I Regret to Inform You That Our Executive Director Polly Olsen Has Resigned and Her Last

AAIP News

Dear Members,

I regret to inform you that our Executive Director Polly Olsen has resigned and her last day will be May 26. She will be returning to the Seattle area to be closer to her family. Polly has worked hard for this organization during her time with the Association and has been a great help to the Board and to the President in carrying forward our advocacy for Indian health and continuing our student programs. She has implemented successful Cross-Cultural Medicine workshops and the 2016 AAIP Annual meeting in Oakland. Please join me in wishing her continued success in her future endeavors.

The AAIP Board of Directors has acted swiftly in filling this position to provide continued leadership and to be able to complete the planning and implementation of our NNAYI program this summer in Washington. and the AAIP Annual Meeting July 27-30 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The Board has authorized me to execute a contract with our previous Executive Director Ms. Margaret Knight to act as the interim Director for the Association while we initiate a nation-wide search to fill the position permanently. Ms. Knight’s first day will be May 18.

We are completing our agenda for the 2017 Annual Meeting to be held at the Grand Hotel Resort and Casino located just outside of Shawnee, Oklahoma owned by the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Our theme for the meeting will be “Metabolic and Substance Use disorders in Indian Country”. We will be holding the men’s and women’s retreats as well as our traditional sweat and initiation ceremonies.

This year we will hold the powwow (Sat PM July 29) in an outdoor venue about 10 minutes from the hotel and will have transportation available to and from the powwow grounds. We are co-sponsoring the event with the area Indian Education programs honoring the Association’s continued advocacy for students. There will be held our gourd dance as well as dance contests with prize money. A traditional stomp dance will be held Friday night at the hotel.

We still need items to donate for our silent auction to be held during the President’s reception and I ask you to contact the AAIP office or me at regarding your donation.

Our Governance Committee has been working on developing the list of nominees for the upcoming election at our AAIP business meeting to be held during the Annual Meeting. Remember that nominations are allowed from the floor so if you are interested in serving on the AAIP Board, get a member to nominate you at the business meeting.

Finally, I ask all our Native physicians to please pay your annual dues to the Association so that you are able to vote at the Annual Meeting. Recall that the membership voted to remove the blood quantum restriction for membership at last year’s annual meeting. Please consider pre-paying your registration for the Annual Meeting although onsite registration is also available.

Enough for now, next month I will update the membership on our advocacy activities from this past 9 months