V38 N4 / 2023 

©2023 American Medical Writers Association. All rights reserved.  
ISSN 2163-5315

AMWAJournal.org     50

Article III of the American Medical Writers Association’s 
bylaws states that a Board of Directors (BOD) will manage 
and control the affairs, property, and business of the orga-
nization. The BOD is responsible for approving the budget, 
the slate of nominees for elected office, and any pro-
posed amendments to the Constitution or Bylaws. It also 
approves committees, work groups, and task forces and ful-
fills such other duties as are specifically mentioned in the 
Constitution and Bylaws and as required by law. Thus, the 
members of the BOD carry considerable responsibility.
 In alignment with AMWA Bylaws, the BOD includes 
elected officers (President, President-Elect, Secretary, 
Treasurer, Immediate Past President), an executive direc-
tor, a chair of the chapter advisory council, and at least 5 
appointed at-large directors. The number of members on 
the BOD during the governance year shall be no less than 12 
and no more than 17.
 I am pleased to introduce the 2023–2024 BOD. This 
group of professionals reflects characteristics of the member 
population and has volunteered their time and talent to 
meet, discuss, and take action on items as they pertain to 
the organization.
 At its September 2023 meeting, the BOD approved the 
following individuals to serve as at-large directors for the 
2023-2024 term:

• Joan Affleck, MBA, ELS
• Sarah Dobney, MPH
• JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM
• Genevieve Walker, PhD
• Jennifer Minarcik, MS
• Katrina R. Burton, BS
• J. Kelly Byram, MS, MBA, ELS
• Qing Zhou, PhD, ELS

 The BOD also approved Erik MacLaren, PhD, as the 
chair of the chapter advisory council (a voting member of 
the BOD).

AMWA 2023–2024 Officers:
• President: R. Michelle Sauer, PhD, ELS
• President-Elect: Shawn Watson, PharmD, PhD, BCPS, 

RPh, BSPharm
• Secretary: Kimberly Korwek, PhD
• Treasurer: Julie Phelan, MD, MBA
• Immediate Past President: Elise Eller, PhD
• AMWA Executive Director: Susan Krug, MS, CAE 

(ex officio, nonvoting)

 The 2023–2024 BOD began its service on October 
28, 2023, at the conclusion of the 2023 Annual Business 
Meeting at the 2023 Medical Writing & Communication 
Conference in Baltimore, Maryland.

The American Medical Writers Association bylaws can be 
read at the following link: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.
amwa.org/resource/resmgr/about_amwa/Bylaws/AMWA_
Bylaws_November_2017.pdf

Introducing the 2023–2024 Board of Directors

R. Michelle Sauer, PhD, ELS / 2023–2024 AMWA President

AMWA NEWS

http://www.amwajournal.org
https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.amwa.org/resource/resmgr/about_amwa/Bylaws/AMWA_Bylaws_November_2017.pdf
https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.amwa.org/resource/resmgr/about_amwa/Bylaws/AMWA_Bylaws_November_2017.pdf
https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.amwa.org/resource/resmgr/about_amwa/Bylaws/AMWA_Bylaws_November_2017.pdf
https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.amwa.org/resource/resmgr/about_amwa/Bylaws/AMWA_Bylaws_November_2017.pdf
https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.amwa.org/resource/resmgr/about_amwa/Bylaws/AMWA_Bylaws_November_2017.pdf