Committees

2024 - 2025 Committee Members

Star at end of your name indicates confirmation for serving on a committee.

Communications / Website

Kim Gartland *

Robin Bozarth *

Linda Wojcik

Chris Curless

Sina Tim

Ellen Kaimakis

Education / Academia

Judy Roark *

Terence McIff *

Bethany Wright

Nicole Callisen

Bianca Harris

Jesse Truett *

Amanda Varner *

Michael Dold

Geoffrey Gelings *

Standards / Guidelines

Victor Machado * 

Sheri Hess

Jamie Decker *

Robin Bozarth * Chair

Amanda Varner *

Amy Oddo

Bethany Wright

Sherri Kohmuench *

Membership

Kim Gartland *                                                                                                                     Sheri Hess

Terence McIff

Vana Blanker

Ellen Kaimakis

Sarah Dawson

Lorena Kieser *

Giselle Cabada *

 

Certification

Victor Machado * Co-Chair

Amanda Varner *

Sherri Kohmuench *

Jamie Decker * Chair

                                                                                                                       

Symposium & Sponsorship     

Pat Cichlar *

Kim Gartland *

Robin Bozarth

Justin Panasewicz *

Andrea Davis

Christine Steiger


Committee Descriptions

Communications / Website Committee

PURPOSE:

The communications committee serves as the connection between the ABLE Board and ABLE members by maintaining lines of communication for ABLE members, industry partners and those who support the mission of ABLE and the Bioskills Industry. This committee includes working with the website administrator to ensure the ABLE website and social site information is current and accurate.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

This committee is responsible for providing feedback and recommendations to the ABLE Board, participate in the development, production and distribution of materials that transfer information from, between, and amongst ABLE members, as well as the ABLE Board of Directors. As well as providing avenues of communication to express or exchange information or ideas and thoughts to ABLE members, industry partners, and public in the form of printed materials, social media activities, key messages, and strategic planning for ABLE communication/public relations initiatives.

Our ultimate goal is to enhance open communication and sharing vital information to ABLE members and positively position the ABLE organization to be recognized as the leading expert organization in the Bioskills Industry.  The committee’s activities shall promote awareness of Bioskills Best Practice Guidelines and the Bioskills industry role.

This committee is also responsible for the following:

  • Keeping in close communication with the website committee for updates to the website on a monthly basis with regard to all aspects of the website
  • Keeping in close communication with symposium committee for updates to annual meeting
  • Working with membership committee on relaying any information needed with regard to annual meeting, website updates or any ABLE communications
  • Keeping the committee in compliance with the obligations of the ABLE Best Practice Guidelines

This committee also provides information to the website administrator who will perform the updates to the website.

  • If a new design is requested by the Board of Directors, then this committee will plan, budget, organize and implement and effective program and present to the Board for approval.
  • Act as a point of contact for website and social site information
  • Work with communications to ensure all information is provided for the monthly updates and for upcoming symposium
  • Ensure updates are posted within five (5) days of being provided by the communications committee.

**The website is the organization’s main method of advertising.  It is imperative that the information is always maintained to keep the members of ABLE informed and what is happening within the organization**

ESTIMATED TIME AND COMMITMENT:

Participation in once a month phone conference or consistent email communication to stay up to date on web communications, newsletters and their content, and to include new ideas for the upcoming annual meeting.  Participation in the production of distributed material such as content development, formatting and mass distribution.

Estimated time commitment: 1-3 hours per month depending on needs

Busiest time period: 4-5 months prior to Annual meeting and leading up to event

SAMPLES MAY INCLUDE:

Communication to past registrants on the upcoming meetings, hotel information, deadline dates, working with sponsorship, membership, education and symposium committees to see what their needs are for communication to the members to include follow up after meetings on evaluations.


Education / Academia Committee

PURPOSE:

To develop a set of guidelines, regulations, and processes by which ABLE Board of Directors will use for the education of Bioskills labs and its staff and/ or learners. The committee will also develop steps for issuing CEU's for Symposium attendance, e-learning courses for ABLE members and institutions, and review and prep of abstract submissions for the annual meeting.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The education committee will be responsible for developing the processes by which ABLE board of directors will issue CEU’s for Bioskills lab staff and/ or learners. The committee will also identify key Bioskills lab industry educational topics and develop content, reviewing & approving submitted content by ABLE members, (i.e., abstracts) and develop potential courses offer during the annual symposium.

ESTIMATED TIME & COMMITMENT:

Approximately 2-3 hours per month. The committee will have a 1hr monthly video/teleconference for the review & discussion of the progress of the committee on its goals. Committee members will be asked to potentially review submitted content prior to committee meeting or develop ideas to the rest of the committee requiring approximately 1-2 hours.


Standards / Guidelines Committee

PURPOSE:

The Guidelines Committee will be responsible for developing the highest standards of practice for a growing industry that is dedicated to serving the healthcare community. They will formulate, monitor, approve (with Board of Director guidance), and distribute the archived, current, and future guidelines established.  The guidelines provide best practices for organizations that engage in surgical and medical training, research and the development of new medical devices, biologics, and general healthcare education.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

This committee is responsible for maintaining the archived, current, and future guidelines created, processed, approved, and maintained by ABLE for the benefit of the bio-skills industry.

The guidelines are reviewed and voted upon yearly at the ABLE Annual Symposium for any changes set forth by the organization or committee.   As part of its work, the Guidelines Committee also makes extensive use of the resources and knowledge provided by voting members of its organization (ABLE).

