President's Perspective

It’s hard to believe 2022 is ending after what has been a unique year for ABGC. In a world with many challenges, and a profession working together to meet these challenges, ABGC recognized an internal need to slow down and reflect. As an organization, we wanted to discover a better way to grow, adapt and support our profession. Thus, rather than continuing to drive forward with the status quo, the 2022 ABGC Board of Directors paused some of our initiatives as part of an evolution that we are excited to continue in 2023.

Key to that evolution, we have transitioned to a new management company, Smithbucklin. This change will allow us to achieve a significantly improved operational and financial foundation, which will be reinvested into our Diplomates, candidates and the public  we serve. Smithbucklin, which has been a trusted association steward for over 70 years, also manages the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC). Although
ABGC will remain an independent organization, we believe the strategic decision to move under the Smithbucklin “umbrella” with NSGC, will have longterm, beneficial outcomes for genetic counselors as we continue to work toward similar goals and initiatives.

We know transparency and trust is important to any organization. As such, in 2023, our improved operational foundation will include more frequent and relevant communication to the community. We are revamping the ABGC website to provide user-friendly, relevant information and content; we have invested in a new and improved recertification portal to provide you with more clarity and better tracking of your certification status; and this newsletter — which has typically been published once per year in the summer — is moving to a consistent quarterly schedule in 2023.

In the coming months, we will be revisiting our strategic plan to ensure our four main goals continue to align with the current needs of our profession. We will also be evaluating our progress toward each of these goals, which includes our recently launched Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice (DEIJ) Committee and the relaunch of the LEAD Academy.

As ABGC continues with our transition and evolution, we hope to hear your ideas regarding how we can continue to improve the services we provide. As my tenure on the board and as president comes to an end, I want to thank all of ABGC’s past and present board members, committee members, association management companies and all of you for your support. Your new ABGC president, Sarah Noblin, MS, CGC®, will begin her term in January 2023, and I’m excited to see what Sarah, our new board and all ABGC volunteers will accomplish in the new year.

Sincerely,
Catherine A. Fine, MS, CGC®
2022 ABGC President