ACOFP: OUR CONTINUING HISTORY 95 Leadership Conference is an initiative of ACOFP in conjunction with the ACOFP Foundation. This limited-registration conference is held yearly for residents and new physicians-in-practice to provide attendees the leadership skills and resources to be successful leaders in ACOFP, their practices, and their communities. The ACOFP Future Leaders Conference was established to recognize and support exceptional new physicians, fostering professional and personal relationships, offering educational opportunities, and promoting leadership and community within the osteopathic profession. The conference aimed to enhance participants’ understanding of their leadership styles and how these influence their professional effectiveness. The inaugural conference took place in November 2009, coinciding with OMED in New Orleans, Louisiana, as a one-day program. Keynote speakers included Karen Nichols, DO, MA, FACOI, CS, then AOA President-Elect, and New Orleans Councilman Arnie Fielkow, who discussed the efforts of local leaders in the city’s recovery following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The conference was facilitated by mentors from the ACOFP Board of Governors and the Conclave of Fellows, including Ronnie Martin, DO, FACOFP dist. (ACOFP Immediate Past President); Jan Zieren, DO, FACOFP dist. (ACOFP President); Jeffry Lindenbaum, DO, FACOFP dist.; and Dana Schaffer, DO, FACOFP dist. The 2009 inaugural cohort of the Future Leaders Conference consisted of Kelly Becker, DO; Ronna Compton, DO; Justin Dufner, DO; Michelle Duhaney, DO; Joy Ekpo, DO; Matthew Gettings, DO; Adam Kinninger, DO; Katarina Lindley, DO; Alison Mancuso, DO; Kristin Martin, DO; Mark Robinson, DO; Nicole Sirchio (now Bixler), DO; Pamela Taffera, DO; Teshina Wilson, DO; Teniesha Wright-Jones, DO; and Christopher Zipp, DO. Funding for the first conference was generously donated by members of the Conclave of Fellows, the ACOFP Education and Research Foundation, and the Auxiliary to the ACOFP. Since its inception in 2009, the Future Leaders Conference has hosted 14 conferences and produced 258 Future Leaders alumni. Of these, 86% have served or currently serve on an ACOFP committee and 8% have served or currently serve on the ACOFP Board of Governors. Nearly half of the 2024–25 ACOFP Board of Governors are Future Leaders alumni. In 2020, Dr. Nicole Bixler made history as the first Future Leader to ascend to the ACOFP presidency. The 2009 Future Leaders Conference cohort.
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