Academy Names FamMedPAC Director

Progress in establishing FamMedPAC, the Academy's federal political action committee, continued with the May 25 appointment of Mark Cribben, J.D., as the new organization's director. Cribben comes to the position after serving four years as the director of NEMPAC, the American College of Emergency Physicians' PAC.

"We're very pleased that he accepted our offer to join us," said Michael Fleming, M.D., of Shreveport, La., chair of the FamMedPAC Board of Directors. "He's immensely qualified and he understands organizational political action committees."

Cribben comes on board at FamMedPAC June 20. A member of the AAFP's Division of Government Relations staff, he will report to the division's director, Kevin Burke.

During his tenure at ACEP, Cribben was credited with dramatically improving NEMPAC membership participation -- an accomplishment clearly recognized by the PAC board.

“The members of the PAC board have already indicated their eagerness to make FamMedPAC one of the most active of the medical specialty PACs,” said Burke. “And so Mark’s experience in growing NEMPAC was a major factor in our decision to offer him this position. He can really help get FamMedPAC off to a quick and successful start.”

Cribben will meet with the FamMedPAC board during the June cluster meetings in Kansas City, Mo. During the meeting, PAC board members will put final touches to plans to formally launch FamMedPAC later this month.

The 2004 AAFP Congress of Delegates approved the formation of FamMedPAC. The PAC will make contributions to candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.

Candidates who receive FamMedPAC contributions will be chosen based on criteria established by the PAC Board of Directors. Those criteria are expected to include such factors as whether the candidate is a family physician, his or her membership on important legislative committees, and his or her voting record and positions on issues that relate to priorities of family physicians and their patients.

FamMedPAC also will regularly inform contributors about the PAC's activities and provide an "insider" view of the political scene to contributors. Read more about the PAC and its activities at "FamMedPAC" on the AAFP Web site.