2009 Election Nominees National Offices

The Nominating Committee has submitted the following slate of candidates for the Society offices for the year 1 July 2010 through 30 June 2011.  Members of the Nominating Committee were: Clifford W. Houston (Chair), University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston; Randall Holmes, University of Colorado at Denver Health Sciences Center, Aurora, Colo.; Marian Johnson-Thompson, NIEHS/ NIH, Research Triangle Park, N.C.; Keith Klugman, Rollins School of Public Health/ Emory University, Atlanta, Ga.; Kathryn Boor, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.; Joan Slonczewski, Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio; and Ruth Berkelman, Emory University/Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Ga.

The Society will continue to offer the online balloting system with "streamlined access." All eligible members are expected to vote online. The online voting system will open 1 October and close 10 December 2009.

Divisional Group Representatives and Divisional Officers

Candidates for Divisional Group Representatives and Divisional Officers are presented in the  tables on pages 472-474 (click for PDF).

Statement from David C. Hooper, ASM President-Elect Candidate. I am exceptionally pleased and honored to be a candidate for President of ASM. As the largest and oldest society in the field of microbiology, ASM is ideally situated to contribute to its diverse membership and the broader scientific community, and to communicate the importance of the field to national leadership and the lay public. This role will become increasingly important as new microbial diseases continue to emerge and our understanding of microbial interactions with each other and the environment continues to expand. Also, this new knowledge will need to be assessed and presented in the context of microorganisms' integral role in a biosphere in which climate is changing. Thus, strong continuing leadership from ASM, both in facilitating exchange of ideas and new information across the specialty areas within the society and in communicating ASM's vision to the public, is key.

I bring to my candidacy a strong background in basic science and epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance in human pathogens and their role in microbiology and medicine, with a broad perspective on these topics stemming from my own research and clinical experience and from editorial roles with the ASM Books Committee, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, and The Journal of Infectious Diseases. I also bring to my candidacy a strong knowledge of and commitment to the ASM stemming from diverse prior volunteer activities. Among these activities are my leadership positions as prior chair of Division A and six years as the Vice- Chair and then Chair of the Scientific Program Committee of the ASM Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. I believe these prior activities provide me the experience, skills, and perspective to lead ASM.

Promoting the training of new microbiologists and persons working in related fields is an important role of ASM. The long-term health of the field of microbiology and with it the health of ASM itself are strongly linked to robust recruitment of new members to the field. Thus, the ASM should continue to support and expand educational activities for potential future scientists about the diversity of microbiology and the career opportunities within the field. These activities should reach trainees at many levels from elementary to postgraduate education and should extend particularly to those in underrepresented minorities. In 14 years as the Program Director of an Infectious Diseases Fellowship that includes both clinical and research training, I have helped trainees successfully launch their academic careers by building infrastructure and providing oversight and mentoring. Through my work with these fellows, I have recognized that all three-structure, oversight, and individual support-are necessary to allow trainees to develop the skills and background for both short- and long-term success in their professional lives. ASM, through its activities targeted at trainees, including its minority mentoring program, travel grants and awards for outstanding trainees, and communication of employment opportunities, provides important additional supports that should be maintained and expanded.

Since microbes do not respect national boundaries, ASM should continue to promote and strengthen international collaborations among individual scientists and with other scientific societies with related goals and interests. Robust international collaborations are essential in the context of the global scope of microbiology. The traditions and strengths of the ASM are broad and strong, including its meetings, workshops, and colloquia, its publications, and its promotion of education, international programs, and public affairs. All of these activities are underpinned by an extraordinary volunteer member participation in promoting the best in current and future science in the field of microbiology. I would aim to build on this strong platform with additional coordination of these resources across organizational areas and in broadening of outreach. I am also eager to receive ideas and suggestions from members on how ASM might improve and provide more value to its members.

In summary, if I am chosen as President of ASM, I commit to sustain and expand the society's membership and programs to ensure that in challenging economic times ASM remains the premier organization in the field of microbiology and continues to provide microbiologists an outstanding intellectual resource and a hub for their professional life and connections.

