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Robert A. Winn, M.D., director and Lipman Chair in Oncology at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, concluded his tenure as President of the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) Tuesday in Washington, D.C., passing the gavel to President-Elect Joann B. Sweasy, Ph.D., Director, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center.

“The fact that I was the first ever Virginian, to become the president, for this two year period of the AACI is no small feat, no small honor,” Winn said. “To even be thought of, but more importantly, to be one of the past presidents included in that group is a big deal. It was a personal honor, but what I really felt most is that it was VCU and Massey's time to shine.”

The moment was a chance for reflection for Winn as he thought back to presidents who came before him such as Paul A. Bunn, Jr. and Max S. Wicha. Winn also had the chance to serve as a co-moderator alongside Dr. Sweasy for a panel discussion called “What's Past is Prologue: Finding Light at the End of the Tunnel,” which featured past AACI presidents H. Shelton “Shelley” Earp, III, former director of the University of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Michelle M. Le Beau, PhD, former ​​director of the University of Chicago Cancer Center, and Roy A. Jensen, M.D., director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center.

Winn delivered his President’s Report on Sunday during the annual meeting, speaking on his Presidential Initiative of “Inclusive Excellence.” He highlighted three main outcomes from his initiative: more global oncology awareness, bringing the voice of the community into the cancer center network and uniting cancer centers in the national team of cancer fighters.

“My platform of excellence, driving excellence in science, driving excellence in research, driving excellence in clinical trials, but more importantly having a national drive for excellence of all of our cancer centers is something that it takes special pride in being able to do,” Winn said, “and as you well know, that aligns with the excellence that we're driving at VCU Massey.”

During Winn’s term as AACI President, the organization broadened their reach in global oncology, building relationships with Mexico, Brazil, India, and Nigeria, among others. Dr. Usman Malami Aliyu, Director General and CEO of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) in Nigeria attended the annual meeting, something Winn called “a dream” when he first took over. As the leader of a community-focused cancer center at Massey, Winn also led efforts with AACI to collaborate with Community Advisory Board members on a national scale. In the last two years, AACI also prioritized “telling their stories” on Capitol Hill, seeing more outreach with lawmakers in Washington D.C. under Winn’s presidency.

What Winn emphasized throughout the weekend, though, was the national team of cancer fighters that was fully on display. Winn pointed to the AACI Cancer Center Director Town Hall Meetings, which now see 92 cancer centers participating, as a sign of how united the national team has become under his leadership.

“Especially through Dr. Winn’s initiative, the cancer center directors have learned that they really are a collective team and that they are able to call on one another,” said Jennifer W. Pegher, Executive Director of Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI). “I think the directors also recognize that we really do need to unite everyone within the institution walls and in the communities as well.”

Winn remarked at the attendance when he introduced the keynote speaker, Chris Draft, the founder, president, and CEO of the Chris Draft Family Foundation. Draft, a former NFL player, shared his story about how he has become an advocate for awareness after losing his wife to lung cancer in 2011. This culminated on the final day of the annual meeting, early Tuesday morning, when a packed room gave standing ovations for Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) and Representative Joaquin Castro (D-TX) for their tireless efforts on Capitol Hill in support of cancer research and the funding necessary.

“What I really like about being a cancer center director and what the AACI does is we compete for one another,” Winn said. “In fact, we drive each other and we compete with each other not because we're wanting to be the best, but because we know when we have that miracle molecule that becomes a miracle medicine, we get to share it for all of our patients.”

The annual meeting began with the 2025 Impact Summit on Saturday, which featured many in leadership at Massey.

Monica L. Baskin, Ph.D., deputy director of research at Massey, participated in a panel discussion called “Reimagining Influence: Staying Impactful When Power Shifts,” focused on advice about facing professional challenges. Baskin shared her mindset of whenever she walks into a room, making sure she represents the various stakeholders for the cancer center, but first and foremost she represents the community. This is a quality Baskin says she has consistently seen from Dr. Winn, especially in the role as AACI President.

“I think we are the light, nationally, on the things that are really important,” Baskin said. “I think [Dr. Winn] coming to Massey as its cancer center director, was really critical and an important decision to really move the direction of an already exciting cancer center, but move it to the next level. Put it on the map, if you will. I think he has certainly done that. Wherever he shows up, people know he is always representing the Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center. But more so than the center, he's representing the community, members of the Commonwealth.”

Tremayne D. Robertson, Ph.D., a compliance manager at VCU Massey, led a workshop titled “Building the Future: A Working Session on Advancing Workforce Development in Cancer Research” focused on “team” science, a theme that falls right in line with Dr. Winn’s initiative.

“We have a culture at Massey that puts the community first. It puts our colleagues first. And it's collaborative, community based,” Robertson said. “It's interdisciplinary, and it's inclusive and it's about excellence. That's what our leader, Dr. Winn, stands for. We at Massey try to live that motto and walk the walk as he does.”

Winn took part in a panel alongside several of the country’s most prominent cancer center directors including John D. Carpten, Ph.D., director of City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, CEO of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Yolanda Sanchez, PhD, Director & CEO of University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, titled “Shifting Focus from Words to Deeds.”  Winn focused on how district walks at Massey have had direct impacts on research, such as a multi-center endometrial cancer clinical trial. He also encouraged those in attendance to look beyond their walls to find high-impact people to bring into leadership positions using the Executive Leadership Academy for Cancer Centers (ELACC) fellows program, a partnership between VCU Massey and the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center as an example.

“In 30 years, 36% fewer people are dying from cancer,” Winn said. “Hope works, hope is the power. We’re hope professionals.”

Winn closed his final AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting Tuesday morning with the passing of the gavel to Dr. Sweasy, who was served the last two years as president-elect. Sweasy introduced her presidential initiative on Monday “Addressing the Crisis of Rural Cancer Health in Our Nation,” a topic she believes was helped greatly by Dr. Winn’s tenure as president.

“As AACI president, his initiative to increase inclusive excellence has been very important,” Sweasy said. “What I've seen is it's given so many people a voice who haven't had a voice and what we've learned is we've built out our perspective. We've learned from all of these voices so that we really can be a national team. There are so many people who don't have access to treatment, and many people don't have access to treatment and prevention because they don't trust us.”

Winn left those in attendance with a final musical reference to The Isley Brothers song “Work To Do,” sharing with the audience: “We’ve done the work, we have more work to do,” Winn said. “It’s been a wonderful ride these last two years to be the president. It continues to be one of the dreams of a lifetime to be a cancer center director, because I work with a team of national amazing cancer center directors that believe literally in the concept of one team, one fight.”

Written by: Preston Willett