Audiology Connections - 2022 - 10

AUDIOLOGY BOARD OF DIRECTORS CORNER
Audiology Board of Directors Corner
Charles Bishop
When I first joined the ASHA Board of
Directors (BOD), I did so as the elected
Chair of the Audiology Advisory
Council (AAC). At that time, I was
surprised to have been elected in this
position, as I was very much a novice
ASHA volunteer. The AAC was, in
fact, my first opportunity to serve. Prior
to this, I had volunteered with other
associations, both on the state and
national level, but this was my first time
with ASHA.
Once I joined the BOD, I quickly
came to realize that there was a
significant challenge before me. I
had to come up to speed with the
many details of ASHA governance,
the complex fiscal outlay, and the
10
many other issues facing such a
large professional association. In the
beginning, I was concerned only with
audiology issues. But as I gained
more experience and perspective,
I soon became equally concerned
with association, governmental, and
speech-language pathology issues. I
remember confiding in my late friend,
then ASHA Chief Staff Officer for
Audiology, Neil DiSarno, that I did not
feel qualified to serve on the board.
He disagreed. Neil said that my time
would come-when the issue(s) I care
about for which I can effect change will
be realized. He was very much correct.
As I look back, I can see that
my greatest role with ASHA was
participating in the governance review
and restructure of the association.
2022 AUDIOLOGY CONNECTIONS asha.org/aud
This involved " sunsetting " the advisory
councils and creating a new and more
focused Committee of Ambassadors.
This new committee preserved all the
best parts of the advisory councils, but
it sharpened the focus on advocacy
for the professions and the patients/
clients we serve. I am proud to have
been selected to serve on the ASHA
BOD. I am humbled by this experience,
and I leave now with an even greater
respect for my audiology and speechlanguage
pathology fellow volunteers.
I have stood on the shoulders of giants,
and I can truly say the view from there
offers rich rewards and insights that
I never would have gotten from the
ground!
http://www.asha.org/aud
Audiology Connections - 2022

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