Statement from Donald E. Low, ASM President-Elect Candidate. I am delighted and honored to be a candidate for President of ASM. ASM was the first scientific organization I joined as a resident in infectious diseases in 1979. My first abstract, that I wrote as a trainee, was presented at the ASM Annual General Meeting in Los Angeles that same year. Since then I have participated in every ASM and ICAAC meeting. ASM has provided invaluable opportunities for me to learn, meet new colleagues, and establish collaborations. It would be an honor for me to be able to serve as President.

Whether as a result of socioeconomic or environmental factors, population growth, and/or globalization, we continue to be challenged with new emerging and reemerging infectious diseases. Even today, we find ourselves in the midst of a historic event, as we watch and learn from the emergence, dissemination and evolution of influenza A H1N1 (swine flu). Now with rapidly evolving viral and microbial genomics research, there are new datagenerating platforms and knowledge bases which allow us to better understand diseases and their associated pathogens. Systematic molecular biology studies using genomics information and technologies have helped to elucidate mechanisms of virulence and pathogenicity, whereas genomics-based medical genetic studies have been used to help us better understand pathogen susceptibility.

My major research interest has largely been the study of the epidemiology and mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance and the pathogenesis of severe gram-positive infections in the community setting, including streptococcal toxic shock and necrotizing fasciitis. In 1987, I established the Canadian Bacterial Surveillance Network, consisting of 100 volunteer private and hospital-affiliated laboratories from across Canada, which provides clinical isolates of important community pathogens yearly from the same geographical regions. In 1992, my colleagues and I established the Ontario Invasive Streptococcal Study Group that collects clinical information and isolates of all invasive group A streptococcal infections in the province of Ontario (with a population of about 13 million). These two networks, and our Toronto Invasive Bacterial Diseases Network, have provided an invaluable platform to launch a number of important studies with our ASM colleagues from a number of countries. Such collaborations have allowed us to a better delineate virulence elements in various pathogens and host risk factors for severe disease. It has also allowed us generate information for policy makers to make decisions regarding prevention of disease and to assist clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of these infections. These studies have included clinicians on the front line which has provided our group with the opportunity to make unique observations about new emerging pathogens including the recognition of Streptococcus iniae as a human pathogen and the introduction and spread of SARS CoV.

Over the years as a clinical medical microbiologist, I have had the opportunity to be involved with the teaching, mentoring and training of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoc trainees in microbiology, residents in internal medicine, and fellows in infectious diseases and medical microbiology. I have made a conscious effort to expose all trainees and graduate students under my supervision to research while fulfilling their training requirements. Over 90% of the approximately 500 abstracts presented at ASM meetings over the years have been first-authored by students in training.

As a clinical medical microbiologist, I have had the opportunity to contribute to the field of diagnostic microbiology as Medical Director of one of the largest hospital-based laboratories in Canada. The Department of Microbiology, Mount Sinai Hospital and University Health Network, provides diagnostic services to 11 tertiary care and community hospitals in the greater Toronto area. In addition, I was recruited by the Ministry of Health, Government of Ontario, in 2005 to renew the Ontario Public Health Laboratories (OPHL). OPHL consists of 12 laboratories in the province of Ontario which provide reference testing for hospital and private laboratories. It employs over 600 staff and processes 4 million specimens a year with a $90 million budget. I have taken the laboratories out of government and into the new Ontario Agency for Health Promotion and Protection. I have recruited 11 scientists, clinical microbiologists, and medical microbiologists to provide not only state-of-the-art diagnostic testing but to establish a major research focus in applied microbiology and research. These individuals have been provided the equipment and staff needed to meet this challenge.

I have had the opportunity to serve ASM. From 1996-2000, I was a member of the ICAAC program committee. Since 2000, I have been a member of the Editorial Board of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy and since 2004, a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Infectious Diseases. In 2007, I was Chair of Division A. I have supported the ASM journals as both a reviewer and a contributor, by publishing 80 articles in ASM journals over the last 20 years.

ASM is an exceptional organization and I look forward to continuing to serve in whatever capacity possible.

Proposed Amendments to the ASM Bylaws

At the 2009 General Meeting, the ASM Council voted to adopt the following amendments to the ASM Bylaws. These five amendments have been placed on the 2009 ballot for general membership approval.

1. To amend the Bylaws to formally document ASM's long-term policy and practice of nondiscrimination.

The new language to be added to Bylaws Article I. Members-Section 5 shall now read:

Section 5. Non-Discriminatory Policy. The Society does not discriminate in membership or in any activity on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, genetic information, disability, or political affiliation or any other personal characteristic not related to the ethical promotion of the scientific knowledge of microbiology.

