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As I stand before you this week and begin my journey as AHRA president, my heart is full of gratitude. It is truly one of the greatest honors of my career to serve this incredible organization and the amazing imaging leaders who make it what it is.

Healthcare is changing faster than ever before. Artificial intelligence is transforming the way we work. Innovation is accelerating at an incredible pace. Our departments continue to face challenges with workforce shortages, increasing demand, access to care, and an ever-changing healthcare landscape. Yet every challenge also presents an opportunity — and I cannot think of a better group of leaders to shape the future of medical imaging than the members of AHRA.

For the past 21 years, AHRA has been my professional home.

When I attended my first Annual Meeting in 2005, I was a young imaging leader who wasn't quite sure where I fit in. I quickly discovered something that has never changed — at AHRA, you are never alone. Someone always takes the time to introduce themselves, answer your questions, share their experiences, and encourage you to take that next step.

Over the years, I have been mentored not by one person, but by an entire family of imaging leaders. That is what makes AHRA so special. We don't keep great ideas to ourselves — we share them. We celebrate each other's successes. We lift each other up during difficult times. We collaborate because we all believe in something bigger than ourselves: providing exceptional care for our patients and supporting the people who make that care possible.

This past year has been especially meaningful for me. I have had the privilege of spending countless hours with Wes Harden and Mario Pistilli. Their guidance, friendship, wisdom, and unwavering support have prepared me for this moment in ways I can never fully express. They have answered every phone call, shared their experiences openly, and demonstrated what servant leadership truly looks like. I am deeply grateful to both of them, and to every leader who has invested their time, knowledge, and heart in helping me grow over the past two decades.

As I look ahead, I am excited about where AHRA is going.

My vision is to continue growing our membership by welcoming and developing the next generation of imaging leaders. I want emerging leaders to experience the same encouragement, mentorship, and sense of belonging that AHRA has given me. I also hope to strengthen our relationships with our imaging technologist colleagues and other professional societies. Together, we can learn from one another, share best practices, and elevate our profession in ways that benefit our members, our organizations, and ultimately, our patients.

I also believe the time is right for AHRA to expand its reach beyond our borders. Medical imaging is advancing around the world, and there is tremendous opportunity to build relationships with international imaging organizations, exchange ideas, and learn from one another. By creating those connections, we can help position AHRA as a recognized global leader in imaging administration and leadership.

For more than 50 years, AHRA has been shaping imaging leaders and advancing our profession. We have been blessed with leaders who believed in investing in others, sharing their knowledge, and building a community unlike any other. Now it is our turn. It is our responsibility to ensure that the next generation inherits an organization that is even stronger, more connected, more innovative, and more influential than the one we joined.

Most importantly, I want every member — from someone attending their very first Annual Meeting to someone who has been part of AHRA for decades — to feel what I felt when I first walked through these doors: that they belong.

Because that's what AHRA is.

It is where leaders learn.
It is where innovation begins.
It is where ideas are shared freely.
It is where lifelong friendships are formed.
It is where mentors become family.

Thank you for trusting me to serve as your president. I am honored, humbled, and incredibly excited for the year ahead. Together, we will continue to lead with courage, embrace innovation, support one another, and leave AHRA stronger for those who will follow.

I truly believe the best days of AHRA are still ahead of us, and I cannot wait to build that future — together.

—Cindy