December 2005 | Vol. 23, No. 12

President's Message

by George L. Berdejo, BA RVT FSVU

Reflecting Fondly on Two Years as SVU President

This will be my final communication to you in e-Spectrum as your President. As I prepare for the winter SVU Board meeting, I reflect fondly on two years of leadership of the Society for Vascular Ultrasound. To have served as President of this Society has been a singular honor.

The leadership of the SVU has done much to prepare for the future in order that it can lead the profession in the face of change and turbulent times. Over the last 3 years, our Strategic Plan Vision 2005 has been the platform upon which we have stood in order to affect our strategy. As a result of the dynamic personality of the vascular ultrasound world today, some of the original initiatives were reworked or abandoned; however, I am proud to say that we have realized most of the originally determined goals. Many thanks to all who made it happen. It is a testament to your hard work and dedication.

The end of this calendar year marks the end of the current strategic plan. In anticipation of the need for a new 3-year plan (2006-2008), the current leadership convened for discussion and further strategic planning in the Washington, DC, area in October. We emerged from this meeting with detailed discussion notes for a new Strategic Plan which we will finalize at the Winter Board meeting, which in my opinion, is bigger and better than its predecessors. It promises to take us into uncharted territories and to levels the Society has not realized in the past. We will need to continue to work together, to take stock, and to affect change where needed in order to deliver the plan. That is our challenge as a Society moving forward.

My presidency was marked by many highlights, but I would like to focus on two. First, after many years, in 2004 the SVU and SVS decided to again join for the celebration of our Annual Conferences. Other vascular societies that met in conjunction with us included the Peripheral Vascular Surgical Society and the Society for Vascular Medicine and Biology. The return was a critical success for all involved. We met in Anaheim, CA, in June 2004, and in Chicago in June 2005. In June 2006, we will once again gather together for the Vascular Annual Meeting 2006 to take place in Philadelphia. This will be the 29th Annual Conference for the SVU and the 60th Annual Meeting of the Society for Vascular Surgery. It promises to live up to its reputation as the premier annual meeting for vascular specialists. I hope to see you there.

Secondly, as of this writing, I am proud to announce that we have eclipsed our all time mark for new members in one year, established only last year. As of Nov. 30th we have registered 704 new members this year, which is 24 better than our record new member total of 680 in 2004, and we still have one month to go in 2005. I thank those who stepped up to the challenge and did their part in SVU’s Each One Reach One membership recruitment campaign. Our current number of 4,265 total members is also the highest it has ever been. These accomplishments would not have been possible without your support. If you have not yet reached out to a nonmember, especially in your own lab, there is still time to join the effort and to contribute to the success of your Society by getting at least one person to join SVU before December 31! If they join in December they get 13 months for the price of 12 months, a real bargain!

As we transition into 2006, I believe that the Society is well positioned for continued success. However, I will not take all the credit. The hard work of the Board of Directors and a strongly committed and loyal Executive Committee has been instrumental in helping to position the Society and they must be acknowledged. I also thank all the Committee Chairs as well as Steve Haracznak, SVU’s Executive Director, and his staff for their support and hard work over the last 2 years that I served as President and for the 6 years I served as a Board member.

Melissa Vickery will assume the responsibilities of the Presidency effective January 2006 for two years, and Michael Schwebler will be the President-Elect. They make a formidable team. In addition to their many years of experience they also bring the requisite skills set necessary to run this Society and to continue it along the path of success. They have assembled a magnificent Executive Committee and Board of Directors and I leave you in good hands as I step down. Please join me in welcoming them and in pledging our support.

If I have been able to see further than most, it’s only
because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.
--Anonymous--

This quote speaks volumes regarding my career and my life. I have been fortunate throughout my career to have worked with many talented and very special people. I want to acknowledge some of them.

My Montefiore Experience

Steven and Ann Levine, who saw things in me that I never knew were there. You always encouraged me to think big. Thanks for believing in me. Jamie McKay and Elizabeth Farrell, Pat Johnson, Lisa Roman and Julie Harris. Lou Savarese, always the calm in the midst of the storm. The woman who keeps me sane and organizes most of my life throughout the year, Jacqueline Simpson; I know I don’t often say it but I could not do it without you! Thanks.

I started my career as a technologist in 1985 at Montefiore Medical Center under the tutelage and guidance of Barbara Rhodes and Cheryl Bongiovanni. Thanks for giving a young kid an opportunity.

I have worked alongside many great vascular surgeons: Sushil Gupta, Enrico Ascher, Kurt Wengerter, Thomas Panetta, Michael Marin, Ross Lyon, Keith Calligaro, Cliff Sales, Alan Dietzek, Luis Sanchez, Reese Wain, Evan Lipsitz, Nick Gargiulo, William Suggs and Takao Ohki. Thank you for treating me like a friend and a partner.

My technical staff over the years: LuAnn Briseno, Angel Pacheco, Martin Perez, Pat Hann, Christopher Shen, Jayme Ilyan, Cara Peabody-Farquar, Lu Zhai, Milena Barskaya, Ronald Gunter, Maria Reyes, April Molz, Dennis Kiser, Leah Azevedo, Adrienne Lozza, Angela Rodriguez-Wong, Edwin Fernandez and William DelValle. Thank you Bill for all the Friday night dinners. All have moved on to positions of leadership in their own labs. My current staff, all leaders in the making, and the Technical Director of my lab at Montefiore currently, Joshua Cruz. You have all been great. Thank you for believing in me when I believed in you.

My SVU Experience

Jeanette Isaacson, for taking time out of her day almost 12 years ago now, to make a call and ask if I would like to “chair a committee” for SVU. Gail Size, Bonnie Johnson, Debbie Goines, Jean White, Carol Miranda, Michel Comeaux, Paula Heggerick, Bill Schroedter, Billy Zang, Pat Marques, Rita Shugart, Cindy Burnham, Sandy Katanick, Sylvia Berry, Jean Primozich, Ann Marie Kupinski, Phil Bendick, Lynn Thorpe, Cliff Araki, Jeanette Flannery, Joanne Gerard-Monti, Kathy Carter, Kari Olmsted, Courtney Nelms, Claudia Benge, LeAnn Maupin, Joe Hughes, Kathy Greene, Debby Pirt, Willliam Harkrider, Tish Poe, Frank Miele, and Mark Oliver. The Rio connection, Nicos Labropoulos, Sergio Salles-Cunha and Bob Scissons. Drs. Bandyk, Zwolak, Moneta, Zierler, Needleman, Pellerito, Zweibel, and Meier for your loyal support of me and my meeting. A posthumous thank you to Dr. D. Eugene Strandness.

It is not my intention to exclude anyone and I thank all who have contributed to who I am today. Much love and respect to all.

Many thanks to Dr. Fernando Cabrera for teaching me the real meaning of vision and how to communicate it; you have been awesome.

Special thanks to 2 very special people, Frank Veith and Anne Jones. They have been the epitome of professionalism. Both have reached the pinnacle in their respective fields. Nobody does it better. They modeled the way for me in every way and I have learned much from them, both personally and professionally. They were always willing to give all they had to anyone who was willing to receive it…and they had much to give. I owe them a debt of gratitude that I will never be able to repay, and that I will never forget. It would not have been possible without you.

I dedicate it all to my Mom; may she rest in peace. And I thank God because without Him none of this would have been possible.

In closing, I leave you with high hopes for the future of the Society, in good spirit and with deep humility.

Thank you very much for your support and for making my vision a reality.