2. The current Bylaws policy requires the formally elected President-Elect to traditionally be placed on the ballot as the sole selection for President during his/her term as President-Elect. This amendment wouldofficially establish the office of President- Elect as a three-year sequential appointment with automatic advancement to the office of President without further election.

In Article II. Elective Officers, Sections 1, 2 and 3 as amended, shall now read:

Section 1. Nominations. The Nominating Committee (ART. XVI, Sec. 2) shall make one or more nominations each for President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer as set forth in this section.

Section 2. Elections. (4th paragraph) Any nominee for the offices of President- Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer who receives an absolute majority of the votes cast for that office shall be declared elected.

Section 3: Terms of Office. The term of President-Elect shall be one calendar year beginning 1 July next after the election. The person holding the office of President- Elect will automatically advance to the office of President for one year without intermediate election and then serve an additional one-year term as Immediate Past President. The term of the Secretary and the Treasurer shall be one calendar year beginning 1 July next after the election. The one-year terms of Secretary or Treasurer may be renewed, but no person shall serve for more than 9 years in one office. The one-year term of the President or President-Elect may not be renewed.

3. To amend the Bylaws to include a process to determine the outcome of CPC At Large elections if no candidate(s) receives a majority of votes.

In Article V. Council Policy Committee, Section 1 as amended, shall now read:

Section 1. Composition. The voting members of the Council Policy Committee shall consist of the incumbent President serving as chair, immediate Past President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, chair of the Board of Governors of the American Academy of Microbiology, chair of the Publications Board, chair of the Meetings Board, chair of the Education Board, the chair of the Public and Scientific Affairs Board, the chair of the Membership Board, and the chairs of such other Boards as may be established, three Councilors representing Branches, and three Councilors representing Divisions. These said Councilors will be nominated by a nominating committee (consisting of CPC and Council members) appointed by the President, and elected from the Council by ballot of the Council for 3-year terms. The nominee(s) who receives a majority of the votes cast for the position(s) shall be declared elected. If no nominee receives a majority, the ASM Secretary shall present a voting procedure to resolve the election to be voted on by the Council at the next Council meeting. These Councilors may be re-elected to the Council Policy Committee at the end of their threeyear term for up to one additional term. Other persons may be invited as needed, but without the privilege of voting.

4. To amend the ASM Bylaws in order to establish the membership status for postdoctoral and transitional members since currently there is no mention of these two membership categories.

In Article I-Members, Section 3 and 4 as amended, shall now read:

Section 3. Postdoctoral Members. An individual with a doctoral degree (e.g., Ph.D., D.V.M., M.D., D.D.S. etc.) may apply for postdoctoral membership in ASM once during their life as long as the application for Postdoctoral Membership is received within 3 years of graduation from a regularly matriculated program in microbiology or a related field. Postdoctoral membership is limited to five consecutive years. Postdoctoral members have all of the privileges of Full Membership. Section 4. Transitional Members. A student of microbiology or a related field who is about to graduate or has graduated within 12 months of the application year may apply for transitional membership in ASM. Transitional Membership is limited to two consecutive years. Transitional Members have all of the privileges of Full Membership except the right to hold office.

5. In an effort to encourage participation by a broad array of members in ASM governance, the following amendment to the Bylawswouldplace necessary limitsonthe number of terms allowed forCPCAt Large positions.

In Article V. Council Policy Committee, Section 1 as amended, shall now read:

Section 1. Composition. The voting members of the Council Policy Committee shall consist of the incumbent President serving as chair, immediate Past President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, chair of the Board of Governors of the American Academy of Microbiology, chair of the Publications Board, chair of the Meetings Board, chair of the Education Board, the chair of the Public and Scientific Affairs Board, the chair of the Membership Board, and the chairs of such other Boards as may be established, three Councilors representing Branches, and three Councilors representing Divisions. These said Councilors will be nominated by a nominating committee (consisting of CPC and Council members) appointed by the President, and elected from the Council by ballot of the Council for 3-year terms. These Councilors may be re-elected to the Council Policy Committee at the end of their three-year term for up to one additional consecutive or non-consecutive term. Other persons may be invited as needed, but without the privilege of voting.