I want to start with a big thank you to all the members, committee chairs and board members who have helped to make the Michigan Association of Blood Banks what it is today. We are much more than just an Annual Meeting. We are a collaboration of techs, administrators, and pathologists who work together to promote the highest standard of care for patients and donors. We are able to network, not only with individuals from our community, but also from across the state and beyond.

Over the past four years I have had the privilege of working with incredible techs, managers, and physicians from across the state. So I encourage all of you to ask yourself, “Is this something I want to be more involved in?” - Hint, the answer is yes! I would love to see a fun and robust future for the MABB including Blood Bank Trivia nights but an aspiration like this is only possible with the support of our members.

Did you know it is remarkably easy to get involved with the MABB? You can even do it by accident like I once did. I attended my first Annual Meeting in 2015 and became a member at that time.  Once an official member I received one of those notification emails for an upcoming Board Meeting. Well, being rather new to this whole association thing I just assumed it was an invitation to the board meeting. So when I showed up unannounced to the board meeting we were all a little perplexed. However, it turns out those notifications ARE actually invitations but no one believed them until me. So if you too want to join in on a board meeting do not hesitate to reach out and we will get you set up to join in.

Now four years later I have had the amazing opportunity to be on the board, chair a committee and serve as President over the course of this year. I was not exactly sure what they were thinking when I was nominated to be president elect - perhaps they did not have a lot of choices that year - but it worked out thanks to the support of our various committees and board members. I could not have gotten to where I am without them.

So there you have it! If you want to get involved, Step 1: Join the association, Step 2: Find a committee you are interested in or just attend a board meeting and learn what happens behind the scenes. Then very soon you too can be a committee chair, organizing events, and potentially leading our association into the future. So I challenge you to turn from spectators into participants.

Thank you for your ongoing support of the Michigan Association of Blood Banks.

Louise DuRussel
2019 President of Michigan Association of Blood Banks

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