It is our great pleasure to relay that, in a unanimous decision by the board of trustees on June 11, 2020, former director Dr. Barbara A. Porter was asked to be the first—and only—“ACOR Ambassador.”
In recognition of fourteen years of exemplary service to the organization, the board wanted to ensure that Dr. Porter remains affiliated with ACOR in a formal capacity. She accepted this honor, maintaining a long and rich bond. Now resident in Washington, D.C., Dr. Porter continues to support ACOR and our mission in this new role.
The role of ACOR ambassador could not be more appropriate for anyone else in ACOR’s history. In her last official function as director, on March 4, 2020, Dr. Porter guided His Majesty King Harald V and Her Majesty Queen Sonja of Norway through Petra. With a retinue comprising some thirty people, Dr. Porter spent several hours regaling all with stories of Petra’s rich history, followed by a formal luncheon. The tour and meal were further graced by the company of H.R.H. Prince Rashid Bin El Hassan, H.R.H. Princess Zeina Rashid, H.E. the Norwegian ambassador to Jordan Tone Baekkevold Allers, and new ACOR director Prof. Pearce Paul Creasman, among others. Of course, this is just one of the many high-profile events Dr. Porter oversaw in her tenure, but it was a fitting culmination.
The importance of Dr. Porter’s service to ACOR during her fourteen years as director cannot be overstated. With her welcoming nature and guidance, ACOR transformed. Dr. Porter has done what all organizations hope from their leaders: guided it through the times, raised its profile, increased its reach and ability to address its mission, and set it on a path for future successes. With Dr. Porter now in the role of Ambassador Porter, ACOR is truly fortunate to be able to continue to benefit from this fruitful collaboration.
Dr. Porter wrote about her experience of the directorship transition for the ACOR Newsletter, volume 32.1 (pages 6–7).
