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An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Our New Executive Vice President Discusses His Aspirations for the ACR

Steven C. Echard, IOM, CAE  |  Issue: September 2019  |  

Steven C. Echard, IOM, CAESteven C. Echard is the ACR’s executive vice president, a position he assumed in June. He began his career with the ACR in 1992, serving in several roles. From 2005–2014, he served as executive director of the Rheumatology Research Foundation. He was awarded IOM recognition for completing over 120 hours of graduate-level, nonprofit management courses through the Institute for Organization Management (IOM) program sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He became a Certified Association Executive (CAE) in 1999 through the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). He currently serves on the ASAE board of directors.

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Professionalism Matters

Some members of the ACR may think leaders and staff are throwing things against the wall to see what sticks, but in reality, an entire profession is dedicated to managing and administering trade and professional associations.

All ACR staff belong to the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), as well as several other professional societies (e.g., American Association of Medical Society Executives, Professional Convention Management Association and others). ASAE, which describes itself as the center for association leadership, boasts more than 50,000 members who share the belief that “associations have the power to transform society for the better.”

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ACR members need to know that your staff have an entire network of colleagues who work in other medical and scientific societies and access to organizational research and best practices that help them continue to advance in their careers, improve in their abilities and assist the ACR in achieving great things. When ACR volunteers ask staff to research a problem or develop a list of solutions, these staff can tap into the expertise of hundreds of other senior staff from other medical societies.

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