Spring: The Beginning of Committee Transitions

Whenever you see trees in blossom and flowers in bloom, you should think about joining a committee of the ACS Cancer Programs. Each year an open call for nominations commences the first week of May. Those of you who are interested in joining or leading a committee are encouraged to review the committee charters once they are posted on the ACS website. Applications are due May 31 and final announcements and official committee transitions occur in October during ACS Clinical Congress.

It is worth noting that opening committees and leadership positions to a transparent, application-based approach took 2 years to design and build. The need for a more transparent, consistent, and accessible process of populating and assigning leaders to committees was identified as part of a diversity, equity, and inclusion virtual panel discussion while we were still meeting remotely during the pandemic. To address this concern, a task force representing all the Cancer Programs was assembled to review and revise the committee application and selection processes.

The task force’s recommendations to create a single, harmonized application-based process was approved. In brief, each committee is to post a charter, solicit nominations for members and leaders through an open application process, and select members and leaders through a diversified selection committee that includes member-at-large constituents. Please stay tuned for further announcements coming later this month in the newsletter and on the website with a list of open committee positions and a link to the applications.