. In contrast to many societies, we do have an actual election rather than a presentation of a slate to be confirmed. And our Nominating Committee is structured and charged to consider a large cadre of nominees and volunteers to maximize inclusivity. Thus, we were surprised to learn that our organization is not significantly better than others in terms of voter participation. I would like to think that this is because of the confidence that Members have in the Nominating Committee, but there are undoubtedly other factors at play. The task force identified the time delay between the announcement of the candidates and the actual balloting as a potential suppressor of voter engagement. There seems to be no benefit from this time gap, but it could impair momentum. You can look at last month’s issue, then, for the candidate statements, and follow links to the video statements of the presidential candidates to see and hear them speak. And participate in setting the course of your Academy by voting. So think about what the candidates have to say. Who comes closest to articulating your personal vision of what our Academy should be? And vote to have a voice in steering this organization.
By Gayle E. Woodson, MD, AAO-HNS/F President

It is election time again for the AAO-HNS! At a time when there is so much polarization in our nation’s governance, it is comforting to know that our Academy does not suffer from political gridlock. The April issue of the Bulletin contained the statements of candidates who have agreed to stand for leadership positions in our Academy. The dedicated members of our Nominating Committee worked hard to identify Members who have demonstrated commitment to our mission, have agreed to serve, and who inspire confidence in their ability to move us forward. Thus we have an excellent slate of candidates.

Since the last Academy election, a task force, chaired by Richard W. Waguespack, MD, thoroughly reviewed our election process, tracing its evolution and comparing our practices to those of comparable organizations. In contrast to many societies, we do have an actual election rather than a presentation of a slate to be confirmed. And our Nominating Committee is structured and charged to consider a large cadre of nominees and volunteers to maximize inclusivity. Thus, we were surprised to learn that our organization is not significantly better than others in terms of voter participation. I would like to think that this is because of the confidence that Members have in the Nominating Committee, but there are undoubtedly other factors at play. The task force identified the time delay between the announcement of the candidates and the actual balloting as a potential suppressor of voter engagement. There seems to be no benefit from this time gap, but it could impair momentum. You can look at last month’s issue, then, for the candidate statements, and follow links to the video statements of the presidential candidates to see and hear them speak. And participate in setting the course of your Academy by voting. So think about what the candidates have to say. Who comes closest to articulating your personal vision of what our Academy should be? And vote to have a voice in steering this organization.