A Call for Candidates
I wrote early this summer about the need to choose a SWOG chair-elect at next spring’s group meeting. I’m pleased to report that the nominating process is now officially underway.
SWOG Group Statistician Mike LeBlanc, chair of the nominating committee, has fully staffed that team, which will meet next month. The committee has set December 1 as the deadline for receiving nominations.
This means that for those of you considering throwing your hat (or possibly someone else’s hat) in the ring for consideration, the time is slowly but inexorably approaching (note to self – I have been waiting almost 10 years to use that word in a Front Line). Self-nominations are particularly encouraged.
Please submit your nominations to Mike LeBlanc at mleblanc@fredhutch.org by December 1, 2022. Your initial package should include the following:
- a letter of interest
- a CV
The letter of interest is pretty easy. Why are you interested? Why are you a good fit? What are the major directions in which you would like to steer SWOG?
The committee will field nominations, vet candidates, discuss their merits, and solicit additional information from some. They will likely interview the most promising candidates early next year, meet for further discussion and debate, and finally assemble a slate of the most qualified candidates for SWOG’s board of governors to consider at our spring, 2023 meeting.
Specifically, somewhere around the first of April next year, they will send this final slate of candidates to me, and I will have it posted publicly on our website. On May 13, 2023, the BOG will meet, ask the candidates some questions while also hearing their statements, and will vote to select a chair-elect.
I will remain SWOG group chair until my current term expires in spring 2025, so our new chair-elect will serve in the chair-elect role for two years, with a primary focus during that time on writing SWOG’s next NCTN grant application.
The role of the group chair is described in Section 2 of the SWOG constitution/bylaws:
The Group Chair shall be responsible for the administrative and scientific operation of the Group and shall be accountable to the Board of Governors. He/she shall convene and conduct meetings of the Board of Governors and the Group, appoint the principal Operations Center staff and approve the appointment of other Operations staff, and make such other appointments as are necessary for the orderly function of the Group. He/she shall represent the Group in business with the National Cancer Institute (encompassing business with the National Clinical Trials Network – NCTN) and its committees. He/she shall also appoint representatives from the Group to participate in activities for the Group as occasion may demand.
The NCTN and NCORP program guidelines also provide descriptions of the expected role of the group chair.
For an insider’s view of what will be needed to succeed in the position, check out my June 17 post. And if you hope to be SWOG’s next chair – it’s time to find your hat.
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