I am delighted to use the occasion of this inaugural REF president’s column to share a vision of the future and describe the exciting developments that will allow us to meet the challenges ahead. Although most of you know that the ACR is associated with a foundation, I find that many of our members wonder what the REF does that is different from the mission and activities of the ACR and the ARHP. In the simplest terms, the ACR and the ARHP are engaged in improving the quality of our professional lives as rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals, while the core mission of the REF is to ensure the future of our specialty.