Thanks to the incredible work of the Urology Care Foundation™ (UCF) Board of Directors and staff as well as the support of many members of the AUA, the Foundation has grown significantly over the past decade. Growth mandates change so that we can continue to meet the opportunities and challenges ahead. Therefore, we have created a new Vice President and Deputy Director position. Ray Wezik assumed this new role in January. Ray brings a wealth of Foundation experience and expertise, having most recently served as the AUA’s policy and advocacy director. Previously, Ray was a director at the International Myeloma Foundation, where he was responsible for many aspects of setting and implementing the strategic direction of the Foundation, including public policy, patient outreach, advocacy, funding, and awareness.

In his new role, and working with the UCF President and Board of Directors, Ray is leading the day-to-day operations of the Foundation, including governance and regulatory compliance, individual giving, and educational initiatives. Additionally, he is serving as the UCF liaison to the Patient Advocacy Alliances—the Bladder Health Alliance, the Prostate Cancer Impact Alliance, and the Kidney Cancer Impact Alliance.

Ray is reporting to Patricia Banks, AUA’s EVP and Chief Marketing and Development Officer. Patricia has been a critical leader within the Foundation for many years overseeing our patient education, marketing, communications, and development initiatives.

In addition to our new Vice President and Deputy Director, the Foundation has also recently welcomed three new Board members: David Amerson, MBA; Badar Mian, MD; and Suzette Sutherland, MD, MS, FPMRS.

The UCF Board is comprised of both AUA members and community (lay) members who represent a dynamic, diverse, and dedicated group of professionals.

David Amerson is a public member of the Board. He is the former president of NeoTract Interventional Urology at Teleflex and before that served as the global vice president and general manager for the urology division of Coloplast, a publicly traded medical equipment company based in Denmark. Mr Amerson is a former board member of the Urology Society of America and the American Lithotripsy Society.

Dr Mian is a professor of urology at Albany Med Health System in Albany, New York, and is a uro-oncologist with a primary clinical and research focus on the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for prostate cancer and other genitourinary tract malignancies. He works, with the support of local donors, to engage those from underprivileged areas within his region by providing free access to medical advice and guidance.

Dr Mian has been appointed to the role of secretary, and in that role he will provide leadership and guidance for the Foundation by participating in Board activities and leading fundraising activities in collaboration with UCF development staff.

The Members at Large provide leadership and actively advocate for the Foundation’s priorities and philanthropic efforts. Dr Sutherland will add her expertise as the director of female urology and a member of the multidisciplinary UW Medicine Pelvic Health Center at the University of Washington Medical Center and a professor of urology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She has served as a member of the Foundation’s Bladder Health Committee and as Chair of the Technology & Publications Committee.

I would also like to express my gratitude to those Board members who are completing their terms of service for their dedication to and support of the Urology Care Foundation. Thank you to Gopal Badlani, MD, FACS, FRCS; Sanford Siegel, MD; and Jay G. Baitler.

I look forward to working with our new Board members to improve health care for urologic patients worldwide by supporting research, providing education, and advancing humanitarian initiatives.