The Winds of Change

Abstract

Billy Crystal once quipped, “Change is hard work.” This is true, but change also brings opportunity, and, when done well, change can be amazing. The Executive Committee (EC) of the Council on Renal Nutrition (CRN) has undergone some changes this year. We have said expected and unexpected goodbyes to some dynamic women, and we have welcomed a new group of members who will oversee a dynamic shift in the focus of the CRN. This spring we said an unexpected goodbye to our Chair, Jessie Pavlinac. Jessie's professional responsibilities, not only with work and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), but also with school, made it hard for her to devote the attention she wanted to give to the CRN. In the past 3 years while on the EC, Jessie has been instrumental in the development of the Standards of Professional Practice, working with the National Kidney Foundation and AND to review the Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative guidelines for nutrition and investigating the conditions in which renal dietitians work. She has also been involved with other joint AND-CRN projects, and she has steered the CRN in a direction that will support the renal dietitian of today. I thank her for her work, and I will miss her very much. In accordance with the CRN bylaws and with an EC vote to accept, I will chair the EC until next year. During this year, I will mentor our new Chair-Elect, Judy Kirk. Her term as Chair will commence in the spring of 2015. I look forward to working with her because she has great vision of how the CRN can meet the changing needs of the renal dietitian. In addition to our unexpected goodbye to Jessie, we also said goodbye to Melissa Altman-Traub (Region 1 Alternate Representative), Stacy Wainscott (Region 3 Alternate Representative), Karen Dunker (Region 5 Representative), Marisol Avila (Region 5 Alternate Representative), Trisha Furhman (Renalink Editor), Louise Clement (Strategies 1 Chair), and Marie Becker (Clinical Meetings Chair). Thank you for the valuable years of service on the Executive Committee. I look forward to working with you all again in the future. We now turn to the future by welcoming Sharon Zalemski (Region 1 Representative), Virginia Vorhis (Region 1 Alternate Representative), Kristin Nowohol (Region 3 Representative), Cynthia Clancy (Region 3 Alternate Representative), Carolyn Peaseley (Region 5 Representative), Kathryn Schultz (Region 5 Alternate Representative), Cathy Goeddeke-Merickel (Renalink Editor), Christine David (Clinical Meetings Chair), and Janelle Gonyea (Strategies 1 Chair). In the past decade, our community has seen changes to the roles and responsibilities of the renal dietitian. The CRN's mission has always focused on meeting the educational needs of the renal dietitian, and now we would like to expand our mission to provide tools to meet the professional needs of the renal dietitian. Later this year, a survey to assess the professional needs of our community will be distributed to not only the CRN members but also to the profession as a whole. We need to know what tools you need to meet your professional goals. How can the CRN increase your value as a professional? How can the CRN help you progress within the new Standards of Professional Practice? Your future is our future. I encourage you to contact your EC members with comments, concerns, and ideas. We represent you. We are always looking for new people to point us in a new direction. No idea is too small. No concern is unimportant. I also encourage you to join the leadership. This year we have openings on the EC board for Regions 2 and 4 Representative and Alternate Representative, Secretary, and Chair-Elect. If you have ever wanted to be part of change, then run for office and join us as we move into uncharted territory. To paraphrase the late Steve Jobs, let's “put a ding in the universe.”