Greetings from the Council of Networks. It has been two years since the Networks were restructured into seven Networks, each with several Sections. I have had the privilege of being the Chair of the Council of Networks this past year, and the engagement of the Chairs, Vice-Chairs, and steering committee members has contributed to a very successful CHEST 2024. Highlights from the meeting include the depth and breadth of 22 Experience CHEST sessions, which were held in the Exhibit Hall and gave trainees and early career faculty the opportunity to submit and present concise teaching on a topic. This year, many of these presentations were devoted to topics of diversity and inclusion.

Our program this year also honored Network Rising Stars at the Network Open Forums. These individuals were early career members who were nominated for their active engagement within CHEST and the Networks. The Networks also hosted a fun and engaging mixer, where members came together and had the opportunity to meet Network leadership, catch up with old friends, and sample a variety of Boston cuisine. I personally had the opportunity to meet several junior faculty who were excited to become involved in the Networks.

One of the initiatives we are working on is developing a robust mentoring program for fellows who are involved in the Networks and Sections. The pieces were put in place over the summer, and we will be gauging success of the program in the spring. 

For those of you who have yet to join a Network, we would love for you to be involved. To see the current leadership of each Network, check out their pages on chestnet.org. You can log in to your CHEST account and join as many Networks as you want.