Board of Directors – Meeting Summary
21–22 August 2026
AO NA Office – King of Prussia, PA
As part of our commitment to transparency and accountability, the AO NA Board of Directors shares key takeaways from each meeting. Our goal is to keep you informed about the issues we address, the decisions we make, and the progress we achieve.
This information strengthens our connection with you and keeps our priorities aligned with member needs. We welcome your input. Tell us how we’re doing and what matters most to you – your feedback shapes our direction. Share your thoughts at [email protected].
1. OneAO® 2027
Dr. Lee announced that OneAO® 2027 will take place 22–25 April 2027 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Board discussed the redesigned format, which emphasizes connection and community through fewer, more focused sessions, and reviewed ideas to build excitement and participation.
2. Education Update
- Dr. Subramaniam reported that AO NA’s course activity and joint-provider partnerships remain strong. Webinars are drawing high registration, though live attendance has dropped off. She also outlined AO NA’s 2027 education plans.
- Dr. Subramaniam and Dr. Clarke updated the Board on the Education Transformation Subcommittee’s (ETSC) work, including new skills-assessment frameworks supporting ACCME accreditation, reorganized course formats, and the conversion of digital content into short microlearning units. Dr. Subramaniam also reported that AO NA sent a Request for Information for a learning experience platform.
3. Residency and Fellowship Outreach
Ms. Jones commissioned research to better understand residency and fellowship program directors’ needs and strengthen the distinct value of an AO fellowship. She introduced a proposed fellowship workgroup, for which the Board agreed with the concept and will seek input from the AO NA Executive Council before taking further action.
4. Clinical Specialty Updates
- AO CMF NA: Dr. Lettieri reviewed proposed changes to AO CMF NA’s Terms of Reference and reported on a new Faculty Management Subcommittee. The Board discussed the balance between equal specialty representation and deeper role-specific expertise and agreed the current approach merits further review.
- AO Spine NA: Dr. Clarke reported strong course performance and community growth, along with equipment availability concerns.
- AO Sports NA: Dr. Subramaniam reported continued progress with Sports courses.
- AO Trauma NA: Dr. Achor updated the Board on the Chair-Elect election, strong webinar registration, fellowship participation, September activities, and AO TNA’s Davos Experience for Fellows.
- AO Recon NA: Dr. Kwon reviewed Recon’s trajectory in the US market and its fellowship programs, reported improved course fill rates, summarized three-year funding plans, and proposed adding a Recon representative to the AO NA Executive Council. The Board agreed to discuss the proposal with the Executive Council before acting.
- AO VET NA: Dr. García-López updated the Board on course development, a new sponsorship prospectus, and partner exclusivity terms. The Board discussed outreach to potential partners and ways to evolve the delivery model.
5. DePuy Synthes Update
Mr. Di Vincenzo reviewed DePuy Synthes’ leadership structure and outlined the partnership’s priorities and anticipated risks. The Board raised several questions and discussed exploring greater investment in the Davos Experience for Fellows.
6. Governance
- Ms. Jones reported on the status of the TNA Board Chair-Elect election. The Board discussed historic voter turnout concerns, which it will address at a future meeting.
- The AO NA President-Elect Nominating Committee will be formed shortly.
- The Board approved establishing an Alternate Delegate position for the AMA’s Specialty & Service Society and agreed to identify the alternate directly rather than through an open call for volunteers.
- Ms. Jones reported that the AO Trustees approved a bylaws amendment recognizing the AO NA President as an ex-officio voting member of the AO Trustees, effective for the 2027 AO Trustees meeting, and reviewed two upcoming AO TNA trustee vacancies and one AO SNA vacancy.
- Ms. Jones reported that four AO Foundation Board members will complete their first terms in June 2027; the members agreed to identify potential candidates. They also discussed AO’s need for a president-elect.
7. Financials
Ms. Richards and Dr. García-López presented year-to-date financials, explained variances, and summarized the performance of AO NA’s investment portfolio.
8. Human Resources Update
Ms. Mower reported on AO NA’s staff succession and retention planning, as well as enhancements to its workplace culture initiatives.
9. Executive Director Update
Ms. Jones’ update covered opportunities to grow engagement in Canada, a marketing realignment, membership growth, her Joint Cooperation Board presentation, the 2027 strategy meeting cadence, and key organizational headwinds and tailwinds.
10. AO Update
Mr. Albers reviewed AO’s value chain and its role in AO’s mission, along with the six strategic focus areas and new strategy statements guiding AO’s move from strategy to execution. He also briefed the Board on the Cooperation Agreement, upcoming changes to AO’s Bylaws, and outcomes from the AO Foundation Board’s June 2026 meeting.
11. AO NA Strategy
Ms. Jones reported that the AMS migration has made several strategic plan goals outdated, though most initiatives remain on track or complete. She noted that planning for the January 2027 strategic planning session is underway.
12. Proposed 2027 Board Meeting Schedule
The Board approved the proposed 2027 meeting schedule, with the exception of the June 2027 video conference date.
13. IT Update
Mr. Petrella presented the project plan for migrating AO NA from MiCME to Salesforce, reviewing the eight project workstreams and timelines. He also reported that AO NA has relaunched its intranet, moving from a basic folder structure to a communications-focused platform.
Share your questions, concerns, and ideas with the AO NA Board of Directors at [email protected].
