I have often said that it is easy to stand on the shoulders of giants. It is adapted from Sir Issac Newton’s 1675 expression, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
I have had the extraordinary fortune to have had many giants, on whose broad shoulders I humbly stand. Many great leaders at the ASE supported and encouraged a plan to not just endorse, but live a core value of diversity by choosing an anesthesiologist to lead the Society. I am, but the result of that effort. Foremost among them is Pamela Douglas, MD, FASE, who became ASE’s first woman president in 2001. Her commitment to diversity in leadership is unparalleled. She has been a fantastic mentor to me as I traveled this path towards the presidency. Neil Weissman, MD, FASE, another ASE past president, truly believed that this was the right move for the ASE to make. Susan Wiegers, MD, FASE, and Joseph Kisslo, MD, FASE, added their support behind this effort. But none of their efforts would have been possible without those who paved the way for anesthesiologists to be visible and respected contributors in the team sport of echocardiography. Joseph Mathew, MD, FASE, Sol Aronson, MD, FASE, and Jonathan Mark, MD, FASE, were pioneers in the field and made perioperative echocardiography prominent enough to be recognized by the ASE as a valuable addition to the team. Robin Wiegerink, ASE’s CEO, who is the most tireless champion for excellence in the field, has been a pillar of strength for the ASE and its leaders, and the glue that binds the organization. Read more here.