President's message - 2020/2021 subscription renewals

13 May 2020

I know that many of us are working incredibly hard to stay on top of the COVID situation, while others of us are going through a number of other sudden changes that might be creating real hardship. 

During times like these, associations like the ASA are more important than ever. I want you to know that the ASA is still here, and we’re still committed to providing you with the professional and collegial support you need right now and into the future.

It’s time for the annual membership subscription renewals, and I really encourage you to renew promptly if you can. We rely on the income we receive in subscriptions to keep our organisation going, which of course is vital. 

But we also want to make sure we keep every one of our members engaged with our community in the coming year, when it’s more important than ever to be part of the ASA. Your contribution to the ASA is important and valued, and we really want you to continue to be part of the community. 

To encourage you to remain a member, we have kept the 2020-21 subscriptions at the same rates as this year. 

If you’re currently experiencing financial hardship, we don’t want that to stop you from renewing. We have several options available to make it more affordable. You can access these options by contacting the CEO, Marcia Balzer, in our national office or 0430 175 310. You can also get in touch with Membership Chair, Jen Walsh, or Finance Chair, Nat Marshall if you prefer. 

As I think back on the last year, a few highlights in the life of our association stand out.

• Last July we won the Association of the Year award in conjunction with the Sleep Health Foundation for successfully advocating for the federal government to establish a Parliamentary Inquiry into Sleep Health Awareness. 
• Sleep DownUnder in Sydney was highly successful with more than 730 participants. 
• We said farewell to CEO Stephanie Blower after 20 years of service and welcomed Marcia Balzer to the ASA. 
• We developed and curated resources and held online discussion meetings to support members in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic 
• We advocated with the government for temporary items number for sleep studies and on other issues related to COVID-19.

It’s a real disappointment that we had to postpone Sleep DownUnder for 2020, but we are working hard to continue to provide value to you, our members. 

We have a range of opportunities planned for you to continue your professional development, and to share the latest in Australian sleep research. We’re also offering more opportunities online to interact with and support each other. And of course our other member benefits continue to be available, including an ever-expanding online Education Centre, our ten special interest councils, and our regular e-news. 

Finally, thank you for being part of the professional community that is the ASA. I look forward to seeing what we can achieve together in the coming year. 

Alan Young 
President

To renew online, click on the button and log in with your member details (find out more). Alternatively, call 02 9920 1968 to renew by phone with your credit card.