Letter from the Board President – December 2021

Dear Members and Stakeholders,

It is with great honor that I write my first letter as the new GlobalSkin Board President. On behalf of the Board, I extend great thanks and gratitude to outgoing Board President, Simmie Smith for her passion, dedication, and commitment to the organization. Her leadership has enabled us to become stronger as she helped us navigate both challenges and successes.

Over the past several years I have had the opportunity to watch GlobalSkin grow to 187 members and represent you on the Executive Committee as Treasurer while working with my Board colleagues, leadership, and staff. It has been exciting to watch and be part of an organization that is so dedicated to empowering all of us to lead our patient communities by uniting as one voice.  

When I learned about GlobalSkin in its second year of existence, I immediately knew that this was an organization that I wanted to be part of. Having the chance to collaborate globally with other skin disease organizations and groups that focused on the experience of people living with dermatological conditions was inspiring. I understood first-hand the misconception about the seriousness of skin conditions and about the need to create more disease awareness through meaningful advocacy. 

I was particularly fascinated to hear about The Global Research on the Impact of Dermatological Diseases (GRIDD). I realized the importance of optimal patient-impact outcomes and the need for a new patient-impact measurement tool that could be used by dermatology patient organizations and patients worldwide. This initiative was critical in improving the daily lives of dermatology patients around the globe. I knew I could help and immediately joined the GRIDD Scientific Advisory Board to ensure that patient focus was always at the forefront. Today, the GRIDD project is well on its way to helping us to design a new, credible measurement tool that explains many of the challenges your community faces living with their dermatological condition. The data that can be collected by this tool will validate and confirm their needs for improved healthcare, better treatment options, and more affordable therapies. There is still plenty of work to be done and your continued participation in this crucial project will be needed in the coming year. 

As we move into 2022, I look forward to working with the members, staff, Board of Directors, and Executive Committee in developing a new five-year strategic plan. This plan will help us achieve our mission of leading a global movement for people living with dermatological conditions. You are the stewards of your communities and your participation is key. Together we can shift the perception of society, decision-makers, and researchers, to serve all those affected by dermatological conditions. After all, our patient leaders are in over 50 countries, representing the diverse spectrum of over 60 dermatological disease areas. 

2021 was a challenging but successful year for GlobalSkin. We saw continued growth of membership, patient organization leaders leveraging their expertise and experience to guide us, and new partnerships for our organization. The GlobalSkin team provided us with valuable programmings like the Impact Fund, Fundraising On-Demand Program, and Continuous Learning series. 

GlobalSkin is here to support you and your patient communities, and I believe that 2022 holds great things for us all. On behalf of the Board and staff, wishing all Members a happy holiday season and a healthy, happy New Year.

Gratefully, 

Marc Yale 
Board President

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