PRESIDENT’ S AND CEO’ S MESSAGE
input. We decided to begin planning with a completely clean slate. The leadership wanted to begin the process with not only fresh eyes on what was most important to the association and its members, but also what goals and activities would most help APHL change to meet a changing world. It was also clear that a two-year strategic map made the most sense for the current environment.
This iteration of the strategic map landed on issues that had been discussed by the Board since February: advocacy, communication, convening, technical assistance and workforce. And because APHL’ s leadership had been thinking about these topics over the past 10 months, when a survey was fielded to members and partners in August, the data gathered was very impactful to the process. You told us what really matters to you, and to the association … and we listened.
Our central challenge over these next two years is to“ Position APHL for the Future as We Support Our Members,”( Figure 1). The four main goals will be overseen by
the APHL Board and Executive Leadership Team Members for the duration of the map. And though all the work described in the strategic map will be done through 2027, extra emphasis will be given to the following objectives in this coming year:
● Support members in engaging policy makers to build their understanding of public health laboratories
● Adapt the scale and scope of training and Career Pathways Programs
● Address gaps in technical methods and data
● Pursue diversified funding
All goals and objectives are supported by the cross-cutting goal of“ Leverage Community and Strategic Partnerships,” without which APHL could not be as impactful in our work.
We, as an association, approach every strategic mapping process a little bit differently. Sometimes it takes a lot of negotiation to get all parties on the same page about goals and objectives. Other times it’ s the desire to work on the one or two things that we didn’ t get a chance to work on in the previous cycle that drives discussions. In this iteration of the map, however, there was something crystal clear in the interactions and discussion: our members and partners are committed to APHL, and APHL is committed to being a foundational resource for the public health community.
As APHL begins 2026, it will celebrate its 75th anniversary— a stellar milestone for any organization. While some of the year will be spent looking back at how the association has changed and where we are going, we will continue to look to the future of our members. We invite you to join us at our signature events, in our online communities, in our trainings and webinars. We invite you to reconnect with colleagues and friends, we encourage you to talk with your peers. But above all, we invite you along to navigate our new strategic map together, ensuring a healthier world through quality laboratory systems. g
Save The Dates! where laboratory science and public health meet
May 4 – 7, 2026 | Baltimore, MD
PublicHealthLabs @ APHL. org
APHL. org www. aphl. org / AC # APHL
Winter 2025 LAB MATTERS 3