Vaccaro commented: “One of my greatest aspirations was to climb the ladder in the AO so I could contribute more to a society that made me who I am today. I am who I am because the AO taught me how to do research, how to operate, how to think about problems, and how to collect my results. And now I have the honor to be the member representative on the international Board, I couldn't be happier, and I am going to serve it with 100% of my efforts.”

The Member Representative will serve for two years—one year with member elect status (guest without voting rights), and one year as a full member of the AO Spine International Board with voting rights. 

In addition to being an outstanding, internationally recognized spine surgeon or spine researcher, the eligible candidates must already have shown their commitment to AO Spine, be passionate about developing AO Spine and willing to devote a significant amount of time and travel to this function.