Meet the Candidates
For 2021 NAACCR balloting, there are four open positions: Representatives-At-Large positions (3), and Treasurer (1); also new for this year there are 3 positions for the Nominating Comittee. We realize that NAACCR members serve on a variety of committees and working groups and may not be familiar with all the candidates. This short preview provides an opportunity for NAACCR members in each registry to discuss the candidates and make recommendations to the voting delegate of that registry. The Nominating Committee believes an excellent set of candidates has stepped up to run for election this year. Many thanks to all nominees for agreeing to run.
REPRESENTATIVES-AT-LARGE
The following individuals have been nominated to run for the office of Representative-at-Large. Individuals in these roles serve as primary liaison officers between NAACCR committees, the Board, and cancer registries to facilitate the exchange of information and the organization of projects.
Wendy Aldinger, RHIA, CTR
Organization: Pennsylvania Cancer Registry
Number of years working in central/regional cancer registry: 28
Current position and a brief description of duties:
Registry Manager. Responsible for planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and implementing the statewide cancer registry.
Thoughts regarding the direction NAACCR should be moving towards and the goals the organization should be striving to attain:
NAACCR should continue the efforts that are being made to improve data collection and keeping up with advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, as well as cancer surveillance. The work in Informatics is a key. Continue the concept of registry of the future and provide opportunities for registries to learn from each other.
Past NAACCR position(s):
-S&RD co-chair 2020
-Representative at Large 2018-2020
-Program co-chair 2020
-Program Chair 2018
Sarah Nash, PhD MPH CPH
Organization: Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
Number of years working in central/regional cancer registry: 5
Current position and a brief description of duties:
Director of the Alaska Native Tumor Registry (ANTR), a SEER special population registry. In this role I oversee the daily operations of the registry; manage ANTR staff; support internal and external researchers in using the registry data for research and non-research projects; lead externally-funded research leveraging the registry infrastructure.
Thoughts regarding the direction NAACCR should be moving towards and the goals the organization should be striving to attain:
As Co-Chair of both Research and Data Use and the Strategic Management Plan committees, I’ve been thinking a lot about NAACCR’s direction for the next few years. I have also spent a lot of time recently looking through the member survey we conducted earlier this year. Based on these experiences, there are several areas that I believe should be a focus for NAACCR moving forward.
Member engagement. There are some members that just don’t know how to get involved in NAACCR, and it should be a priority to grow involvement and ownership of our professional organisation, in order that we better represent every central registry.
Demonstrating value of central cancer registries. The central cancer registry has a lot to give the cancer surveillance, research, public health, and clinical communities. Yet, I believe that our value is sometimes underestimated. NAACCR can play a central role in helping the central cancer registry demonstrate its value to internal and external partners.
Ensuring that we remain an agile and useful system. The field of cancer surveillance is changing, as cancer treatment and research changes. We need to ensure that we are collecting the right data at the right time to continue to serve the cancer community, and perhaps consider new roles that our system can play as we evolve.
Expanding research and data use. I am passionate about the use of registry data for research, and believe that NAACCR should continue the great work its already doing in this area, including improving data access, new CiNA data products, and (something that we’re just starting in RDU that I’m particularly excited about) new ways of connecting experienced researchers with those new to the field to promote education, collaboration, and novel ways of using data.
Past NAACCR position(s):
Present positions:
-Co-Chair, Strategic Management Plan Working Group; Co-Chair
-Research and Data use Steering Committee; Member
-Security and Confidentiality Workgroup; Member
-Research Application Review Workgroup; Member
-CiNA Editorial Workgroup
Lorraine Shack, Ph.D.
Organization: Cancer Care, Alberta Health Services, Alberta, Canada,
Number of years working in central/regional cancer registry: 18
Current position and a brief description of duties:
Director, Cancer Surveillance & Reporting, Alberta Health Services.
Utilizing cancer registry data to provide cancer surveillance and cancer patient information for the province of Alberta.
Oversee timely, accurate and relevant information to support effective planning, monitoring and evaluation of cancer control programs in early detection, patient treatment and care, and local/provincial/international research.
Thoughts regarding the direction NAACCR should be moving towards and the goals the organization should be striving to attain:
NAACCR has been future focused in its priorities and structure. The strategic management plan was just up-dated and reflects current and evolving challenges. The strategic partnerships goal is a foundational one to support all aspects of the organization and member registries. Building on key partnerships will increase collaboration and understanding of the complex registry data.
My background in cancer epidemiology means I am passionate about the standardization and registry development and research & data use aims – maintaining and innovating in registry data and getting the data used well by many will elevate all the registries work. This is a huge opportunity with research and technology enabling combining of registries, linking data, specialized reports and innovative research from linkage.
Past NAACCR position(s):
-Board Member-at-Large
-Member, Research and Data Use Committee (Board liaison)
-Certification Taskforce (Member)
-Member, Survival Analysis Taskforce (disbanded)
Treasurer
Treasurer, an individual shall be responsible for working with the NAACCR Executive Director and Staff to oversee the establishment of the NAACCR budget for unrestricted funds and see that the general business of NAACCR is in good working order.
Kevin Ward
Organization: Georgia Cancer Registry
Number of years working in central/regional cancer registry: 24
Current position and a brief description of duties:
I am the Director of the Georgia Center for Cancer Statistics and the current PI of the National Cancer Institute’s Georgia Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Registry. In partnership with the Georgia Department of Public Health, my Center operates the population-based Georgia Cancer Registry (GCR) and has done so since 1995.
Thoughts regarding the direction NAACCR should be moving towards and the goals the organization should be striving to attain:
NAACCR is an organization that since its inception has worked to develop, support and enhance population-based surveillance systems in North America. The strength of NAACCR is its diverse, volunteer membership comprised of individuals from the organizations it was established to support. Combined with the exceptional leadership of the NAACCR Executive Office Staff, the organization is well prepared and fiscally sound to continue serving its membership.
If provided the opportunity to serve NAACCR as treasurer, I will work with the Board and the Executive team to ensure adequate financial resources are available and utilized in ways that most effectively serve the membership and the organization’s mission. NAACCR is fortunate to have a Chief Operating Officer with a long standing history of providing exceptional oversight of the organization’s finances. I will work together with the COO and the Board to provide additional financial oversight of the organization assets and to ensure sound management of all resources.
Past NAACCR position(s):
-Board Member, Representative at Large
-Data Evaluation and Certification Committee
-Professional Development Steering Committee
-Research and Data Use Steering Committee
-Strategic Planning Oversight Committee
-Program Committee
Nominating Committee
The following individuals have been nominated to run for the Nominating Committee. Individuals in these roles develop the ballot for the NAACCR Board election and identify candidates for the following year’s Nominating Committee.
