Arthur E. Auer, former executive director of the San Joaquin Medical Society, was appointed CEO of the Los Angeles County Medical Association on Sept. 5. A medical association veteran with more than 30 years of experience, Auer has also managed the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Emergency Nurses Association and the Palm Beach County Medical Society in Florida.

"We are pleased to have Auer join LACMA," says Ralph Di Libero, MD, president of LACMA. "He is very familiar with running large associations, conducting turnaround activities for associations that are rebuilding, as well as managing the processes of the California Medical Association inside and outside. He will be a good fit for LACMA at this point in our history."

Among Auer's other responsibilities at the San Joaquin Medical Society, he was executive director of the Bureau of Medical Economics, a company that provides a telephone answering service to area physicians and other businesses, and the society's Political Action Committee. He currently serves on the board of directors for the California Medical Association Foundation and is chair-elect of the Medical Executives Conference, which represents all county medical societies throughout California.

"We are very fortunate that LACMA has a team of dedicated, talented and loyal staff members who have been through some challenging changes in the past few years," Auer says. "We are looking forward to priorities and budgets that will make it easier for all of us to implement the plans approved by the board that will take our association to new heights of achievement and membership participation."

Auer intends to work closely with the LACMA physician leadership. "I firmly believe that the goals of the organization must be set by the leaders," Auer says. "Then those goals need to be translated into action plans by the staff, approved by the board and managed by the staff. It is a team effort between the members, leadership and the staff. Therefore, my role as the CEO is to facilitate that strategic plan and develop a team who can carry out those plans within the timetables and budgets approved by the board."