It’s funny how Fall forever remains a time for new starts, even when we are way (way!) past the time
when September represented the start of a new year at school. For AES, September is the time when
we both put the final wrap up on our last fiscal year, and start a new one with the run up to our Annual
Meeting – and some hard work on strategy by our Board.
First, the end of fiscal year 2013‐14. We’ll share with you our audited year end financial reports in a few
months, but I am happy to report that AES is in sound shape, thanks to the careful fiduciary
management of our Board, your commitment and investment in the Society through your membership
and participation in the Annual Meeting and other programs, and the generosity of both our individual
donors and corporate sponsors and grantors. We have been able to support an increased level of
research funding – more than $800,000 in pre‐ and post‐doctoral fellowships, clinical fellowships, seed
grants, workshop support, and research awards. We have invested in new educational resources to
support the self‐assessment requirements for our new sub‐specialty certification. And we have
launched new online resources and web content, as well as increased communication ‐ and your
participation numbers tell us these are appreciated.
Another big effort you will be hearing more about in the coming weeks and months from our President,
Elson So, is a new Society strategy that the Board has just completed. While the strategy does not
include any major changes in direction – education and research are still front and center – it does
represent a significant recalibration that recognizes the increasingly important role of AES, and you as
members, in advancing the prevention, treatment and cure of epilepsy. The Board spent a very
intensive three days talking about what it means for AES to be the leading multidisciplinary epilepsy
professional organization and what we need to do to be well‐positioned to achieve our goals. The end
result is an ambitious, but achievable plan that will guide our collective work for the next three to five
years. More to follow!
A new component of the AES strategy is the delineation of organizational values – the philosophy or
principles that guide our operations and behavior. The key words are:
Dedication
Innovation
Excellence
Community
Collaboration
Integrity
Values are meaningless unless we live them out in all we do – from staff, to leadership, to members. As
I shared in my first letter here a few months ago, one of the first things that struck me about AES was
the strong sense of community and the personal relationships that are clearly central to your work. At
this year’s Annual Meeting we will be launching a special opportunity through which you will be able to
both recognize and honor those who have made meaningful contributions to your personal and
professional life, and at the same time help support AES research funds. We are calling it “Community
of Caring” – watch for the announcement and an opportunity to make a donation in advance and preorder
pins that you will be able to present to those special individuals you wish to honor and recognize