NEWSLETTER
November 2003
Secretary General's Report
This year was my last as your Secretary General. I have enjoyed every minute of it. I am deeply grateful to all past and present members of the Council, where we have had such interesting and constructive discussions and wise decisions. Especially, I would like to say Thank you to all the Presidents! You have been interesting and a joy to work with!
The Association has gone through two difficult times. One was long ago when the Vice President suddenly resigned. Jarda Stark was brought in to take on the Presidency. Jarda turned out to be an excellent teacher into the secrets of European Cardio-thoracic Surgery. Another time was when our then conference bureau, CASIL, turned out not to function well. David Wheatley vigorously pursued this issue, which resulted in our present, excellent organisation with our main office in Windsor under Kathy McGree. The EACTS is now of a size, that allows us to take our fate in our own hands.
This year’s Annual Meeting will stand out in my memory. Not only did Gun and I have our honey-moon trip there, we will also remember the totally unrehearsed festivities during the Presidential dinner. Thank you, Walter and Werner.
Marko Turina has left Council and will go on to the Nominating Committee. He has served first as Secretary General, then as Editor-in-Chief and finally as President. He is one of the Founding Fathers of the Association and is an ardent supporter in Europe and internationally of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Science and the EACTS. He will continue to work with the MultiMedia Manual and also coordinate some efforts of international assistance in cardio-thoracic surgery, see below. We owe him our gratitude for all his efforts within the Association.
Special thanks are also extended to Joachim Hasse, chairman, and Jules Dussek, who both have ended their terms in the Thoracic Surgery Committee. In the East European Committe Bohumil Hucin has contributed to the success of the activities in the Eastern European Countries for several years. Our cordial thanks are conveyed to you.
I am very honoured to be elected your Vice President and to continue the work within Council. I am especially happy that the Association has been able to achieve such an excellent friend and colleague as Bruce Keogh as the next Secretary General. I look very much forward to working with you and will help you as much or as little as you wish.
I wonder, if all members of the Association know what a gem we have in Kathy McGree, our Executive Secretary of the Windsor office. She keeps our money in strict order, she runs a tight ship within her office and she sees to it that our customers, the Industry is happy. I admire your knowledge, your diligence and loyalty!
Another very important person in our midst is Ian Beecroft. He is the man behind running the administration of our journals in such an excellent way. He keeps abreast of the development of electronic publishing and will continue to be a great asset to us.
A final word on Maud Zingmark, the Executive Secretary of the Umeå office. You have made a name for yourself with the excellent, thoughtful and no nonsense service that you have given the Association and me over the years. I am happy that you will continue to work for the Association!
With these three true professionals in charge of running our affairs and with Bruce Keogh as their leader, the Association is in good hands!
Torkel Aberg, M.D., FETCS
Former Secretary General
Present Vice President
