I am honored to serve the American Venous Forum (AVF) as its 37^th President. During the past 20 years of engagement with the AVF, I have interacted with experts in the field of venous and lymphatic medicine and have seen amazing initiatives as well as growth and maturity of the committees, member and trainee participation, educational events, and patient outreach. The core values and principles of AVF are built on a solid foundation of scientific excellence, research, diversity and inclusion, mentorship and engagement, and promotion of venous and lymphatic health around the globe. In the past 2 years, a broader focus has been given to health disparities, health inequities, and barriers to care.

The annual meeting, VENOUS2024, in Tampa, FL was incredibly successful under the leadership of program committee chair Arjun Jayaraj, MD and past president Glenn Jacobowitz, MD. The program committee developed an array of interesting and educational offerings with several new additions including the Master Class Series. A record number of abstracts were submitted including more than 30 from non-US locations, demonstrating the broad international brand recognition of the AVF. The AVF participated in its first “Day of Service” as we partnered with Tampa General Hospital during VENOUS2024.  Led by Misaki Kiguchi, MD and Aurelia Calero, MD, this community-based outreach program focused on venous leg health and patient awareness.

The Sumner Session was entitled Leadership Mastery: Navigating Challenges and Inspiring Growth. I enjoyed moderating a panel of 7 AVF leaders from different career paths and stages as they discussed topics including the formal need for leadership training, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and developing and communicating a vision. Among the pillars reinforcing my presidential year are establishing roots of leadership development within the AVF to encourage persons of all ages to expand their skillset, to inspire others, and to ensure a pipeline of future AVF leaders securing the long-term stability and growth of the organization. This endeavor has begun with scholarships to Mikel Sadek, MD and Misaki Kiguchi, MD to attend the Society for Vascular Surgery Leadership Development course, which has been attended and lauded by many AVF members. Faisal Aziz, MD has been named chair and  Dejah Judelson, MD has been named co-chair of a new Leadership Development Task Force. They have been charged with developing a strategic plan and resource portfolio with the ultimate goal of investing in our members to foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and strategic thinking.

Other areas of pride for the AVF include its continued and expansive global reach. With 31% of its members from 33 countries, 41% of the annual meeting abstracts were submitted from outside the US and 23% of attendees were from international locations. The AVF has strong partnerships with international  societies including the European Venous Forum, the Egypt & Africa Venous and Lymphatic Association, and the European College of Phlebology, to name a few. The AVF board recently, and unanimously, revised its byline to recognize its inclusive mission: Promoting global venous and lymphatic health.  

Under Glen Jacobowitz, MD’s leadership, the AVF has developed internal research capabilities that we will continue to leverage guided by Nicolas Mouawad, MD, MPH, MBA, Guidelines Oversight Committee chair, and Brajesh Lal, MD, past president, as we develop more high-impact prospective studies and clinical practice guidelines. As editor-in-chief of the Journal of Vascular Surgery– Venous and LymphaticDisorders, I am thrilled to see high-quality research backed by rigorous methodology and comprehensive data analysis, which will undoubtedly produce reliable and valid results to optimize patient care by providing evidence-based recommendations and expert consensus statements.  

I look forward to welcoming all to VENOUS2025 which will be held at the Intercontinental Hotel Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia, February 16-19, 2025. Under the leadership of Cassius I.O. Chaar, MD, MPH, MS and his program committee, it will, I am sure, be an educationally rich conference. I look forward to this year and am humbled to serve the American Venous Forum as its president. I am grateful for this opportunity and thank the members who have encouraged, mentored, and sponsored me over the years. AVF friendships are special and lifelong!!