About Us
2026-2027 ABA Board Nominations
Board members serve in an essential capacity, representing our multidisciplinary membership and advancing the ABA’s mission to improve the lives of everyone affected by burn injury.
Open Positions
The President-elect ensures the orderly transition of Board leadership. The President-elect must be familiar with the Board’s various projects and the work of its committees in the event that he or she must take over the duties of the President unexpectedly. He or she becomes President in the event that the President resigns or the position of President otherwise becomes vacant. He or she then serves the former President’s unexpired term, as well as the full term he or she was elected to. The President-elect acts in the absence of the President as chairperson of the Board of Trustees, works closely with the President to ensure continuity of leadership, supports the efforts of the President and learns the duties of the President’s office.
Qualifications
All Officers shall:
( a ) be a professional in a burn-related field for no less than ten years; and
( b ) have demonstrated leadership abilities; and
( c ) have been and are currently active members of the Association for no less than ten years prior to their term of office.
( d ) President-Elect must have served at least a two-year term on the Board of Trustees prior to assuming the role of President-Elect.
Full Position Description (President-Elect)
Full Position Description (President)
The Treasurer-Elect position is a one-year, non-voting role that prepares the incoming Treasurer for the position detailed below. Ascent from Treasurer-Elect to Treasurer is automatic.
The Treasurer monitors the association’s finances to ensure accurate and timely implementation of Board fiscal policies. They facilitate the Board’s discharge of its financial oversight responsibilities, working closely with the Chief Executive Officer and Senior Director, Finance & Administration who are responsible for managing the ABA activities, finances, and tasks daily.
Qualifications
All Officers shall:
( a ) be a professional in a burn-related field for no less than ten years; and
( b ) have demonstrated leadership abilities; and
( c ) have been and are currently active members of the Association for no less than ten years prior to their term of office.
The Board of Trustees includes six At-Large Board members. The Association’s governing body is the Board of Trustees, which shall have supervision, control and direction of the Association’s affairs, its committees and publications, shall determine its policies or changes therein, and shall adopt its annual fiscal program and budget. The Board shall actively prosecute the Association’s objectives and supervise the disbursement of its funds.
Qualifications
All Board Members shall:
( a ) be a professional in a burn-related field for no less than five years; and
( b ) have demonstrated leadership abilities; and
( c ) have been and are currently active members of the Association for no less than five years prior to their term of office.
( d ) At least two At Large Board members must be physicians and at least two must be non-physicians.
The President-elect ensures the orderly transition of Board leadership. The President-elect must be familiar with the Board’s various projects and the work of its committees in the event that he or she must take over the duties of the President unexpectedly. He or she becomes President in the event that the President resigns or the position of President otherwise becomes vacant. He or she then serves the former President’s unexpired term, as well as the full term he or she was elected to. The President-elect acts in the absence of the President as chairperson of the Board of Trustees, works closely with the President to ensure continuity of leadership, supports the efforts of the President and learns the duties of the President’s office.
Qualifications
All Officers shall:
( a ) be a professional in a burn-related field for no less than ten years; and
( b ) have demonstrated leadership abilities; and
( c ) have been and are currently active members of the Association for no less than ten years prior to their term of office.
( d ) President-Elect must have served at least a two-year term on the Board of Trustees prior to assuming the role of President-Elect.
Full Position Description (President-Elect)
Full Position Description (President)
The Treasurer-Elect position is a one-year, non-voting role that prepares the incoming Treasurer for the position detailed below. Ascent from Treasurer-Elect to Treasurer is automatic.
The Treasurer monitors the association’s finances to ensure accurate and timely implementation of Board fiscal policies. They facilitate the Board’s discharge of its financial oversight responsibilities, working closely with the Chief Executive Officer and Senior Director, Finance & Administration who are responsible for managing the ABA activities, finances, and tasks daily.
Qualifications
All Officers shall:
( a ) be a professional in a burn-related field for no less than ten years; and
( b ) have demonstrated leadership abilities; and
( c ) have been and are currently active members of the Association for no less than ten years prior to their term of office.
The Board of Trustees includes six At-Large Board members. The Association’s governing body is the Board of Trustees, which shall have supervision, control and direction of the Association’s affairs, its committees and publications, shall determine its policies or changes therein, and shall adopt its annual fiscal program and budget. The Board shall actively prosecute the Association’s objectives and supervise the disbursement of its funds.
Qualifications
All Board Members shall:
( a ) be a professional in a burn-related field for no less than five years; and
( b ) have demonstrated leadership abilities; and
( c ) have been and are currently active members of the Association for no less than five years prior to their term of office.
( d ) At least two At Large Board members must be physicians and at least two must be non-physicians.
Timeline
August 2025
Call for Nominations Opens (14 days)
September 2025
Nominees are invited to submit supporting materials
October 2025
Nominating Committee meets and prepares the slate
November 2025
Board of Trustees reviews and approves the slate of candidates
December 2025
Slate of candidates presented to membership for electronic vote
Late-December 2025
New Board of Trustees announced to membership
April 2026
2026-2027 Board of Trustees takes office
2026-2027 ABA Board of Trustees—to be elected
President-Elect
To be elected to a one-year term (serves until 2027; automatically ascends to President)
Treasurer-Elect
Will serve one year in training as a non-voting guest of the board and assumes the role of Treasurer beginning in 2027, serving a three-year term until 2030
Members-at-Large (2)
To be elected to a three-year term, serving until 2029
2026-2027 ABA Board of Trustees
President
Leopoldo Cancio, MD, FABA (2027, automatically ascends to Past President)
San Antonio, TX
[OPEN] President-Elect
(2027, automatically ascends to President)
Secretary
Kathleen Romanowski, MD, FABA (2029)
Sacramento, CA
Treasurer
David Harrington, MD (2027)
Providence, RI
Program Chair
Angela Gibson, MD, PhD, FABA (2028)
Madison, WI
Board Members
Samuel Mandell, MD, MPH, FABA (2027)
Dallas, TX
Mikki Rothbauer, LICSW, MSW (2027)
Minneapolis, MN
Renée Warthman, MSOTR/L, BT-C, CHT (2028)
Phoenix, AZ
Emily Werthman, PhD, MSN, RN, CBRN (2028)
Baltimore, MD
[OPEN] Board Member
(2029)
[OPEN] Board Member
(2029)
[OPEN] Treasurer-Elect
(non-voting 2027, then automatically ascends to Treasurer)
Past Presidents
Jeffrey Carter, MD, FABA (2028)
New Orleans, LA
Sharmila Dissanaike, MD (2027)
Albuquerque, NM