Trustee Candidate: Regional Chapter

Christopher M. Hearon, Ph.D., FACSM
Professor and Chair
Texas A & M University-Kingsville
Department of Health and Kinesiology
Kingsville, TX 

1.   Please list your previous service to ACSM.

Over the last twenty-five years I have served ACSM in many capacities at the regional and national levels.  In addition to chairing numerous sessions at the Annual Meeting, judging multiple student research sessions, and volunteering my time to lecture at many ACSM certification workshops, I have served on the following committees/boards:

Member, Regional Chapters Task Force Committee, ACSM, 3/12-present.
Chair, Interest Group Forums Committee, ACSM, 6/11-present.
Member, Regional Chapter Survey Sub-committee, ACSM, 3/11-6/11.
Member, Interest Group Forums Committee, ACSM, 6/09-5/11.
Executive Director (Board of Directors), Texas Regional Chapter ACSM, 2/08-3/12.
Chair/Liaison, Environmental Physiology Interest Group, ACSM, 6/07-6/09.
Director of Membership (Board of Directors), Texas Regional Chapter ACSM, 12/06-1/08.
Co-Chair, Environmental Physiology Interest Group, ACSM, 6/02-6/07.

2.  What is ACSM’s greatest strength and how would you make that aspect of the organization even stronger?

While ACSM certainly has many strengths, I believe the one that is noteworthy to me is ACSM’s dedication to the preservation of the history of the exercise science disciplines and to the continued advancement of our allied disciplines.  Along those lines, I firmly believe that ACSM’s clear commitment to student engagement is a critical component in accomplishing both of these things.  The student members are the future of our disciplines and of the College, and they will be the keepers of our history.  Additionally, I believe that the regional chapters play an undeniably critical role in the engagement of students in the exercise sciences at the grassroots level.  While the regional chapters are clearly diverse in their offerings and day-to-day operations, all of the chapters have student engagement as a cornerstone of their respective missions.  I believe that my record of affiliation, service, and leadership at the regional level speaks to my dedication and continued commitment to student engagement.  I believe these experiences provide me with a working knowledge of the regional chapters that will benefit the College at both the national and regional levels should I be elected to the position of Regional Chapter Trustee.

3.   ACSM works closely with many other organizations, including associations, companies, philanthropies, and governmental agencies. Indicate those organizations/companies/agencies for which you play an advisory, consulting, or leadership role.

I currently sit on the Board of Directors and chair or serve on numerous committees for the Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance.  Additionally, I serve on one committee for the American Kinesiology Association.  I am also affiliated with the Aerospace Medical Association (Associate Fellow) and the American Physiological Society.