News & Media
Important Election Information: MSMS Board of Directors
At the 2019 Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) House of Delegates meeting, the House approved a change in MSMS Bylaws that revised the composition of the MSMS Board of Directors. With these changes, the Sunday following the 2020 House of Delegates, the Board of Directors must consist of 34 members, plus ex officio members. At that time, the MSMS Board of Directors will include 18 regional directors, seven (7) officers, three (3) section representatives, and six (6) designated directors. The Bylaws change also implements nine (9) new regions.
Regional Directors
Following the Sunday meeting of the 2020 MSMS House of Delegates there will be two directors from each of the regions. Those directors will be elected by the members in that region. No more than one regional director may hold membership in a single county unless a region consists of a single county. One regional director must hold membership in a county located in the upper peninsula. The 2019 House of Delegates agreed to let current district directors complete their term as a regional director, where applicable.
Below are the current and open positions for regional directors:
Region #1 – Wayne (NO OPEN POSITIONS)
- Talat Danish, MD, MPH, FAAP, Wayne, converting to Regional Directors in 2020, completed one term.
- Herbert C. Smitherman, Jr., MD, MPH, Wayne, converting to Regional Directors in 2020, completed one term.
- T. Jann Caison-Sorey, MD, MSA, MBA, Wayne: completed three, three-year terms, ineligible for re-election. Doctor Caison-Sorey was elected MSMS Board Secretary at the MSMS Board Meeting on Wednesday, October 16, 2019, to fill Doctor Nasr’s open seat. This vacancy is NOT an open seat.
- James H. Sondheimer, MD, Wayne: completed three, three-year terms, ineligible for re-election. This vacancy is NOT an open seat.
- J. Mark Tuthill, MD, Wayne: completed three, three-year terms, ineligible for re-election. This vacancy is NOT an open seat.
Region #2 – Macomb and Oakland (NO OPEN POSITIONS)
- Paul D. Bozyk, MD, Oakland, converting to Regional Director in 2020, 1st term expires in 2022.
- Adrian J. Christie, MD, Macomb, converting to Regional Director in 2020, completed two terms.
- Donald R. Peven, MD, Oakland: Currently in third, three-year term. Doctor Peven has applied to the Nominating Committee as a candidate for the At-Large Physician Designated Director vacancy.
Region #3 – Lenawee, Livingston, Monroe, and Washtenaw (ONE OPEN POSITION)
- Larry Junck, MD, Washtenaw, converting to Regional Director in 2020, 1st term expires in 2022.
- OPEN POSITION: candidate must be from either Lenawee, Livingston, or Monroe County.
- Sandro K. Cinti, MD, Washtenaw, completed two terms; will not run for re-election as Region #3 Director.
- Candidate-to-date: Bradley J. Uren, MD, Livingston.
Region #4 – Clinton, Eaton, Hillsdale, Ingham, and Jackson (ONE OPEN POSITION)
- Amit Ghose, MD, Ingham, converting to Regional Director in 2020, 3rd term expires in 2021.
- OPEN POSITION: candidate must be from either Clinton, Eaton, Hillsdale, or Jackson County.
- Candidate-to-date: Robert M. Doane, MD, Jackson.
Region #5 – Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Van Buren (ONE OPEN POSITION)
- Mark E. Meyer, MD, Kalamazoo, converting to Regional Director in 2020, 1st term will expire in 2021.
- OPEN POSITION: candidate must be from either Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, St. Joseph, or Van Buren County.
- John J.H. Schwarz, MD, Calhoun: completed three, three-year terms, ineligible for re-election.
Region #6 – Genesee, Huron, Lapeer, St. Clair, Shiawassee, Sanilac, and Tuscola (NO OPEN POSITIONS)
- Nita M. Kulkarni, MD, Genesee, converting to Regional Director in 2020, 1st term will expire in 2022.
- P. Dileep Kumar, MD, St. Clair, converting to Regional Director in 2020, completed one term.
Region #7 – Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland, and Saginaw (NO OPEN POSITIONS)
- Mark C. Komorowski, MD, Bay, converting to Regional Director in 2020, completed two terms.
- Thomas J. Veverka, MD, Saginaw, converting to Regional Director in 2020, 2nd term expires in 2022.
Region #8 – Ionia, Kent, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola, and Ottawa (NO OPEN POSITIONS)
- Anita R. Avery, MD, Kent, converting to Regional Director in 2020, 3rd term expires in 2021.
- Brian R. Stork, MD, Muskegon, converting to Regional Director in 2020, 1st term expires in 2021.
