Anita V. Shelgikar, MD, MHPE, became the president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) board of directors on Monday, June 9, 2025, during the AASM annual membership meeting, which took place in Seattle as part of the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).
This is an excerpt of the remarks that she presented during the membership meeting.
Remarks by Dr. Anita V. Shelgikar
I am incredibly honored and humbled to serve as the 40th president of this storied, vibrant organization. To the Academy members – thank you for the confidence and trust you’ve shared with me. I have so much gratitude for the work you do, day in and day out, to advance sleep and circadian care to improve the health and well-being of our patients and our communities.
Who are we? We are the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, over 9,500 individual members and 2,300 accredited sleep centers strong. We members of the Academy are connected by our commitment to sleep medicine awareness, to the success of the variety of practice types within our field, and to the integration of emerging technologies into the care we provide. We are interconnected through our advocacy that sleep and circadian research and clinical sleep medicine are fundamental to the health care and well-being of all communities.
We are the AASM – a robust community connected through volunteerism. Each year, hundreds of Academy members volunteer their time and expertise on our committees, task forces, assemblies, and other volunteer groups. Our volunteers are the backbone of the Academy.
Your volunteer engagement is critical as we work toward our shared strategic priorities. The Academy’s Committee on Committees works with the senior staff to develop each volunteer group’s mandate and goals for the board’s consideration, and it determines the rosters for each of these volunteer groups. This past year, I had the pleasure of serving as chair of the Committee on Committees, and my priority was to engage every single member who submitted an application to volunteer with the Academy. I challenged us to aim for a 100% volunteer placement rate for the 2025-26 administrative year.
We, the AASM, rose to that challenge through the creation of Strategic Ambassador positions, which are appointed micro-volunteer positions that align to each of the Academy’s strategic goals. These Strategic Ambassador opportunities will allow more members to connect with the Academy and serve as a platform for those who wish to grow as volunteers for years to come.
I’m excited to share with you that we, the Academy, achieved a 100% volunteer placement rate for the 2025-26 administrative year – up from less than 40% the prior year. This accomplishment is a testament to the Academy’s willingness to think creatively and collaboratively, to connect with our members in partnership to achieve our shared mission and strategic goals.
We are the AASM, connecting with each other to advance sleep care and enhance sleep health to improve lives. Our collective voice strengthens our ability to work toward and advocate for sleep and circadian science, education, and policies that will improve lives.
Look out for the next call for volunteers in February 2026. We welcome your application to engage with other members, enrich your professional journey, and leave a lasting impact on the field of sleep medicine.
We are the AASM – a strong, connected community with passion and clarity of purpose. I’m proud to call myself a member. To those who have known me my whole life, to those of you who are meeting me for the first time, and to those who have been a part of my journey – thank you for your support, for your confidence, and for the honor of serving as president of this incredible organization. I promise that I will give my best for all of us, and for our American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Thank you.
