Dear CnAHA members:
I am humbled and extremely honored to be your next president. On behalf of the newly-elected board members, I would like to express our deep appreciation for your participation in this election and your contribution to this young and vibrant organization. Our congratulations go to my predecessor Dr.Shuping Ge and the departing board members for their admirable accomplishment! We want to thank Shuping and Ms Grace Fu who have worked diligently throughout the holiday in organizing this election and in ensuring the seamless leadership transition. Dr. Dali Fan deserves my personal thanks for conducting a competitive and positive campaign and for recruiting many new members to CnAHA.
On March 12 of 2006, 25 Chinese American cardiologists and scientists brought forth this new association in Atlanta. CnAHA has since dedicated her mission to provide medical services, education, training and information in China, as well as to promote the exchange of professional information and to advocate for the common interests of Chinese cardiovascular professionals in the US. A little over five years later, CnAHA has become one of the largest organizations for cardiovascular professionals in North American. We are now close to 400-members strong. On the New Year's day, Dr. Paul Wang, the director of cardiac electrophysiology from Stanford University, became our newest life-time member. What a precious new year's gift to CnAHA! One of the most exciting changes from this election is the outpouring interest of cardiovascular research scientists in joining our organization. In response to this positive change, nearly half of the new board members are either physician scientists or PhD research scientists. We are extremely fortunate to have two of our recent life-time members, Dr. Hong Wang, the assistant dean from Temple University to chair the academics and translational medicine subcommittee; and Dr. Yuxin Fan, the director of cardiovascular diagnostic laboratory from Baylor College of Medicine to serve as our treasurer and to chair the cardiovascular genetics subcommittee. One other positive development for us is the establishment of the Board of Trustees and Advisory Board. Our appreciation goes to Shuping for taking the lead, and to all trustees and advisory members. We am looking forward to your support and input.
Looking ahead, I am quite optimistic about our association's future with your enthusiasm and this energized new leadership team. We have accomplished much together in a short time in defining who we are. Over the next few years, we will concentrate our effort in defining what we do. I am hopeful that in two years, we will have better defined our identity and our missions. Success is to think big and work hard. With your active participation, I am certain that CnAHA will become a better "home" for all members.
Sincerely
Jian-Ming Li, MD, PhD, FHRS,
President, CnAHA
