Hello friends and colleagues! I hope everyone is soaking up the last few weeks of summer and settling into the new routines this time of year brings.
The PAMN steering committee has been busy since returning from our planning meeting with NACCDO and the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City in July. We spent a long weekend in the beautiful surroundings of the The Grand America Hotel, considering the conference agenda and sessions, keynote speakers and evening activities, and taking in all the city has to offer. We cannot wait to welcome you to this must-see city in May!
During our time together in Salt Lake City, we also reviewed the framework for the PAMN strategic plan, the roadmap that will shape what PAMN will become over the next five years. We launched into this process with the support and guidance of former PAMN steering committee member and forever PAMN friend Theresa DiNardo Brown of Brown Communications Inc., in late 2021. This spring, we reached a significant milestone with the delivery of our strategic plan framework and guiding principles document.
The plan is based on months of discovery – research into the future focus of cancer prevention, research, education and treatment and consideration into how we as a professional organization can help each of you better understand and act upon that information for the betterment of your cancer centers and careers. The 31-page document is significant in both its scope and its importance. It will set us on a course to ensure the sustainability of PAMN and the value we bring to all of you.
In late October, the steering committee will gather for a special strategic planning retreat to begin considering the decisions ahead of us. We will set out an implementation plan to help us deliver on these key objectives:
- Position PAMN as the premier organization for professionals across multiple disciplines (including branding, marketing and communications) at cancer research and care centers
- Expand PAMN’s reach and growth in membership and revenue
- Develop, curate and deliver cancer-specific knowledge and skill-building resources and programming, and deliver innovative ways for members to connect
- Create strategic collaborations between PAMN and industry leaders – both associations and corporations
Significantly, the PAMN roadmap was informed by a survey of our members — each of you — taking a close look at your most pressing needs and gaps across the areas of cancer research and care. There would be no PAMN without each of you and we look forward to sharing more in the coming months, including while we’re together in Salt Lake City, about the key tenets and initiatives of our strategic plan to help us better serve you.
Heidi Findlay
Senior Executive Director
Marketing & Communications
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center