Susan Marx Elected AASA Vice President

October 2, 2019

Susan Marx, MBA, PMP, CPC, Department of Surgery Director of Finance and Administration, was elected as the incoming Vice President for the Association of Academic Surgical Administrators (AASA) in September 2019. Susan will serve a three year term in October 2019 as Vice President, President and Past President.

Susan expresses, “It means so much to me to be elected by my academic surgical administrative peers across the country as AASA Vice President for the 2019 term. I am also honored to represent the University of Washington (UW) and appreciate Dr. Douglas Wood’s, The Henry Harkins Professor and Chair, enthusiastic support in this endeavor. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Margaret Gilshannon, former Director of Department of Surgery (DOS), nudging me to consider getting involved with the AASA when I was the Transplant and Pediatric Surgery Administrator. I am thrilled to participate on the AASA Board of Directors for three years, and particularly to be inducted as President in 2020 in Chicago – my home away from home, and home to American College of Surgeons (ACS).”

As AASA Vice President, Susan states, “I want to continue to expand the range of topics and our sponsorship for key educational offerings which includes the annual and mid-year conferences, webinars and the website. I would also like to work with the membership chair and region representatives to reach out to newer AASA members to engage them in these activities so they feel that AASA provides value by soliciting their ideas and giving them a space to contribute for professional development for themselves and their colleagues.”

“This is a huge honor for Susan and a tribute to her leadership here at the UW, as well as her stature and reputation nationally as a leading surgical administrator,” says Dr. Wood. “Not only is this a high honor for Susan personally, it’s also a positive reflection of UW DOS and UW Medicine, not just in the physician community, but also in the community of administrators. This augments the reputation of our department, enhances our influence in our national organizations, and is a source of pride for all of us working at UW. This is a well-deserved honor for Susan who has led our department with thoughtfulness, innovation, and financial discipline. I value Susan’s contributions to the continued success of UW Surgery, and look forward to her leadership and influence at the national level with the AASA.”