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Official Newsjournal of the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists

President's Message
President’s Year End Summary

by Jen Phillips, PharmD, BCPS, ICHP President

My year of President of ICHP has come to a close. I am proud of all of the accomplishments made by the ICHP divisions, committees, and board of directors during the past year. I would like to thank many individuals who helped make this past year a success:

First, thank you to Scott Meyers and Trish Wegner, both of whom are extremely dedicated to the mission and vision of ICHP and put in countless hours to ensure its success. This organization would truly not be the same without your passion, commitment, and drive.
I would also like to thank the members of the board of directors, all of whom have made valuable contributions to ICHP over the course of the past year.
To the office staff of ICHP, who do all of the background work but seldom get recognition. Your efforts are noticed and appreciated. I will miss working with you as President, but I look forward to continuing to work with you in other capacities. You are one great group!
I would like to acknowledge our active (non-leader) members who bring life to our organizations’ vision. Whether you are serving as a volunteer on a committee, or a one-time volunteer for a small project, your efforts are also appreciated and encouraged. I urge you to continue to give us your knowledge, skills, and experience in whatever capacity you are able to give.
As co-faculty advisor of the student chapter of ICHP MWU, I want to extend a special thank you to the leaders and members of all of the student chapters. These students find time in between exams to bring our mission and vision to life among future pharmacists. I hope that you continue to bring the same level of energy and excitement to the profession when you graduate. We are ready and willing to welcome you as pharmacist members and volunteers when that day happens!
Everyday is a learning experience for me. I continue to learn from my colleagues and peers and I am grateful to have the best co-workers in the world. I am thankful for their advice, their insight, and their unending support.
Finally, I would like to thank my Dean, Nancy Fjortoft, as well as my Department chair and vice-chairs for their support during this past year. Being President at ICHP is a time commitment and I appreciate their willingness to offer support and flexibility to help me accomplish my goals. I am grateful to work at a place that is so supportive of pharmacy associations as well as professional growth.

The theme for my presidential year was “Leadership, It’s Not Just for Leaders”. My goal was to help other pharmacists, technicians, and students realize that honing leadership skills is something that all of us can benefit from, regardless of our role. I attempted to infuse this ideology throughout all of ICHP’s activities this year. The Division of Educational Affairs had wonderful programming at the Spring and Annual meetings that addressed leadership development and/or other soft skills such as emotional intelligence. We also addressed the topic of emotional intelligence at the Student Leadership Retreat last year as well as at the Leadership Retreat last November. I wrote several newsletter articles addressing leadership skills including soft skills, emotional intelligence, and the gender leadership gap. I hope that members found these articles useful. During my presidential year, I also made the decision to work on a leadership mentorship program. I look forward to working on that project this upcoming year.

Thanks once again to all who helped make this year so productive. I am proud to have served such a wonderful organization and I look forward to many more years of service.