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AACI hosted its first Leadership Diversity and Development Initiative (LDDI) Workshop on November 8-9 in Chicago. Dr. Caryn Lerman, AACI president and director of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, welcomed nearly 100 participants from 78 AACI cancer centers. The attendees represented a diverse group of cancer center leaders as well as emerging leaders nominated by their centers. LDDI is Dr. Lerman’s AACI presidential initiative.

The program commenced with a three-hour workshop focused on “leading with authenticity and impact”, led by David Chow, a certified executive coach.

An afternoon session, featuring past and present AACI cancer center directors, included Drs. Chanita Hughes Halbert, Michelle Le Beau, Kunle Odunsi, Cornelia Ulrich, and George Weiner. They offered insights and personal anecdotes on navigating the pathway to cancer center leadership. One piece of advice: delegation and teamwork are key – you don’t have to do it all as a cancer center director.

AACI’s vice president/president-elect, Dr. Robert Winn, director of the VCU Massey Cancer Center, teamed with consultant Marcy Waldinger for a second afternoon session focused on identifying and mentoring emerging cancer center leaders.

On the second day of the LDDI workshop, executive coach Ephraim Schachter led a session about how to be a more influential communicator, from negotiating like a CEO to handling difficult conversations with colleagues.

The meeting closed with a discussion led by Dr. Lerman and a distinguished group of panelists: Dr. Jay Hess, dean of the Indiana University School of Medicine; Thomas Jackiewicz, president of the University of Chicago Medical Center; and Dr. Jehni Robinson, chair of the Department of Medicine and associate dean for primary care at Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California. They explored ways that cancer centers within academic medical centers can successfully align with department chairs, deans, and health system CEOs.

In a report published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in July and shared with LDDI workshop participants, Dr. Lerman and other cancer center leaders outlined best practices for building a diverse leadership pipeline. These practices, and information presented at the LDDI workshop, will be compiled in a cancer center leadership development toolkit and disseminated broadly. Cancer centers are encouraged to submit materials for the toolkit to Emily Stimmel, AACI communications and external relations manager.

The LDDI workshop received support from IntegraConnect, Merck, Florence, and Janssen Oncology.