Newswise — ARLINGTON, Va., January 8, 2024 — The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) today announced that CEO Laura Thevenot plans to retire at the end of 2024 after leading the organization since 2002.
During Thevenot’s tenure at ASTRO, membership grew by over 50% to its current level of more than 10,500 physicians, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals. Additionally, the association’s professional staff expanded from 18 in 2002 to more than 80 currently.
“It has been my privilege to work on behalf of our ASTRO members these past 22 years. Serving as ASTRO’s CEO has given me an opportunity to collaborate with the incredible members of our Board of Directors and volunteers to expand and enhance how we serve our members. In addition, I have been fortunate to work with a team of dedicated staff who are committed to our mission. ASTRO is thriving because of our volunteers’ and staff’s commitment to do the best possible work on many fronts to help our members and the patients they serve. I am deeply appreciative of our volunteers and members and will continue our focused efforts until I retire at the end of the year,” said Thevenot.
Some of ASTRO’s programmatic enhancements during Thevenot’s time as CEO include:
- Established ASTRO's advocacy and lobbying efforts and the ASTRO PAC which, since its inception, has given more than $2.5 million to an array of bipartisan political candidates.
- Founded two additional professional journals dedicated to radiation oncology, Practical Radiation Oncology and Advances in Radiation Oncology.
- Expanded the association’s organizational scope to include councils for Clinical Affairs & Quality and Health Equity, Diversity & Inclusion.
- Launched the APEx practice accreditation program to promote high quality care and clinical practice guidelines and created one of the few medical specialty specific patient safety organizations.
- Founded the Radiation Oncology Institute (ROI) to heighten the critical role of radiation therapy in the treatment of cancer through research and education.
- Proposed new radiation oncology payment program to Congress.
- Developed extensive patient materials and the RT Answers website to assist patients with their cancer journey.
“Under Laura’s leadership, ASTRO has grown into the world’s largest professional association for the radiation oncology community. She greatly expanded our educational and advocacy efforts to ensure that our members stay current on the evolving oncology treatment landscape and that Congress understands the vast benefits that radiation oncology brings to people with cancer. We will miss her greatly but feel confident that when she departs at the end of 2024, she will leave ASTRO a strong, thriving association,” said Jeff M. Michalski, MD, MBA, FASTRO, Chair of the ASTRO Board of Directors.
The ASTRO Board of Directors has engaged Korn Ferry to conduct the nationwide executive search for Thevenot’s replacement.
ABOUT ASTRO
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with nearly 10,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. Radiation therapy contributes to 40% of global cancer cures, and more than a million Americans receive radiation treatments for cancer each year. For information on radiation therapy, visit RTAnswers.org. To learn more about ASTRO, visit our website and media center and follow us on social media.
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