In January, we published “Diversity in Recent Leadership Positions,” which highlighted the recent accomplishments and honors of Leon L. Haley Jr., MD, MHSA, FACEP, CPE; Marcus L. Martin, MD, FACEP; and Lynne D. Richardson, MD, FACEP. Well, Dr. Haley, Dr. Martin, and Dr. Richardson have landed roles that reach way beyond emergency medicine alone. Announcements are one thing, but how great leaders achieve success is quite another. The road to leadership is shaped by many experiences and many people, both positive and not so positive. In an interview with ACEP Now Medical Editor in Chief Kevin Klauer, DO, EJD, FACEP, these three emergency medicine icons talk about their career paths, influences, and experiences. Here is Part 1 of that conversation; Part 2 will appear in the December issue.

KK: I can imagine it’s been a challenge to get where you are, achieving success beyond what most people could ever hope for while overcoming many obstacles. So let’s share your stories. Leon, tell us about your current position.

LH: I am the vice president for health affairs and dean of the College of Medicine, Jacksonville, for the University of Florida.

KK: Outstanding. What were some of the interim positions or stepping stones that gave you the leadership experience for your current role?

LH: I started off as the chief of emergency medicine for Grady Health System and was a faculty member at Emory University in Atlanta. I started that role in 1997. In 2001, I assumed the additional titles of deputy chief medical officer and deputy senior vice president of medical affairs for Grady; in 2003, I became the vice chairman for the department of emergency medicine for Emory University, and along the way, I went from assistant to associate to full professor. In 2013, I was asked by the new dean of the School of Medicine to assume the position of executive associate dean for Emory at Grady. I was in that role from July of 2013 until December of 2016, then I was offered the position to move here to Jacksonville.

KK: Marcus, let’s hear a bit about your background and how you’ve transitioned into your role.

MM: Thank you for hosting this interview, Kevin. I am a native Virginian. I am currently in Charlottesville at the University of Virginia (UVA), and I’ve been here for 22 years. I grew up in a little paper mill town—Covington, Virginia—where fathers and uncles all typically worked in the paper industry, and I followed suit, going to NC State University to get degrees in the pulp and paper technology and chemical engineering. I became a production engineer and did some research in the paper industry.