Letter from the President

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I am truly honored and grateful for the trust and confidence you have placed in me to serve as the President of the Cancer Genomics Consortium (CGC) for the 2025-2026 term. It is a privilege and humbling experience to have been elected by my colleagues for this role, and I am committed to working diligently to advance the organization's mission of educating and promoting best laboratory practices in clinical cancer genomics.

One of the standout qualities of the CGC community is the unwavering dedication and tireless effort our members put into achieving our goals. I am continually inspired and humbled by the countless hours they volunteer to support our organization, regardless of the task’s size. As President-Elect, I had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the collaborative spirit of the 2025 Annual Meeting Program Committee. Thank you all for your ongoing commitment, and I look forward to everything we will accomplish together moving forward.

The CGC’s committees, working groups, and programs are the driving force behind the organization, powering its activities, growth, and outreach. In the coming year, we look forward to the Education Committee building on the success of the 2024-2025 webinars and continuing to organize engaging new educational sessions. The Membership and Communications Committees are developing new strategies to grow the CGC membership and expand our network of clinical laboratory genomics professionals. They are also focused on enhancing our social media presence, as we believe that the influx of fresh expertise, ideas, and energy is key to driving our progress. The Early Career Initiative Committee will keep engaging young professionals with initiatives like the highly popular virtual Coffee Breaks with Mentors and the social event at the Annual Meeting. The Development Committee has successfully launched the CGC Corporate Council, a promising new initiative aimed at ensuring the CGC’s long-term sustainability. We are excited about the newly renamed Community Access and Representation Committee, which is dedicated to ensuring inclusivity and equitability in driving the overall CGC mission. The Genomic Resources Development Committee will continue to support the development, implementation, and maintenance of genomic resources that serve the needs of our members. Special thanks to the contributors of the Geneticist Toolkit, whose valuable contributions are actively supporting laboratorians in their work. 

Our working groups have also been hard at work, and we are looking forward to several CGC publications in 2026. The CGC's partnerships with various organizations continue to strengthen and includes our collaboration with the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) through the Compendium of Cancer Genome Aberrations (CCGA). As a result, CGC’s global visibility continues to increase, with members and participants from meetings and webinars now representing 25 countries across six continents.

I am thrilled to warmly welcome Alex Wagner as a new member of the Board of Directors and Megan Forrest as a Junior Board Member. My sincere thanks goes out to Jane Houldsworth for her exceptional leadership as the CGC President for 2024-2025. We are fortunate that she will continue on the Board in her role as Past-President next year.  We will miss Teresa Smolarek and Casey Brewer as they rotate off the Board of Directors, but they will remain key contributors to several initiatives. 

Angela Lager will be stepping into her new role as Board Secretary, and we look forward to working with her in this capacity in the years ahead. Congratulations and best wishes to Cate Paschal, who, as President-Elect and Chair of the 2026 Annual Meeting Program Committee, has already begun planning the 17th Annual CGC Meeting in Houston, Texas. We look forward to seeing you there next year to experience the exciting program being developed by Cate and the Program Committee. Lastly, a sincere thank you to our Board of Directors, our advisors—Marilyn Li, Brynn Levy, and Anwar Iqbal—for their continued contributions, and to our Executive Director, Karla Gay, for her unwavering leadership and support.

I have always believed that the CGC genuinely reflects the essence of a “community,” united by our shared dedication to maintaining best laboratory practices in clinical cancer genomics for the patients we serve. We accomplish this goal as a cohesive group, collaborating with a strong sense of fellowship and respect. I am excited to contribute to the next chapter of the CGC’s growth and development.
 

Thank you for your trust,