Jeffrey Lieberman New APA President-Elect

Members of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) have elected Jeffrey A. Lieberman, M.D., president-elect of the association. Dr. Lieberman is professor and chairman of the Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and director of the New York State Psychiatric Institute. He also chairs the APA Council on Research and Quality Care and is an associate editor of the American Journal of Psychiatry. In the three-way race for president-elect with Renée Binder, M.D., of San Francisco, and Mary Helen Davis, M.D., of Louisville, Kentucky, Dr. Lieberman won 52% of the votes in the first round of ballot counting.

David Fassler, M.D., of Burlington, Vermont, was elected to another term as APA treasurer, outpolling Robert Feder, M.D., of Manchester, New Hampshire, with 65% of the votes.

Three of APA's seven areas held elections for area trustee positions. In area 1, which includes New England and Ontario, Quebec, and Eastern Canada, Jeffrey Geller, M.D., of Worcester, Massachusetts, won 63% of the votes in a race against Gail Robinson, M.D., of Toronto. In area 4, which encompasses most of the Midwest states, Judith Kashtan, M.D., of Minneapolis was elected over Ron Burd, M.D., of Fargo, North Dakota, with 53% of the votes. Jeffrey Akaka, M.D., of Honolulu was elected to be the area 7 representative in a race against Annette Matthews, M.D., of Portland, Oregon. Dr. Akaka garnered 58% of the votes in area 7, which includes the far Western states (except California) and Alaska, Hawaii, and Western Canada.

Approximately 20% of eligible voters cast ballots in 2012, compared with about 25% in 2011 and 31% in 2009 and 2010.

Dr. Lieberman will officially become president-elect at the close of this year's APA annual meeting in Philadelphia on May 9, at which time the current president-elect, Dilip Jeste, M.D., will succeed John Oldham, M.D., as president.