AAFP Delegates Choose New Leaders for 2022-23

As president-elect, Furr serves on the Board’s executive committee, chairs the Board’s Subcommittee on Strategic Planning and Development and is a member of the Board’s Screening Subcommittee. Based on his interest or expertise, he may chair one of the Academy’s task forces or other Board-appointed work groups. He will routinely participate in AAFP cluster meetings, preside at the annual Family Medicine Experience meeeting if the president is absent and may be called on to represent the Academy in communicating with individual members and external groups, including lawmakers. The president-elect succeeds to the office of president and, if a vacancy occurs in the office of president, serves the unexpired term of president and then a full term as president.

New President

With Furr’s election, Tochi Iroku-Malize, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., of Long Island, N.Y., takes on the role of Academy president, becoming the official spokesperson and public face of the AAFP.

As president, Iroku-Malize represents the organization with the media and often will lead the Academy’s delegation in meetings with other organizations and government officials. She also will represent the AAFP in testimony before legislative bodies. She is a member of the Board, an ex-officio member of all standing commissions and committees, and will preside over FMX, as well as the COD if the speaker and vice speaker are absent. The president also is a member of the Board’s executive committee and presides over Board meetings if the Board chair is absent.

New Board Chair

As Iroku-Malize succeeds to the presidency, outgoing President Sterling Ransone, M.D., of Deltaville, Va., assumes the role of AAFP Board chair.

In that role, Ransone will preside over all meetings of the Board and its executive committee, is an ex-officio member of all standing commissions and committees, will routinely participate in AAFP cluster meetings, and will serve on the Board’s Subcommittee on Screening. He will provide direction and guidance to the executive staff on implementing Board actions and on day-to-day issues that arise between meetings of the Board and the executive committee. He also will review official statements, such as testimony before Congress, and major AAFP correspondence to ensure consistency with AAFP policy. On a weekly basis, he will confer with the executive vice president or deputy executive vice president to review various issues requiring his input or decision. The Board chair also may represent the Academy before legislative bodies and in meetings with government officials.

Full Election Results

Also elected or chosen by acclamation for leadership positions at the 2022 Congress of Delegates, with a brief description of duties were:

• Speaker of the Congress — Russell Kohl, M.D., of Stilwell, Kan. The speaker is a member of the Board and its executive committee and presides over the annual COD. Kohl also will chair the Board’s award subcommittee and, based on his special areas of interest or expertise, may serve as a chair or member of one of the Academy’s task forces or other Board-appointed work groups. He also will appoint all reference and special committees of the COD, is empowered to grant the privilege of the floor of the COD and votes only in the case of a tie that doesn’t involve candidates for election.
• Vice Speaker — Daron Gersch, M.D., of Avon, Minn. The vice speaker is a member of the Board and presides over meetings of the COD in the absence of the speaker or when designated by the speaker. If a vacancy occurs in the office of speaker, the vice speaker succeeds to the office for the unexpired term. Depending on his special areas of interest or expertise, Gersch may serve as a member of one of the Academy’s task forces or other special work groups appointed by the Board. The vice speaker serves as chair of the Resolution Subcommittee of the Board and assists the speaker in planning and conducting the annual meeting of the COD.
• Directors — Kisha Davis, M.D., M.P.H., of Bethesda, Md.; Jay Lee, M.D., M.P.H., of Costa Mesa, Calif.; and Teresa Lovins, M.D., of Columbus, Ind. The Board includes nine directors elected in groups of three or as otherwise needed on a rotating basis. Directors serve three-year terms and sit as members of various Board subcommittees. One at-large director is elected each year to serve as the at-large member of the Board’s executive committee. Between meetings of the COD, the Board oversees and administers the work of the Academy and development of its policies, appointing commissions, committees and other work groups necessary to assist it in fulfilling these responsibilities.
• New physician Board member — Rupal Bhingradia, M.D., of Jersey City, N.J.
• Resident Board member — Chase Mussard, M.D., of Portland, Ore.
• Student Board member — Richard Easterling, of Jackson, Miss.

The new physician, resident and student members are all voting members of the Board, and each serves as liaison to one of the Academy’s standing commissions.