23 Jan iaedp Foundation Board of Directors 2024 Annual Report to Membership
Dear Members,
The iaedp Foundation Board thanks you for your time and thoughts during the Town Hall meetings at the 2024 iaedp symposium. The Board has taken your feedback very seriously and wanted to inform you of the many changes the iaedp support team and Board of Directors have made to this organization this past year. As we continue to address your concerns, we hope to hear from you at our upcoming symposium on Friday, February 21, 2025, at 12:30 p.m., for another Town Hall meeting.
The following include many of the areas in which we have worked to achieve change in leadership, processes, and workings of the iaedp Foundation:
- Hired an interim Executive Director – Dawn Gannon
- Conducted weekly meetings of the Board with Dawn Gannon throughout most of the year to ensure communication between the two due to the many process- improvements that were being made
- Improved internal processes of the support team (previously referred to as the Foundation staff) to ensure efficient and effective use of resources
- Developed and launched the first-ever Open Call for Board and committee members from the membership
- Held first open Board elections
- Hired a membership manager
- Hired an events manager
- Hired a new accounting firm with extensive non-profit knowledge and better communication with Interim Director and Treasurer – CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP), located in Boston, MA
- Updated the Certification Program, removing requirements such as membership, symposium attendance, and the subjective case study while retaining the high standards for which the CEDS program is known and valued
- Updated the membership program, including better communication on membership benefits
- Transitioned from multiple platforms to provide a single access point for educational, symposium, and certification content
- Transitioned the CORE courses from in-person to virtual for increased access
- Updated financial processes, which will ensure more checks and balances in the organization; weekly BOD discussions of the financial statement, and have initiated the financial audits of 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 by the auditing firm, Warren Averett, located in Atlanta, GA.
- Updated the Website
- Increased chapter Leaders’ meetings to increase communication to better foster the relationship between the Foundation and the support team
- Reviewed all vendor contracts, with the goal of providing more easily accessible, efficient, and affordable products and services
- Consolidated online payment methods
- Hosted a successful educational conference in El Salvador with 61 registrants
- Hosted the virtual symposium with 286 attendees, bringing the 2024 symposium total to 878
- Renegotiated the hotel contract for the 2025 Symposium to reduce the event’s cost
- Opened new committees such as membership, fundraising, and finance, which consist of volunteers from the membership, one Board member, and a support team member
- Initiated a Come-Back Membership campaign
- Updated the Foundation ethics statement
- Reconstituted the Senior Advisory Council to provide guidance to the current and future Boards
- Designed a cohesive marketing plan using social media and email
- Added International chapter chairs from China and El Salvador
- Implemented Annual Partnerships with eating disorder facilities and organizations to support the Foundation’s mission and goals
- Assisted with the Chapters’ State of Illinois corporate filings and are working to modify the annual dues requirement
- Modified the Annual Symposium to improve diversity in presentations, including a keynote by Dr. Mark Standing Eagle Baez
- Began reviewing and modifying the Foundation bylaws (currently being addressed)
- Began developing improvements in timely communication between the Foundation support team and members
In addition, the Board is working to build trust and transparency with the membership with more Town Hall meetings, an increase in chapter leadership meetings, certification meetings, ED supervision meetings, and a Meet the Board reception at the annual symposium. Furthermore, future Symposiums will be held at locations that meet price recommendations and are more accessible.
The Board will continue to receive feedback from the Chapter Leadership and membership and strive to achieve financial transparency between the Board and the membership.
The Board also wants to acknowledge current President Charlynn Small’s dedication and increased responsibilities during this transition. She has donated her time and energy to the many changes that have ensued this year.
In closing, we would like you to consider registering for the annual symposium to continue contributing to the change in this organization. As we continue to address your concerns, we hope to hear from you at our upcoming symposium on Friday, February 21, 2025, at 12:30 p.m. for another Town Hall meeting.
Charlynn Small, PhD, CEDS-C, President
Joel Jahraus, MD, FAED, CEDS, Immediate Past President
Susan C Mengden, PhD, CEDS-C, CGP, Treasurer
Kourtney Gordon, MS, RD/LD, CEDS, Secretary
Ovidio Bermudez, Md, FAAP, FASHM, FAED, F.iaedp, CEDS
Rick Bishop, MD, CEDS, FAED, F.iaedp
Dena Cabrera, PsyD, CEDS-C
Carolina Gaviria, LMHC, NCC, CEDS
Steffanie Grossman, PhD, CEDS
Jessie Huebner, LMHC, LPC, CDS-S, QS
Rosanna Mauro de Maya, MS, RD, CEDS-C
Elisaveta Pavlova, PhD, CEDS, MS, IE-Pro, EDIT-I
Adrienne Ressler, LMSW, CEDS, F.iaedp
Priscilla Rumph, MS, RD, CSSD, CEDS-C
Nicole Sigfried, PhD, CEDS-C