The College is committed to being a responsive organization that reflects the membership at large. Our committee demographics are a barometer of that commitment. Since launching our organizational reform in 2015 as part of Vision 2020, we’ve had more than 100 members apply to serve on committees each year. There has been a steady increase in the involvement of young allergists (under the age of 45), women and members who are new to the College.
The average age of College members volunteering to serve on committees is now 47, compared to 53 in 2014. Members under the age of 45 now represent 57% of volunteers (compared to 29% in 2014) and women outnumber men in seeking committee positions for the first time in the College’s history. (See Table 1 below).
| Table 1. ACAAI Committee applications after the implementation of Vision 2020. | |||||
| Vision 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Y1 | Y2 | Y3 | Y4 | ||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
| Applications | 15 | 138 | 113 | 160 | 118 |
| Avg. Age | 53 | 52 | 52 | 48 | 47 |
| Under 45* | 29% | 35% | 40% | 47% | 57% |
| Male* | 62% | 60% | 58% | 54% | 46% |
| Female* | 38% | 40% | 42% | 46% | 54% |
| New to College** | 38% | 42% | 45% | 46% | 57% |
| *Percentages exclude volunteers with missing data. **(Joined within last 10 years) |
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We are excited to see the increased involvement of members who had been underrepresented in committee work in the past. Having committees that are demographically representative of our membership (and the allergist community as a whole) strengthens our ability to develop relevant and timely resources. We are not only broadening our expertise, but we’re also opening the door for new perspectives that are critical to shaping our future.