Region #9 – See Map for Counties (ONE OPEN POSITION)
- Richard C. Schultz, MD, Grand Traverse, converting to Regional Director in 2020, 3rd term expires in 2021.
- OPEN POSITION: candidate must hold membership in a county located in the upper peninsula.
- Robert H. Blotter, MD, Marquette: completed one, three-year term, not running for re-election.
- James M. Feeley, MD, Houghton/Baraga: Resigned. This vacancy is NOT an open seat.
If you would like to nominate a physician for one of the open positions, please submit the candidate information no later than March 27, 2020. If there is more than one candidate per open position, there will be an electronic vote the week of April 6, 2020. For the full MSMS Board of Director's job description, please click here.
Designated Directors
Once the 2020 MSMS House of Delegates is completed, there will be up to six (6) directors elected by the House of Delegates representing those constituencies that are deemed to be the most relevant to the current health care marketplace. The MSMS House of Delegates approved the following six (6) categories:
- Physician Organization Leader;
- Independent Small Practice Physician;
- Physician Leader from Health System;
- Physician Serving in Government/Public Health Role;
- Physician Serving as DIO/Representing GME Training; and,
- At-Large Physician.
The updated Bylaws specified that the designated directors would be identified by a Designated Director Nominating Committee (DDNC) who would carefully review the credentials of each potential candidate, seek out the most qualified candidates, and, when possible, ensure that the candidates nominated reflect the diversity of MSMS’s membership. The DDNC must consist of 10 members, one (1) member from each Region and chaired by MSMS’s Immediate Past President. The regional DDNC member must be:
- Elected by the members holding membership in a county located in that Region,
- A delegate with a right to vote at the House of Delegates, and
- Not be a member of the Board of Directors.
In September 2019, the membership in each Region nominated and elected the following individuals to the 2019/2020 DDNC:
The DDNC received 16 candidate names with at least two physicians per designated director category.
After reviewing and verifying each candidate’s qualifications, the DDNC will present the final slate of designated directors to the Speaker of House 30 days prior to the 2020 House of Delegates meeting. On Saturday, April 25, 2020, the Speaker of the House will allow nominations from the floor for a designated director seat.* Once the nominations are closed, the designated director voting will take place.
Other Elections at the House of Delegates
- The Resident and Fellow Section and the Medical Student Section will elect one representative each to serve on the MSMS Board of Directors for a one-year term.
- The Young Physician Section will elect one representative to serve on the MSMS Board of Directors for a two-year term.
- Speaker (one-year term to 2021 House of Delegates)
Theodore B. Jones, MD, Wayne - Vice Speaker (one-year term to 2021 House of Delegates)
Phillip G. Wise, MD, Kent - President-elect (one-year term to 2021 House of Delegates)
Candidate-to-date: Pino D. Colone, MD, Genesee - Michigan Delegation to the AMA Delegates (two-year term to 2022 House of Delegates)
Paul D. Bozyk, MD, Oakland
Michael D. Chafty, MD, JD, Kalamazoo
Rose M. Ramirez, MD, Kent
Venkat K. Rao, MD, Genesee
Richard E. Smith, MD, Wayne - Michigan Delegation to the AMA Alternate Delegates (two-year term to 2022 House of Delegates, in order of seniority)
Jayne E. Courts, MD, Kent, incumbent
T. Jann Caison-Sorey, MD, Wayne, incumbent
Christie L. Morgan, MD, Oakland, incumbent
Amit Ghose, MD, Ingham, incumbent
John A. Waters, MD, Genesee, incumbent
TWO OPEN POSITIONS: Pursuant to Delegation seniority rules, with the passing of Bassam H. Nasr, MD, MBA, St. Clair, and the resignation of James D. Grant, MD, MBA, Oakland, the two senior alternate delegates (Paul D. Bozyk, MD, and Venkat K. Rao, MD) moved to Delegate leaving two open seats for Alternate Delegates.
Candidates-to-date: Courtland Keteyian, MD, Jackson; Michael J. Redinger, MD, Kalamazoo
Student position will take a seat as an AMA Delegate and the Resident position will take a seat as an AMA Alternate Delegate for the term 2020-2022.
* The American Institute of Parliamentarians Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure states that “if the report of a nominating committee states the qualifications and abilities of its nominees, a member who nominates from the floor may also state the qualifications and abilities of the candidate”. For this reason, the Speaker of the House will ask for a Curriculum Vitae for any nominations from the floor.