PAEA Announces Leadership Transition

To Our Members,

I am writing today to announce the resignation of PAEA CEO Mary Jo Bondy, DHEd, MHS, PA-C. Her final day at PAEA will take place on January 31.

Mary Jo led the Association throughout some of the most trying times in PA education while offering members the resources needed not only to survive the COVID-19 pandemic but to move forward even more resilient than before. Some of Mary Jo’s most significant accomplishments include guiding the release of three Rapid Response Reports, which offered members a real-time snapshot of program challenges and innovations during the COVID-19 pandemic; executing two successful virtual PAEA Education Forums with record-breaking attendance; developing the new Strategic Plan; and establishing policy and member guidance on the PA profession title change.  

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the members, volunteer leaders, and staff of PAEA during this unprecedented time,” Mary Jo reflected. “Despite the pandemic, PAEA has continued to grow, evolve, and transform thanks to the incredible service of our volunteer leaders and staff. I want to thank the Board for their leadership and commitment. Equipped with a new Strategic Plan and envisioned future, I am confident PAEA will thrive in the next 50 years.”

We thank Mary Jo for her leadership and commitment to PAEA’s mission, vision, and values and wish her well in all her future endeavors.

PAEA Chief Operating Officer Sara Fletcher, PhD, will serve as interim CEO until the Board appoints a replacement. Sara served as PAEA’s interim CEO in 2019, and we are confident that she will continue to guide the Association with excellence as we look to the future. 

Sincerely,

Kara L. Caruthers, MSPAS, PA-C
PAEA President, 2022
Associate Program Director, Physician Assistant Sciences Program
School of Graduate Studies and Research
​Meharry Medical College