One of the greatest privileges of serving as ACCP president is hearing the stories of the people who make ACCP what it is. Each member follows a different professional path, yet many of these paths intersect through ACCP in meaningful and sometimes unexpected ways.

At a recent meeting of the ACCP Board of Regents, we welcomed new board members by sharing our ACCP origin stories: how we first became involved and what moved us from joining or attending to participating, contributing, and eventually leading.

The details were different, but one common thread appeared again and again.

Someone extended an invitation.

Someone encouraged us to join ACCP, attend a meeting, become involved in a Practice and Research Network (PRN), submit an abstract, share an idea, speak during a session, serve on a committee, or consider a leadership opportunity. Often, this person recognized our potential before we fully recognized it ourselves.

Every ACCP origin story was once unwritten. For many of us, the first line was written when another person took the time to say, “I think you should become involved,” “Your perspective would be valuable,” or simply, “Come with me.”

As I listened, I began to wonder about the stories still waiting to be written. Who might I encourage? Could an invitation I extend today become the beginning of someone else’s ACCP journey?

Could I become part of someone else’s ACCP origin story?

These questions have particular meaning within ACCP’s PRNs. PRNs are the communities where members connect around shared areas of practice and research, exchange ideas, build collaborations, develop programming, mentor colleagues, and grow professionally. They are where many members first discover not only what ACCP offers, but also what they can contribute to ACCP.

Before considering how to engage more members, we should recognize the extraordinary work already occurring across our PRNs. Chairs, officers, committee leaders, project teams, and volunteers contribute substantial time and expertise to educational programming, research collaborations, publications, networking, mentoring, and service. Much of this happens behind the scenes through planning, reviews, individual outreach, and countless acts of service that may never be visible to the broader membership. The volume and quality of this work are remarkable, and ACCP is stronger because of it.

PRN leaders deserve our sincere gratitude for sustaining these communities and continually creating ways for members to connect and contribute. At the same time, they have identified engagement as an important opportunity. This does not diminish the commitment of those already doing the work, nor does it mean that members who are less visible are uninterested. Instead, it invites us to consider what helps someone move from observing a community to seeing themselves as part of it.

Some members may be interested but uncertain where they fit. A student or trainee may assume they need more experience before sharing an idea. An early-career practitioner may not realize that their perspective would be welcomed. A first-time attendee may not know anyone in the room or how to enter the conversation. Even an experienced member may not know where their expertise is most needed.

General announcements and calls for volunteers are important, but a personal invitation communicates something different. It tells someone that they have been noticed. It signals that their ideas and experiences matter. It helps transform ACCP from an organization they have joined into a professional community where they can see a place for themselves.

This invitation does not need to involve a formal leadership role or major commitment. It might be an invitation to attend a PRN meeting, join a committee conversation, contribute to a project, share a practice innovation, participate in an educational session, or meet another member with similar interests. It might be as simple as saying, “I am going to the PRN meeting. Would you like to come with me?”

This idea is at the heart of our Unwritten theme. ACCP’s future has not yet been determined. It will be shaped by the ideas we pursue, the collaborations we form, the opportunities we create, and the people we invite into the work. The next chapter of ACCP will not be written by the current leaders alone. It will also be written by members who are still discovering their voices, their interests, and the difference they can make.

I invite every PRN member and leader to identify one person and extend one genuine, personal invitation. Invite someone to attend a PRN event with you, share what they are working on, contribute to a committee or project, or meet a PRN leader or another member with similar interests.

Most importantly, tell this person why you thought of them. Make the invitation specific, welcoming, and appropriate to what they may be ready to do. A specific expression of confidence, such as “Your experience would strengthen this discussion” or “I think others could learn from what you are doing,” could be the encouragement that helps someone take a first step. Not everyone will accept immediately, and that is okay. The deeper purpose is not simply to fill a committee roster or increase attendance, but to help someone recognize that they have been seen, that they belong, and that there is a place for their contribution.

When we reflect on leadership, we often think about the initiatives we completed, the programs we created, or the goals we achieved. Those accomplishments matter. But another measure of our impact may be who we invited into the work, whose confidence we strengthened, and whose professional journey changed because we took the time to encourage them.

Years from now, someone may describe the presentation they gave, the collaboration they formed, the leadership role they accepted, or the difference they made for patients and the profession. When asked how their ACCP journey began, their story may start with a simple sentence:

“Someone invited me.”

Our ACCP stories are still being written, individually and collectively. As we write ACCP’s next chapter, one of the most meaningful contributions we can make is to help someone else begin writing theirs.