President-elect Dreyden George is beginning his term a little earlier than expected.
George, the current AMS Board of Directors chair, was appointed interim president of the society at AMS Assembly on March 10, following a unanimous approval vote by Assembly members. His appointment was motioned by Vice-Presidents Elena Nurzynski and Alyssa Perisa.
This comes after Assembly accepted former President Jana Amer’s resignation notice earlier this month, with her resignation coming into effect on March 9. George was elected president for the upcoming year in January and has spent the last four years working for the AMS, hence why he was chosen to carry out the role of interim president before beginning his official term on May 1, according to Nurzynski.
READ MORE: Special Assembly motion accepts the resignation of AMS President Jana Amer
George is scheduled to step into the interim role on March 27 for the remainder of this year’s term, which concludes on April 30. In an interview with The Journal following his appointment, George said that while it’s not the “ideal” circumstances to be stepping into the role, there are “silver linings in regards to the advantages for the transition,” as he’ll have an extra month of experience.
While serving as interim president, he said his main focuses will be supporting the president’s portfolio, providing guidance to his new team when necessary, and ensuring the current vice presidents won’t have to absorb any of the portfolio’s responsibilities.
George also clarified why he’s coming into the role on March 27 rather than immediately, adding he’s wrapping up his responsibilities as Chair of the Board of Directors ahead of the planning for the AMS’ Annual General Meeting and upcoming board meetings.
“That 27th date [ensures] I’m not throwing, on to the Vice-Chair, all those different things that are in addition to their current responsibilities, [including] transition manuals and stuff they’re doing with the committee chairs,” he said, adding he’ll be officially resigning from his current role at a March 26 Board meeting.
Given Amer’s resignation, George said he won’t receive the traditional transition experience, although he’s going to parse through transition documents and speak with past presidents to ensure he’s set up for success.
When asked if he’s aware of a similar situation to this in the past, George said he’s curiously looking into it.
“I actually have been asking around,” George said. “I need to know two things: if I’m the first Native president, and if I’m going to be the longest serving president.”
A full recap of the Assembly meeting can be found here.
Tags
AMS, Elections 2026, Interim President Elected
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