PRESIDENT ’ S MESSAGE
The Benefit and Promise of Mid-Career Leadership Roles
As I get ready to hand the president ’ s gavel to my worthy successor , Dr . Megan Crumpler , I have the opportunity to reflect on my leadership journey within APHL . While I will still be on the Board as past-president , I won ’ t be so involved in the day-to-day workings as I was . But this gives me a chance to reflect on my years in the president-elect and president positions .
Attending APHL 2024 really gave me the chance to connect and re-energize my passion for public health . Being able to interact in person with my colleagues , whom I also consider to be friends and , for some , family , to me and my team in South Dakota was refreshing . To have a meal with somebody , to sit down and to have a drink with somebody , to meet somebody new , to see a lot of the new faces who are now leading America ’ s public health laboratories is a great , yet humbling , experience . It seems like every month there ’ s more new faces at all levels of public health laboratories , and that revitalization of our ranks is essential for us to stay fresh , focused and current .
I have also come to greatly respect and adore the APHL team . They are a team that we , as public health laboratory leaders from around the country , don ’ t always get to see working behind the scenes . These past years have completely redefined how I interact with , how I view , and frankly how I appreciate all of the hard work that happens before , during and after a meeting , event or conference . We celebrate people like Terry Reamer at these events because we see the results . But unless you ’ re really involved in the planning or leadership positions , we don ’ t get to see the hard work that happens on those days when Terry ’ s sitting in an office trying to book the next three conferences . Or as Camille Walker is reaching out to our sustaining members for their participation in our Innovate sessions . From governance practices and procedures to conference planning and execution , it ’ s been very educational for me , and it has allowed me to really develop and mature my appreciation for what APHL does to fully support its members .
I can ’ t tell you how thankful I am to have been able to do this at an early point in my career . It has been formative and has transitioned how I view public health , my public health laboratory , and my fellow laboratory directors and their staff . I think my experience is going to enhance public health laboratory science in South Dakota for many years to come , because I was able to have that 30,000-foot view , while I was working on the ground in my state .
While I look forward to many more years in this community , the reality is that we continue to see intrusion of politics into public health . We experienced this throughout the pandemic . Our Kati Kelley lecturer , Dr . Peter Hotez , highlighted for us how politics is truly shaping public health , and in many ways not for the better . But to be able to reflect , connect and find the bright light in everything we do is a gift . I know that public health is always going to be my passion , and I want to say a big thank you for the past year . I ’ m proud to have served and I ’ m very excited to support Megan in the next year . g
I can ’ t tell you how thankful I am to have been able to do this at an early point in my career . It has been formative and has transitioned how I view public health , my public health laboratory , and my fellow laboratory directors and their staff . ”
Timothy Southern , PhD President , APHL
2 LAB MATTERS Summer 2024
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