The Guidelines Committee considers each of the following:

  • Addition of new guidelines/supplementary guidance documents to accommodate the integration of new skills, techniques, and practices in the field of bio-skills.
  • Revision changes to existing guidelines/supplementary guidance documents to clarify intent or specific requirements of the guidelines in order to avoid confusion for facilities and/or staff.
  • Deletion to remove existing guidelines/supplementary guidance documents that are unnecessary, duplicative, or confusing.

Effective July 9, 2018, the following processes are approved and implemented and distributed July 10, 2018 to ABLE members:

Any comments and/or suggests for changes/edit may be made by completing the attached Request for Changes Form (RCF).  These will be voted on by Regular Membership at the 2019 Annual ABLE Symposium .  However, if there are three (3) or more requests for changes to the same guidelines section, the section will be submitted to the Guidelines Committee for a (2) two- week review and comment period, at which time the section will then be sent to the Board of Directors for a 30-day review and recommendation or approval.  At that time, the section will then be sent for final comments to the ABLE Membership for 21 days and if comments are submitted then, they will be returned to the Guidelines Committee and Board of Directors for final vote.  The outcome of a vote will be for the approval or disapproval for the section in question and not the entire set of established guidelines.  Upon completion of the section voting, the ABLE Membership will vote electronically and if approved through majority vote, the change will be implemented at the (6) six-month review.  If the interim vote is not approved by ABLE Membership, the requested change will be re-evaluated at the ABLE Annual Symposium.  All requests for an immediate change will be evaluated and voted on by the Guidelines Committee and ABLE Board of Directors.  Any edits made to the current standing guidelines will have a 90-day grace period for implementation and will be communicated to all Individual and Institutional Members via email and the ABLE website.

GUIDELINES VOTING RESULTS:

All guidelines voting results will be counted and tallied by legal counsel at the ABLE Annual Symposium.

ESTIMATED TIME AND COMMITMENT:

Participation in two to four committee meetings per month.

Estimated time commitment: 2-4 hours per month.

VOTING REQUIREMENTS:

At least 40% of the committee must be present for voting as a quorum.  Majority vote rules and if there is a tie vote then the Board of Directors will be the final decision for the voting process completion.

GOAL:

Ultimately, these guidelines may be converted to accreditation standards, should the association wish to offer accreditation in future.


Membership Committee

PURPOSE:

To sustain and grow ABLE’s membership.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

This committee is responsible for encouraging current members to renew and for recruiting new members through strategic initiatives and recruiting activities.

  • Develop and implement new ideas for increasing membership.
  • Develop and implement new ideas for incentivizing and maintaining current members.
  • Work with ABLE administrator to verify and update membership lists. Provide these lists as requested to ABLE Board.
  • Work concurrently with communications and website committee to implement plans for membership recruitment throughout the year in order to solicit new members.
  • Keep the Board of Directors informed of recruitment activates and information pertaining to membership participation.

ESTIMATED TIME AND COMMITMENT:

Participation in four committee meetings per year

Estimated time commitment: 1 hour per quarter depending on needs, with more time committed if volunteering to contact current or potential members

Busiest time period: 4-5 months prior to Annual meeting and leading up to event


Symposium / Sponsorship Committee

PURPOSE:

To develop, maintain and grow the sponsorship of ABLE.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

This committee is responsible for organizing and developing a plan for soliciting corporate sponsorship for the annual ABLE symposium.

The sponsorship committee includes each of the following:

  • Reach out to existing sponsors to confirm their financial budgeting for next fiscal year
  • Compile lists from previous sponsor years and research, identify, solicit and organize to recruit recurrent sponsors
  • Organize, strategize and identify new ideas for soliciting new sponsorship
  • Attend annual symposium to thank sponsors and to ensure that appropriate recognition activities take place for said sponsors by working with communications and website committees.
  • Organize and identify new ideas for handling Registration table set up ideas for participants such as (bags, giveaway items from sponsors for bags)
  • Work with communications and website committees to ensure all information is provided for upcoming symposium
  • Coordination of all banners prior to annual symposium acknowledging sponsors.

ESTIMATED TIME AND COMMITMENT:

Participation in once a month phone conference or email communication to stay up to date on web communications, new ideas for upcoming annual meeting, etc

Estimated time commitment: 1 hour per month depending on needs

Busiest time period: 4-5 months prior to Annual meeting and leading up to event


Symposium Committee

PURPOSE:

To develop, execute, and improve ABLE’s annual education events and address those needs; assessing the extent to which those needs are met, and otherwise contributing to the educational mission of ABLE.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

This committee is responsible for soliciting input from the Board of Directors and other members at the annual symposium regarding desired subject areas and potential speakers; consider program format changes based on past experience and prepare a conclusion from this review leading to an approach for the next symposium.

The symposium committee includes each of the following:

  • Preparing a discussion consisting of possible speakers, topics to be covered, distribute drafts for comments, reactions and suggestions, revise and redistribute as necessary until a final document is achieved that satisfies the Committee and Board of Directors as a final working program
  • Make preliminary contact with proposed speakers to confirm availability and interest, concurrent with topics and session formats proposed and initial negotiations regarding compensation and expenses.
  • Work with communications and website committees to ensure all information is provided for upcoming symposium in a timely fashion.
  • Ensure site of symposium is secured for upcoming event in a timely manner, complete all necessary guidelines for site event (i.e., AV, catering, event insurance, etc)
  • Work closely with site of symposium for any needs necessary for event

ESTIMATED TIME AND COMMITMENT:

Participation in once a month phone conference or email communication to stay up to date on web communications, new ideas for upcoming annual meeting, etc.

Estimated time commitment: 1-3 hours per month depending on needs

Busiest time period: 4-5 months prior to Annual meeting and leading up to event