From the CRB President
Charlene A. Alouf, Ph.D., MBA, HCLD/TS(ABB)
CRB President

From the CRB President

Greetings CRB Members!

Annually, at this time, I often ponder how the year has passed so quickly. How are we almost to the end of 2023? It seems like CRB Vegas was just a short while ago, yet here we are fully planned for Vegas 2024 – thanks to our prior President, Marlane Angle, and the 2024 planning committee members (Jason Swain, Bill Venier, Matthew Hudnall, Eva Schenkman, Charlene Alouf).

Next year the inaugural CRB Laboratory Management and Leadership Development Workshop will be held on Saturday, August 10th, at the Hilton Hotel, Grapevine/DFW Airport. With Dallas being centrally located and a hub for many airlines, we are hoping for record attendance. This initiative was developed in response to feedback gained at the 2023 CRB meeting and through the post-meeting survey.

As listed in the preliminary notification media blast, topics to be addressed include:

• Daring to Lead – Building a Learning, Cohesive and Successful Team
• I Didn’t Go to School for This – Governance, Business Management, and Strategic Operations Within the Lab Team
• Crossing the Aisle – Effective Collaboration with Physicians, Clinical Staff, and Administrators
• Expecting the Unexpected – Staffing Models, Daily Scheduling and Staff Support
• Systems Checks – Lab Performance Assessment, Regulatory issues, and Troubleshooting

The Workshop Committee will be finalizing the invited speaker list and curriculum before the end of 2023; registration and additional details will be released shortly.

Whether you are an emerging leader in the reproductive laboratory or are a seasoned supervisor or director and are inclined to contribute to discussion or mentoring, then this workshop is a must for you. Additionally, we are pleased to offer continuing education credits (PEER-ABB) for up to 8.5 contact hours. Attend to learn, attend to share, and attend to receive continuing education credit. Preliminary feedback has been positive, off the charts really; it is sincerely a pleasure to chair this committee for CRB.

As for the rest of 2023, regardless of what holidays you may or may not celebrate, I truly hope that you permit yourself some time off to relax and to enjoy your family and friends. I urge you to take pride in what you have professionally and personally accomplished this year and to use this positive energy as momentum to spring into 2024. And lastly, remember to set SMART (specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and time bound) goals for next year and to take pleasure in your achievements!

Best Wishes and Happy Holidays,
Charlene A. Alouf PhD, MBA, HCLD/TS(ABB)
CRB President