AVF Awards and Presidential Address: Level Five Leadership

Founders Awards and Distinguished Fellows

The AVF’s highest honor, the Founders Award, recognized two leaders for transformative contributions to venous and lymphatic disease, while four members were named Distinguished Fellows for sustained service on committees, education, and research. New presidential citations also recognized long-term industry and volunteer partners for decades of support to the Society’s mission.

Level Five Leadership Applied to the AVF

Drawing on Jim Collins’s framework from Good to Great, the presidential address argued the AVF has become a level five organization, one that pairs personal humility with ambitious, mission-first leadership. Evidence included the transition from an executive director to a chief executive officer model and a detailed strategic plan tracked quarterly across organizational goals.

Equity, Outreach, and Global Growth

The address highlighted the AVF’s health equity and access committee, expanding day-of-service community health events, and growing international membership and committee participation as signs of organizational maturity. Increased donor participation and scholarship funding for trainees were framed as an opportunity for continued growth in the years ahead.