AAAOM Activities Introduction: September 2007

In the past month the AAAOM office has been buzzing with a beehive’s activity, coordinated into the complex geometry of a honeycomb’s order. Much as we who support the queen (Bekah Christensen, Executive Director) would love to do, it’s impossible to fully disclose the litany of events that passes through this office each day. That said, we are actively moving towards a greater transparency to our membership. The “AAAOM Activities” category in the Qi Unity report provides a new feature where, if you cannot see the whole hive, you can at least taste some of the honey. In this Activities section you can read what your representation has been doing for you, lovingly and diligently updated each month. The truth is out: we’re sweet on our members!

My name is Douglas Newton. Just over a month ago, I became AAAOM’s new Program Manager. On my first day I asked Bekah if she kept a log of what she does everyday. She almost fell out of her chair: “If I tried to do that, all I would do is write that stuff down. .I’m too busy!” That was my first lesson, revealing Bekah’s total commitment to serving this organization. She is a perpetual motion machine. It’s inspiring, to say the least. I came into this chair expecting a period of training, only to find that I had a ready-made work load awaiting my immediate attention. I lopped the training wheels off my bicycle and have been pedaling hard every day since. O, the rush!

As Program Manager I will work on business development, coordinate advertising, monitor issues, solicit, write and edit contents for The Qi-Unity Report and The American Acupuncturist, compile information and disseminate it to our membership, and keep Bekah’s mug filled with good Taiwanese tea. Because I also do whatever Bekah needs me to do next, this means every day is unique.

I have compiled a list of some of the things I am doing to clarify to our members what you can expect from me. Here are the highlights: I edit The American Acupuncturist, solicit authors for AA, monitor progress of The Qi-Unity Report, edit Qi Unity articles, sell advertising in our publications, brainstorm new directions for membership benefits, monitor scope of practice issues, prepare our annual AAAOM conference, help organize our PAC, answer state association concerns, relate to the public, track health care legislation and reporting, and reporting, write articles, edit the web site, respond to misrepresentation of the profession in the media, help the student association, draft white papers, conduct research, compile an article library, take pictures, internationalize the organization, answer Mandarin calls, consider new publications, construct bibliographies and generally adopt member concerns as my own. Then I go home and play my guitar and pet my cats, Seymour and Phoebe...

I am sure my list will expand. Anything else I can do for you? Are there other ways we here can better represent your agendas as your organization? Would you like a cup of tea? Do you have questions? Contact me. I’m here for you.

Doug Newton, Manager, Program Development and Business Services
Associate Editor, The American Acupuncturist
dnewton@aaaomonline.org