Thomas J. Herzog was elected the president of The GOG Foundation Inc at the NRG Oncology summer meeting on July 20.
Herzog succeeds Larry J. Copeland.
A practicing gynecologic oncologist and member of the board of directors of GOG-F, he was the treasurer of GOG-F from 2014-2023. Prior to taking presidential office, Herzog was associate director of the GOG Partners program. He is currently deputy director of the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center and Paul & Carolyn Flory Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Cincinnati.
Herzog has also served on the board of directors or leadership council of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, the Foundation for Women’s Cancer, board of governors for the American College of Surgeons, American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology-Gynecologic Oncology Division, and the International Gynecologic Cancer Society.
Herzog will be responsible for GOG-F, which includes the GOG Foundation corporate membership in the NRG Oncology Foundation Inc., and GOG-P program. The GOG-F, formerly known as the Gynecologic Oncology Group, in collaboration with the NSABP Foundation Inc. and the RTOG Foundation Inc., formed a new 501(C)(3), in 2012—NRG Oncology Foundation Inc..
In addition to the NRG responsibilities, Herzog will also oversee the GOG Partners program founded in 2013 and work alongside Robert Mannel, senior vice president of GOG-F. Mannel is also one of the group chairs that is responsible for the research conducted by the NRG Oncology clinical cooperative group that is a member of the NCI National Clinical Trials Network.
“Following a true legend like Dr. Copeland is not easy, but I pledge to honor the principles that he and Dr. DiSaia so effectively instilled in our group as tremendous leaders in our field,” Herzog said in a statement. “I am cognizant of the need to ever improve our organization to face the challenges of maintaining our role as the premier clinical trials network in gynecologic malignancies in North America and beyond. Initiatives in diversity, operational transparency, translational research, site expansion, and improved trial efficiencies are ongoing, and will be further developed moving forward.”
Copeland, who now serves as immediate past president, presided over unprecedented growth in the clinical trials program, particularly in GOG-Partners, including a greatly expanded clinical trials portfolio, further expansion and engagement of its investigator base, development of a clinical trial mentorship program, and multiple educational initiatives focused on novel agents, clinical trial design and clinical trial execution.