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©2022 American Medical Writers Association. All rights reserved.  
ISSN 2163-5315

AMWAJournal.org     60

What an exciting time for the American Medical Writers 

Association (AMWA) as we make the 2022 Spring issue of 

the AMWA Journal accessible on the new digital platform! 

My sincere appreciation goes to the AMWA Journal Editorial 

Team, AMWA Staff, and the volunteers who put in count-

less hours to help deliver such an outstanding publication. 

Congratulations on your efforts in helping the organization 

to continue to evolve.

 As I think about volunteers and how they impact orga-

nizations like AMWA, I can’t help but reflect on my own tra-

jectory as a volunteer. Looking back on my life experiences, 

I’ve always had the desire to help others and to do good. 

Over the years I’ve volunteered for causes I was passionate 

about: children, education, health advocacy, communica-

tion, and so much more.

 As I grew in my field and more career opportunities 

became available, AMWA seemed like the perfect fit to hone 

my leadership skills. It wasn’t long after I started dedicat-

ing time at the chapter level that I recognized this to be true. 

My passion grew, and I knew that I needed to do my part 

in “promoting excellence in medical communication,” and 

contributing to the development of educational resources. 

I soon began serving in various capacities throughout the 

organization, recruiting members to AMWA, and encourag-

ing others to volunteer within the organization. The more I 

served, the more my leadership skills grew.

 One key takeaway that has resonated with me over the 

years, is that leadership and volunteerism are connected. 

Many people develop leadership skills through volunteer-

ing, and good leaders recognize the value of volunteers. 

FROM THE PRESIDENT
Building Leaders One Volunteer at a Time

AMWA NEWS

Katrina R. Burton, BS / 2021–2022 AMWA President

AMWA’s governance structure highlights the strategic alignment of AMWA volunteers and staff.

President

Chapter Advisory 
Committee Chair

At-Large Directors

Treasurer

Immediate Past 
President

President-Elect

Secretary

Special 
Committees, 

Councils, 
Commissions, 

Task Forces, and 
Work Groups

Deputy Director

Staff

Chapter Officers

Chapter Advisory 
Committee

Nominating 
Committee

Constitution and 
Bylaws Committee

Budget and 
Finance Committee

Overview of AMWA Governance Structure

Chairs

Line of communication
Key

Executive 
Director

Officers

AMWA Board of Directors

http://www.amwajournal.org


AMWAJournal.org     61Building Leaders One Volunteer at a Time

According to a 2016 study surveying the impact that volun-

teerism has on the success of individuals in the workplace, 

80% of hiring managers and those who have influence over 

hiring managers, indicated that those with volunteer experi-

ence move more easily into leadership roles.

 For the past 2 years, AMWA, similarly to other organiza-

tions and associations, had to pivot to ensure we continued 

to deliver on our mission, vision, and priorities. We held 

virtual conferences in 2020 and 2021, continued to provide 

excellent educational resources, supported chapters and the 

important work generated by our committees throughout 

the pandemic, and grew our membership. This would not 

have been possible without the positive and hard work of 

our volunteers.

 Volunteers help deliver vital programs and services 

while supporting the overall functionality of the organiza-

tion. AMWA volunteers are the heart and soul of this  

organization, and we are always looking for great leaders  

to grow with AMWA.

 I know you recognize the value that you bring to the field 

as a medical communicator. I also hope that you under-

stand what you can bring to the organization as a volunteer. 

The chapter level is a great place to break ground and help 

build your leadership skills. It also can be a pathway to lead-

ership at the national level. Whatever you do outside of your 

busy and productive schedules, I hope that you will con-

sider becoming an AMWA volunteer. After all, we are meant 

to leave organizations such as AMWA better off than how we 

found them.

➲ If you are interested in becoming an AMWA volunteer, 

please contact your local chapter or the AMWA member-

ship team at membership@amwa.org.

www.amwa.org/knowledge_builders

Knowledge Builders
Build your knowledge on a specific medical communication topic through a 
variety of elements designed to create an engaging educational experience.

Listen to a
narrated slide set

Engage
in exercises

Access the handout Review
the reading 
list

Note what you learned

Explore AMWA Online Learning and get ready to  L.E.A.R.N.

http://www.amwajournal.org



