Abstract
“Please visit SLAS. org to read our new strategic plan. Then, please share your thoughts about it.”
We begin this year on a very high note. Much work has been done by SLAS leadership, volunteers, and the professional team since the official formation of SLAS on July 1, 2010. Among many accomplishments, one important achievement stands out—the creation of the new SLAS Strategic Plan.
Our new strategic plan thoughtfully outlines where our organization expects to go over the next few years, how it's going to get there and how we'll know if it got there or not. It is a decision-making tool that defines our direction and provides a context for assessing tangible action plans and appropriately allocating resources.
This labor-intensive process was led by a team of volunteers who were assigned by the SLAS Board of Directors. After weeks of deliberation (and more than 20 iterations!), the final plan was presented to the SLAS Board of Directors and ultimately adopted. On behalf of the board and all SLAS members, I sincerely thank those who served on this working group for their leadership and tenacity: Co-Chair Dave Dorsett, M.B.A., of Bristol-Meyers Squibb; Co-Chair Jeff Paslay, Ph.D., of Paslay Consulting; Ed Anderson, Ph.D., of Pioneer Hi-Bred International; Peter Grandsard, Ph.D., of Amgen; Michelle Palmer, Ph.D., of the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT; John Printen, Ph.D., of Life Technologies; Steve Rees of GlaxoSmithKline; and John Walzer, Ph.D., of Exxon Mobile.
Now that we have a sound strategic plan in place, it will facilitate the prioritization and development of our business plans and budgets, beginning with those for our next fiscal year (July 1, 2011—June 30, 2012). The process, however, is ongoing and requires one more essential component—your voice. Our strategic plan is not carved from granite. It is dynamic and flexible and the SLAS leadership will revisit it regularly to ensure that it continues to reflect our best interests and opportunities.
Please visit SLAS.org to read our new strategic plan. Then, please share your thoughts about it. You can e-mail them to me personally at
Because SLAS is a member-driven society, your voice is critically important. SLAS exists to serve its members—you—so understanding your thoughts and listening closely to your ideas are essential to our success. And when I say “our,” I mean your personal success and SLAS's organizational success. We are one and the same. Nobody wins unless everybody wins.
See you soon in Palm Springs and Orlando!
Sincerely,
