Meet the TAFP Board candidates

At the Member Assembly on Friday, Nov. 10, during this year’s ASPCS, members will elect two of their colleagues to the TAFP Board of Directors and one as the TAFP Parliamentarian. Two members are running for one available at-large position, three members are running to hold the new physician position, and two are running for the officer position.

According to the TAFP Bylaws, a slate of candidates is proposed by the Nominating Committee. Candidates may also be nominated by local chapters provided the nominations are made at least 90 days prior to the election, and candidates may be nominated from the floor at the Member Assembly. The candidates profiled here are running in the contested elections, but the Member Assembly will actually cast votes for all of TAFP's elected positions, including all officers and open board positions. If you have any questions about the nomination or election process, please contact Kathy McCarthy at kmccarthy@tafp.org.

At-large director

Terrance Hines, MD, FAAFP, completed undergraduate and medical school at Texas A&M and residency at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. He joined Baylor Scott & White in 2009 and is medical director for several clinics with emphasis on recruitment and development of new physicians. He is also a clinical assistant professor at Texas A&M College of Medicine. He’s served on several TAFP commissions and committees, served as chair of Bylaws, the Section on Special Constituencies, and is a former member of the Board of Directors. Hines enjoys all aspects of primary care with a particular interest in LGBT health, including transgender hormone therapy and PrEP for HIV prevention. He believes family medicine must seize the opportunity to be a stabilizing force in the evolving health care market and that TAFP must strongly advocate for all patients and physicians. He is married, has two sons, and loves Aggie football.

Loren S. Lasater, MD, FAAFP, is a native Texan hailing from Houston, who received his undergraduate degree from TCU and completed medical school at UTMB. After completing a family medicine residency, he practiced in multiple settings including private practice, single-specialty family practice, multispecialty practices, and academic medicine. He currently practices in Grapevine, Texas. Motivated by the September 11 terrorist attacks, he volunteered for the Army reserve and currently serves as a Colonel with 14 years of service. He has three active-duty mobilizations under his belt, two in the United States and one in Germany. He considers it a great privilege to serve our troops and their families. During his career in medicine, he says he has seen many changes, stresses, and challenges. His breadth of practice experiences within health care gives him a unique perspective to empathize and relate with his colleagues.

New physician director

Lawrence M. Gibbs, MD, FAAFP, is an alumnus of the University of Pittsburgh Medical School. He completed his residency at St. Louis University’s Scott Air Force Base Family Medicine Residency program in Belleville, Illinois. After residency he remained on staff as faculty and element chief of the Belleville Family Medicine Clinic. After separating from the United States Air Force, he returned to his home state of Texas in 2016. He continues to serve as a reservist at Carswell Joint Reserve Base. He is a faculty physician at the Methodist-Charlton Family Medicine Residency Program in Dallas, and he serves as Director of Inpatient Medicine and Medical Student Clerkships. He has served as a member of the Uniformed Services Academy of Family Physicians Clinical Investigations and Education Committees and is a current member of TAFP’s Commission on Academic Affairs.

Mary Anne Snyder, DO, received a Bachelor of Science in biology with a Spanish concentration at the University of Dallas. She received her Master of Arts in bioethics and Doctor of Osteopathic degrees from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. She completed residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, where she was an administrative chief resident and was involved in many research and quality improvement projects. She enjoys volunteering her time at health fairs, women’s shelters, and refugee clinics. Snyder is currently practicing outpatient medicine at the Toyota Family Health Center in San Antonio. She enjoys staying active in TAFP and she recently attended the AAFP Advocacy Summit. She loves participating in international medical outreach and is excited to be a member of the founding faculty at the new Osteopathic School of Medicine at the University of Incarnate Word.

Irvin Sulapas, MD, FAAFP, is currently an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine. He is a Houston native who received his Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and his medical degree from Ross University. Sulapas completed both his family medicine residency and sports medicine fellowship at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at Lubbock. He is active in the Texas Medical Association, where he’s a current member on the Council of Medical Education. He is a current member of TAFP’s Commission on Academic Affairs and serves locally as one of the Harris County Medical Society delegates to TMA. Sulapas is a team physician for Texas Southern University and volunteers as a staff physician for the Houston Marathon. In his free time, enjoys exercising and advocating for healthy living to the general public.

Parliamentarian

Adrian Billings, MD, PhD, FAAFP, received his medical education at Texas A&M, the University of Texas Medical Branch, and John Peter Smith Hospital. He was awarded a scholarship to medical school by the National Health Service Corps and went on to complete his service obligation in Alpine, where he continues to practice. He’s served on the National Advisory Council to the National Health Service Corps, on TAFP’s Board of Directors, and as physician advisor for TMA’s Hard Hats for Little Heads program. Billings is an Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Medical student and resident education continues to be central to his practice, and he has been recognized for his contributions to teaching, receiving several awards. He serves as the director of the Texas Family Medicine Preceptorship Program. He is also the immediate past chief of staff of Big Bend Regional Medical Center and was recently elected to the Alpine Independent School District Board of Trustees.

Mary Nguyen, MD, FAAFP, shares a family medicine practice with her husband in the rural town of Castroville and counts special needs advocacy as near and dear to her heart. She is currently a Member Constituency Delegate to the AAFP Congress of Delegates and previously held the position of Minority Co-convener for the 2017 National Conference of Constituency Leaders. Nguyen has served on several TAFP commissions and committees, including the Executive Committee and she currently serves on the TAFP Board of Directors as the Special Constituency member. She is the current Alamo Chapter Treasurer and was recently selected to serve on AAFP’s Reference Committee on Advocacy. She’s an avid supporter of the arts and she enjoys attending the symphony and theater with her husband and spending time with their 11-year-old son.