Below is a quick briefing on key decisions, committee updates, and the next steps this group of volunteers is taking on your behalf. Inside you’ll find highlights on a new AANS liaison appointment, governance updates, membership growth, annual meeting planning, and communications priorities. Please review the committee blurbs and action items below, and reach out to a committee lead if you have questions or want to support these initiatives as a volunteer.
Membership: Membership has grown ~25% since 2022 with 72 net new members in 2025, reflecting strong recruitment momentum. The committee is launching targeted retention outreach, a membership welcome program, and plans to expand virtual roundtables and networking opportunities. We will also run a brief retention survey and promote member testimonials and scholarship opportunities to drive further engagement and renewals.
Annual Meeting / Education: The 2026 annual meeting theme is “Optimization” (practice, people, self). While hotel and core logistics have been secured, the keynote speaker, panel participants, and sponsors are still being finalized. The committee is pursuing an optional tour and designing service-line panels to broaden appeal and boost participation.
Communications: The website is being prioritized for usability and member resource access improvements, with a proposal to reallocate part of the current social vendor budget to site enhancements. Our newly appointed communications chair, Mackenzie Saitta, will be working with our secretary to implement an in‑house content strategy with a themed posting cadence to improve engagement. Pending further board review, vendor funds may also be reallocated toward higher‑impact engagement tools; recommendations will be included with the communications plan for board consideration.
Survey & Data: The 2026 survey requesting data from 2025 was distributed August 3rd. This committee is focused on driving higher completion rates, especially among new and hospital-based members. As such, they plan to produce support materials and volunteer assistance to help hospital-based respondents navigate data collection and reporting requirements. They will also analyze response patterns and conduct targeted follow-ups to improve coverage and data quality.
Washington / Policy: The Washington committee continues active monitoring of prior authorization, the physician fee schedule, MIPS/value-based payment developments, and other federal policy shifts. Committee leadership is preparing a concise “hot topics” summary to distribute to members after internal review. Ongoing policy updates and webinars will be scheduled as needed to keep members informed and prepared.
Finance: Year-to-date revenue is up ~33% with operating and net income positive. We implemented a conservative investment allocation (money market, short-duration, and S&P ETF) effective June 1 and will monitor performance. The finance team will continue providing regular updates and incorporate any recommended reallocations tied to strategic priorities.
Governance / Nominations: The nominations process has been enhanced to include a vetting/interview step by at least two officers prior to presenting officer nominees for a board vote. Presidential appointment authority for liaison and chair roles remains unchanged, preserving flexibility for incoming presidents. The governance team will circulate the revised process documentation ahead of the November board meeting.
AANS Liaison: A new AANS practice-manager/coding liaison position has been approved, and Lisette Lopez was appointed by the board to serve in the inaugural role. This liaison aims to strengthen admin-level collaboration and funnel practice management coding issues to the coding committee earlier. The committee will work with Lisette and AANS contacts to define a clear role description, responsibilities, and expectations.
NeuroLinx Connections Mentoring Program: The NeuroLinx Connections mentoring program is launching a new recruitment wave this fall to pair experienced neurosurgery administrators with early‑career peers for structured 6‑month mentorships focused on leadership, practice optimization, and career development. Program will match mentors/mentees based on goals and specialty and provide onboarding materials, including suggested meeting guides.
Education Committee: The Education Committee is finalizing a year‑round slate of webinars and roundtable events. The group is also revamping available toolkits and templates in response to member feedback on the recent survey.