It was announced at the recent SCMR Scientific Sessions that Orlando (Lon) Simonetti, PhD, has been selected by the SCMR Board of Trustees to serve as the first Chief Executive Officer of the Society. Dr. Simonetti brings over 24 years of professional CMR experience to the position, including 13 years in industry and 11 years in academic research and education. He has served for the past eight years in various SCMR leadership roles as Education Chair, as International Outreach Co-Chair, on the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee, and as President in 2014. Dr. Simonetti believes that the SCMR can play a significant role gaining broader appropriate utilization of CMR as a clinical diagnostic tool, and he welcomes the opportunity to make a lasting and positive impact on the field through his new role. Dr. Simonetti will devote one half of his time to the CEO position while continuing as Professor of Internal Medicine and Radiology at The Ohio State University.
The SCMR Executive Committee reviewed nearly 30 applications for the CEO position after posting advertisements on a number of professional websites. The Board of Trustees interviewed the finalists in person at the last mid-year Board meeting before making their selection. As CEO, Dr. Simonetti will focus on strategic issues and initiatives to advance the field of CMR and achieve the goals of the Society.
