SAAO Executive Council

2022-23 SAAO EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

PaulaSwiercz_Headshot

Paula Swiercz, OMS IV 
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine (PNWU-COM) OMM Fellow
Chair and student member of the AAO Board of Trustees
[email protected]

Kaitlyn Thomas Headshot

Kaitlyn Thomas, OMS IV
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine-Seton Hill (LECOM)
Immediate past chair
[email protected]

Urja Shah, OMS III
Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Vice chair
[email protected]

Andrea Done, OMS III
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVUCOM)
Secretary-treasurer
[email protected]

Sebastian Edwards, OMS III 
Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine 
National coordinator
[email protected]

Benjamin Hurley, MS, OMS IV
Des Moines University
National Undergraduate Fellows Association (NUFA) liaison
[email protected]

 

Officers are elected each year at the SAAO annual business meeting at Convocation. If you are interested in serving as a representative, please contact your chapter officer.

  • The chair of the SAAO Executive Committee serves as a voting member on the AAO Board of Trustees and coordinates the SAAO program for Convocation.
  • The vice chair coordinates the annual A. Hollis Wolf Case Presentation Competition, designs the Convocation T-shirt and plans the student mixer that takes place at Convocation.
  • The immediate past chair works with the regional coordinators to establish the pre-SAAO initiative, improve collaboration between COMs, and promote osteopathy in the community and other local institutions.
  • The secretary-treasurer coordinates communication via the Still Point and social media.
  • The national coordinator is the first point of contact for local chapters and manages the VIP points that each chapter earns.
  • The NUFA liaison is the first point of contact for NUFA representatives from each chapter and coordinates the NUFA program at Convocation.
  • General questions, comments, concerns or exciting ideas can be directed to the national coordinator. 

In addition to the positions listed above, SAAO representatives serve on AAO committees.

SAAO REGIONAL COORDINATORS

Marianne Abadam, OMS IV, Western Region, 

Katie Benson, OMS IV, MidAtlantic Region

Michael Castellano, OMS IV, Northeastern Region

Valerie Daniels, OMS IV, Southeastern Region

Kelly Gehlbach, OMS III, Midwestern Region

Flora Park, MS, OMS III, Central Region