Introduction from the CRB President
Melanie Clemmer, Ph.D., HCLD(ABB)
CRB President

Hello CRB membership! I am amazed at how fast 2024 is passing by, but hope that each of you has plans to savor a little bit of summer in the midst of caring for patients and building families. I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself as your new CRB president.

I’ve been in the field of clinical reproductive medicine for a little over 20 years. Like many others in the field of ART, my background was in animal reproduction which transitioned over to human ART after graduate school and a post-doctoral fellowship. I had a strong mentor in the field, Dr. Michael Vernon, who encouraged me and taught me ‘almost everything I know.’ I have been at the West Virginia University Center for Reproductive Medicine for almost 19 years now.

There are a number of projects over the past year spearheaded by the outgoing CRB President Charlene Alouf, Ph.D., HCLD(ABB), MBA; most notably identifying the need for leadership training for laboratory personnel, especially those in management roles. In August 2024, the CRB will hold its first Laboratory Management and Leadership Development Workshop. Registration is open now!! CRB intends to keep fostering and supporting new (and seasoned) laboratory leaders going forward. Last month, CRB had a very successful annual meeting. It was one of the most well attended conferences and the feedback was positive. Thanks goes to past-president Marlane Angle, Ph.D., HCLD(ABB), and her team of organizers for the strong lineup of presenters.

There are three things I hope to champion this year as CRB president: positive advocacy for the field, increased collaboration with similar organizations and improved availability of quality educational resources for those taking credentialing exams all the way through seasoned directors. Working for the good of the ART field is rewarding and I’d love to have increased member participation on the various CRB committees. If you’d like to serve on a committee, please reach out to the office.

Finally, I want to congratulate the newly elected CRB officers and board members and look forward to our year together:

CRB President-Elect Matthew Hudnall, M.Sc., TS(ABB), CLC(AMT)
CRB Supervisor Member Nanis Nassar, M.Sc., TS(ABB)
CRB Medical Technologist/At-Large Member Salu Ribeiro, MS, TS(ABB), ELS/ALS(AAB), CLSp(RB)
CRB Meeting Committee Chair Charlene Alouf, Ph.D., HCLD(ABB), MBA

Again, please consider getting involved in CRB committees in the future. Reach out to the CRB office or to me directly with comments or suggestions.

Regards,
Melanie Clemmer, Ph.D., HCLD(ABB)
CRB President, 2024-2025
tmttclemmer@gmail.com