Extract
Two years ago in New Orleans, when I was elected second vice-president, a
member whom I had not met before approached me. After we exchanged
pleasantries and congratulations, he said something that at first took me by
surprise. But what he said resonated with what I already knew about the
importance of the leadership office I was about to assume. The member just
said, "Don't forget about me."This simple statement, "Don't forget about me," captured the
essence of my office. The presidency of the American Academy of Orthopaedic
Surgeons (AAOS) is not about me. It is not about honors nor accolades. This
office is about the responsibility that I have to that member, to all of you,
to the other 28,000 members of this Academy, and to our future members.