Volume 39 Number 4 | August 2025
Summary
In reflecting on her unexpected journey as ASCLS president, author Pat Tille emphasizes that true success comes from collective growth, relationships, and impact. She highlights key organizational accomplishments—including revitalizing the Clinical Laboratory Science journal and strengthening advocacy efforts—and credits volunteers and members as the driving force behind ASCLS’s extraordinary achievements.
Is ASCLS Ordinary or Extraordinary?
Pat Tille, PhD, MLS(ASCP), AHI(AMT), FACSc, ASCLS Past President
As we enter the next Society year and looking back at my unexpected personal and professional journey, I find myself thinking about what success means after serving as ASCLS president for 2024-2025. I want to revisit a few of my thoughts that were included in the ASCLS Today newsletter.
The first article was really about my unexpected journey. I revisited strategic events and people that influenced my professional career and why taking the next step can be an opportunity for anyone. Becoming the ASCLS national president was not on my list of things to do! But in all honesty, my career path was never planned.
In the next issue of the newsletter, I wrote about leadership that makes a difference and looking to 2025. One of the main features of that is how in an organization like ASCLS, it is not simply the leader that defines the success of the organization but the followers, or in this case, the members and other vested stakeholders we work with as a professional society.
Why do I mention this and go back to reflect on where I started, and where we are as an organization, and where I am personally as a professional? It is important in any role you may take, whether you are a volunteer, or in your career, that understanding what success means is important. We often measure someone’s success by their accomplishments. Well, I do believe that is an influencing factor, but more importantly for me I believe that success is based on growth, relationships, and impact, not only personally, but for ASCLS and the membership. What does success look like to me and what does it feel like? How do you know whether in any role, that you have been successful? Are you ordinary or are you extraordinary?
When the membership chooses you in an election to serve as the president of ASCLS, you take on a particularly important set of responsibilities to the profession and to others. It really begins as president-elect. During that first year, we focused on new policies and procedures to improve efficiencies within the organization and identifying volunteers for the vast committees, taskforces, and opportunities that support the strategic pillars of the organization. Making plans for what the organization needs during the next year is key. But that is not a task that one does alone! Other members of the Board of Directors (BOD) support the development of the strategic initiatives and work to identify charges and opportunities for our vast committees, as well as identify leaders and others to fill appointments. As president-elect you are a voting member of the BOD. But what happens next?
You become the president of ASCLS, and your role changes. You are no longer a voting member of the BOD. You become the conductor of the orchestra. You look for opportunities and challenges, and you work with others to move the organization forward and address critical issues. You are never alone, you are not a silo. And in fact, you must realize that the accomplishments are not yours alone, they belong to everyone who volunteers, no matter how small or how big a role they have.
So how do I measure success? Well, I believe that one of the greatest accomplishments of this past year is the revitalization of the Clinical Laboratory Science journal. Being able to move the journal into an active status was no small feat. But there are many others that helped with that. Director Nick Moore jumped right in to help tackle the backlog of materials, and then the BOD approved an entire new journal staff. They have been working diligently to make changes and provide information important in laboratory science.
Another major success was the conversion of the Consumer Information Response Team (CIRT) to a new platform in collaboration with Diverse Health Hub (DHH). This was only possible because of the continued work and dedication by Dr. Susan LeClaire and her team of volunteers that have provided an essential service to patients, providers, and their families for many years. The software that ASCLS utilized to support the service was outdated, and without building the relationship with DHH, CIRT would no longer exist. Again, that was accomplished through the encouragement and commitment of many volunteers and the BOD to make it a reality.
The Association of Medical Laboratory Education Programs (AMLEP) installed an active board, incorporated with bylaws, and established several active taskforces to develop new programs for improving critical services in education and workforce development.
The Awards Committee tackled outdated awards, and with encouragement, developed new ones to highlight and recognize more volunteers who are Ascending or Developing Professionals, as an example.
One of the other great successes was envisioning how advocacy can be different and creating Labvocates. Although we have not yet experienced the new design of the Labvocate Symposium (previously the Laboratory Legislative Symposium), the Board of Directors stepped forward and focused on advocacy for the profession and patients, during a very tumultuous time. With the uncertainty and challenges we faced and will continue to do so in the next year, no one was willing to back down. We have stood fast and continue to support the mission, vision, and values of the organization and advocate for the rights to accessible and quality healthcare for all people. We did not remove our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
At times, there were letters sent to prominent individuals or organizations when a critical issue was identified that needed to be addressed. With that process, the BOD revisited and updated the ASCLS mission, vision, and values statements to ensure relevancy and alignment with the profession and the critical nature of the laboratory profession. And not to mention tackling the election and credentials process, along with bylaws, in a progressive manner, again to ensure forward thinking and engagement of all our members in the organization.
Yes, these are some of the most notable efforts that, as president of ASCLS, in conjunction with the BOD and volunteers, we tackled this past year. But there are so many more, including the completion of the update to the Bioterrorism Position Paper and establishing the Regional Taskforce, and not to forget, the continued review of services we provide for constituent societies. The work of the Constituent Society Steering Committee is on-going and will continue to evolve. However, providing the Crowded platform to streamline finances was an especially important decision and one we believe will improve the function of the constituent societies because they are the corner stone of the grassroots of ASCLS.
Could I go on? Yes! There are many more accomplishments this year that are important updates and changes, but what I really want you to see is that success is personal, it is what each and everyone of us considers it looks like and feels like. It is easy to get derailed by negative comments from others, because you cannot please everyone. It is YOU who must believe that what you are doing is the right thing.
Remaining authentic and transparent and listening to others is key. One of the most important lessons that I feel is paramount in any position, but especially as president of ASCLS, is how you view success. I was never a silo. I never felt alone. As an individual, my network expanded to include notable professionals and leaders in other organizations, such as ASCP, CAP, and Lab 2.0. But also meeting so many new friends and professionals while revisiting old friends and colleagues when traveling to numerous constituent society meetings. Building those relationships and understanding the challenges and successes of our grassroot constituent societies was impactful. Listening to members, either though emails, personal conversations, or the Let’s Talk sessions. I experienced personal growth, I built new relationships, and I could witness the impact of our membership and activities across the organization.
As I prepared for the 2025 ASCLS, AGT & SAFMLS Joint Annual Meeting, there were things that remained unfinished, but I knew that the BOD and the staff would continue to implement changes and processes to grow, build relationships, and make impactful decisions. But most importantly, the volunteers also influence all of the accomplishments and success of the organization. It belongs to all of us! Nothing that is accomplished or successful is a result of any single individual.
In closing, I want to leave you with one final last thought. Are we ordinary or extraordinary? Honestly, when I look back and consider that I never intended to become president of ASCLS, I feel confident when I say, it was an amazing experience, and everyone involved made my unexpected journey more than I could ever expect. And yes, I would say that we, the combined membership, volunteers, professionals, stakeholders, and staff, are above ordinary! All of you have made this a remarkably successful extraordinary year for ASCLS. It has been an honor, a privilege, and a joy. Thank you!
Pat Tille is the Graduate Program Director and Professor at the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio.