In a mail ballot concluded just before the December meetings, Robert Pyles was chosen president-elect of The American, Newell Fischer was elected treasurer, and Betsy Comstock and Ralph Engle were chosen councilors-at-large. Pyles, current director of PINE, is a founder of the Coalition for Patients' Rights. As president of CPR until 1995, he worked tirelessly for statutory protection of the right to contract privately with patients. In his candidate statement in TAP (29/3) he stressed the need for analysts to develop a vision of themselves as analytic activists confronting the economic and political forces that affect psychoanalytic practice. He called for the creation within the organization of a healthy and healing environment in which members of differing opinions can “work together with consideration and respect.” Pyles commented that while campaigning for office involves a tremendous amount of work, he found that talking with so many colleagues was valuable; he was also impressed with the ingenuity of the local societies in meeting the challenges of contemporary practice.
Fischer, executive director of the Philadelphia Psychoanalytic Institute and president of the Margaret Mahler Foundation, took over the duties of treasurer immediately upon being elected, as his predecessor, Stephen Firestein, had resigned in August to become treasurer of the International Psychoanalytical Association. Within a few weeks of having been elected, Fischer presented a budget to the Executive Council for its consideration at the December meeting.
Engle, currently president of the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, serves nationally as chair of The American's Ethics Committee. With Allan Rosenblatt, he cochaired its Committee on Societies at its inception. He favors better delineation of the roles of Board and Council, and has worked to promote the teaching of ethics in institute curricula. Comstock, the other new councilor-at-large, is professor of psychiatry at Baylor University School of Medicine. A tenured, full-time professor who has published research on suicide, drug abuse, and the likelihood of completing psychoanalytic training, she would like to see The American proceed with external credentialing. She would also like to see the Council assume more fully its financial responsibilities within the organization.
The other candidates in the election were Richard Fox for the office of president-elect, Allan Compton for the office of treasurer, and Warren Procci and Jorge Schneider for the councilor-at-large seats.