TSGC Members in NSGC Leadership Positions

By Rachel Franciscovich

Engagement and volunteer opportunities among the genetic counseling community are plentiful and each of us decides where and how we spend our personal and professional time.  Many of us are members of our national organization, NSGC, and this is one huge avenue to contribute to the current and future generations of genetic counselors as a stakeholder in our profession.  We have many genetic counselors that we look to as mentors and if you are like me, we are never short of them in our Texas community to look towards for guidance!

We are very excited to see Carla McGruder as the incoming Secretary-Treasurer of NSGC. We also have Sara Pirzadeh-Miller as incoming President-elect and Salma Nassef as the incoming Secretary-Treasurer elect.

Salma, Sara and Carla were graciously willing to provide a few words about what becoming involved with NSGC has looked like for them and the impact that it has made on their careers!

Salma:

I always knew I wanted to get involved with NSGC but wasn’t sure where to start. My first opportunity came with a call for volunteers to participate in CEU reviews. This was an easy low-stakes way to dip my toes in the water and ultimately opened the door to many more opportunities. During my time as CEU reviewer, I was paired with two other GCs from across the country—which was the first time I was able to appreciate that volunteering through an organization like NSGC led to networking opportunities and the development of lifelong professional and personal relationships. Since then, I have served as the vice chair and chair of the Mentorship Subcommittee, the vice chair, and (currently) chair of the NSGC membership committee, and soon to be the NSGC Secretary/Treasurer Elect (term will begin in January 2024).  Each of these opportunities has allowed me to build relationships, understand our professional society’s inner workings, and helped me grow as a practicing genetic counselor. I encourage everyone to take the leap and volunteer! I would be happy to talk to anyone thinking about getting involved in NSGC (or TSGC!). Please email me: nassef@bcm.edu

Sara:

I remember walking into my first NSGC conference with my GC classmates almost 20 years ago. I knew from that moment, the energy I felt being surrounded by my soon-to-be colleagues, I wanted to fully immerse myself in the NSGC community and contribute to our profession in any way I could. I was thrilled to be selected for service as a Director at Large several years ago, and now I’m honored to be in the position to serve as 2024 President-Elect.

These roles allow me to serve our profession and a society that has always served me so well. In my previous Board role, I served during an incredibly tumultuous time in our society and world – pandemic and social upheavals that still reverberate to this day. To contribute to decision-making, tough conversations, and exchanging ideas that lead to impactful innovations have been so rewarding. As I re-enter the Board in the coming year to lead with my colleagues, I recognize the important responsibility to ensure that our society is moving forward toward goals in our Strategic Plan. I welcome the challenge and feel confident that we will make significant progress on issues of vital importance to the longevity and success of our profession and its members.

Carla:

Looking back on my entrance to the genetic counseling field, my foray into volunteer work in our professional societies was inevitable. As a genetic counseling assistant at UT Southwestern, leadership at the national and state level was not only the norm but nurtured. The tricky task of balancing salary duties with volunteership was modeled daily, which included how to ask management for needed time for non-work projects. This made my transition from assistant to student to GC one where volunteering was sustainable, and therefore non-negotiable.  Making the decision to apply for an open leadership position can be intimidating. I contacted my previous supervisors who encouraged me to begin volunteering through a committee with the Texas Society of Genetic Counselors, which quickly blossomed into leading efforts for state licensure and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. As a current board member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, I take pride in my Texas roots and how navigating the diverse voices of such a large state has prepared me for progressing our vision for advancing the GC profession across the world.