Now that we are back at work and the fabulous Paris Congress is well behind us, it is time to take stock of what we achieved in the summer and plan for the continued vigor of our IRTA.  My predecessor, George Mazariegos, organized an excellent council retreat prior to CIRTA where we were able to review the intestinal transplant and the intestinal failure registries, and the plans that the Scientific Committee and Matt Everly of the Terasaki foundation have for enhancing their value.  We also discussed restating the vision and mission of the IRTA, as well as strategies for advancing this mission while increasing the value and engagement for all IRTA members.  The Council expects to be unveiling the new (and improved) wording early next year.

Personally, and to almost universal acclaim, I feel that Florence Lacaille and her team organized and graciously hosted a truly superb Congress.  Even though the meeting schedule was, by necessity, packed, the content was balanced, the speakers excellent and the organization flawless. The venue was historic, charming, the facilities were excellent, although with the unusually warm weather ventilation, and cold drinks, were essential.  Finally, the social events were really off the chart.  Thank you to all members of the local organizing committee.  Catching up with old friends and making new ones is one of the great joys of our biennial Congress and we are looking forward to a similar, spectacular Congress in Auckland, New Zealand in 2021; they certainly have a lot to live up to.

As we move into the non-Congress year, we have plans to re-structure the IRTA committees, with formal nominations, set term limits and standardized succession planning for committee leadership.  The hope is to empower the committees to move our Association forward and add yet further value to your IRTA membership by enabling our members to collaborate on projects of mutual interest throughout the year.

I am humbled to be serving as the IRTA President for the next 2 years and look forward to active committee participation and the general engagement of the membership.  Any member who has interest in serving on any IRTA committee (the full list of committees can be found on our website) please do not hesitate to contact either myself, the committee chairs or Suzanne Landis, our liaison with TTS.

Simon Horslen
IRTA President