Meet Your 2024 NomCom Endorsed Candidates

April 18, 2024

By Jeremy Nelson, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, Chair, AAPA Nominating Committee

At AAPA, the dedication and vision of its volunteer leadership help to drive the organization’s successes. Central to this effort is the Nominating Committee (NomCom), which consists of five elected and two appointed fellow members, each of whom brings an array of perspectives and experiences to the work of the committee. We are charged by AAPA’s Bylaws to recruit, evaluate, and endorse candidates to run for positions on the AAPA Board of Directors, and our work is crucial to ensuring transparency and excellence in the electoral process.

As Chair of the Nominating Committee, it is my privilege to announce the slate of candidates this year’s committee has endorsed to run in the 2024 AAPA Board of Directors and House of Delegates Officer Elections:

President-elect

Todd Pickard, MMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, FASCO

Secretary-Treasurer

David J. Bunnell, MSHS, PA-C, DFAAPA

Kris Pyles-Sweet, DMSc, PA-C

Director-at-Large

Stacey Becker, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA

Katherine GeeBah Footracer, MS, PA-C

Paola Gonzalez, MPAS, PA-C

Adam R. Olsen, DMSc, M.S., PA-C

Vice President/Speaker of the House

Leslie Clayton, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA

Director/First Vice Speaker of the House

Peggy Walsh Sheryka, MS, PA-C

Director/Second Vice Speaker of the House

Rebecca A. Loveless, MHS, PA-C, DFAAPA

Rachel Weinzimmer, DMSc, PA-C, CAQ-EM, CPAAPA

Endorsement is a complex, confidential process through which eligible candidates are evaluated to determine who is best suited to fulfill the duties of the position and serve the needs of AAPA during a given year. The NomCom used the following process to conduct the evaluations:

• Adopted a competency framework and scoring rubric used to evaluate the following competencies:
  • Team orientation and interpersonal skills
  • Personal leadership skills
  • Knowledge of AAPA and the PA Profession
  • Commitment, loyalty, integrity, and capacity to serve
  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • Preparedness for an officer position (e. President-elect, Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer)
• Reviewed each candidate’s entire application packet and conducted individual interviews.
• Conducted interviews utilizing a consistent format providing all pre-written questions to candidates in advance.
• Deliberated as a group to develop a slate that reflects the highest qualified candidates for each position.
• All candidates were notified of the competency criteria ahead of the interview process and were confidentially informed of the final slate.

While the NomCom has set forth its endorsements for the 2024 election cycle, we encourage all candidates to continue their leadership journeys and grow in service to the PA profession. Candidates who are not endorsed are still eligible to run for office as self-declared candidates under AAPA’s Bylaws. While the Nominating Committee was not committed to endorsing either a single or multiple slate, the final endorsed slate reflects the Committee’s support for having competitive elections.

It has been our honor to conduct this important component of AAPA’s elections and our commitment to do so in a rigorous, informed, and thoughtful manner. We encourage every member who is eligible to vote to take the time to learn about the candidates, understand their visions, and cast your ballot with confidence. Your vote is not just a choice; it is a voice for the future you envision for our profession.

To learn more about current election timelines and policies, please check out aapa.org/elections.