As the Senior Director of Corporate Relations, Marketing, and Communications at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), I oversee strategic initiatives across the AANS enterprise, its foundation (NREF), its data collection arm (NPA), and publishing efforts (JNS). In this senior management role, I provide direction and leadership for corporate relations, marketing, and communications activities, developing and implementing strategies to drive business development, foster strategic partnerships, secure sponsorships and grants, and optimize non-dues revenue opportunities.My responsibilities also include providing strategic oversight for all marketing and communication activities of the AANS. I focus on enhancing external visibility, positioning the AANS enterprise as a thought leader in the neurosurgery field, elevating executive leadership presence, and maintaining the organization's reputation.

As the Director of Corporate Relations at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), I spearhead strategic initiatives to foster business development and enhance the growth of the AANS enterprise. My primary focus is on cultivating robust corporate partnerships, securing sponsorships and educational grants, and driving revenue through innovative collaborations. By working closely with leadership, volunteers, and external partners, I help identify new opportunities and strengthen relationships with our corporate allies, supporting the AANS, the Foundation (NREF), the data registry (NPA), and publishing efforts (JNS).In this role, I guide the strategic direction of corporate relations, ensuring that our partnerships align with the association's goals and industry trends. My work involves developing high-level sponsorship and partnership strategies for key events and conferences, financial oversight, and strategic planning. Leveraging my extensive experience in partnership development and corporate relations, I foster a collaborative environment that drives successful initiatives. Through these efforts, I contribute significantly to the overall growth and success of the AANS enterprise.

The American Cancer Society is the leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision of ending cancer as we know it, for everyone. Working to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.As the National Strategic Director, Corporate Alliances at the American Cancer Society, I was responsible for developing and executing innovative and impactful partnerships that advanced the organization's vision of ending cancer as we know it, for everyone. I leveraged my expertise in advocacy, alliance development, patient support, and strategic communications to create and maintain strong and mutually beneficial relationships with corporate partners. My mission was to inspire and mobilize people and resources to support the fight against cancer and make a difference in the lives of millions.

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company which focuses on many therapy areas – Oncology, Rare Diseases, and BioPharmaceuticals, including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.As the US Oncology Advocacy and Alliance Director at AstraZeneca, I played a vital role in cultivating strategic partnerships with diverse stakeholders in the healthcare community focused on collaborations that supported patients to achieve the best possible health outcome. My advocacy remit extended across multiple oncology domains, including PAN and pediatric oncology, as well as rare diseases (NF1), hematology (chronic lymphocytic leukemia and mantle cell lymphoma), and gastrointestinal/genitourinary cancers (cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder, hepatocellular carcinoma, prostate, bladder, and pancreatic). Responsibilities included formulating national advocacy strategies, managing relationships, representing AstraZeneca voice to the community, and collaborating extensively with internal teams and external partners. Additionally, I spearheaded engagement at major medical conferences, contributed to federal and state policy initiatives, oversaw charitable contribution funding processes, and managed multi-million-dollar budgets, all while upholding adherence to policies and best practices. As a member of US Corporate Affairs, I was a crucial partner for internal stakeholders across Commercial, R&D, Medical Affairs, Market Access, and Regulatory and made significant contributions to other US Corporate Affairs teams, including Government Affairs, Internal & External Communications, Policy, and External Affairs.

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is the organization that speaks for all of neurosurgery. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to promote the highest quality of patient care.In my capacity as the Senior Manager of Communications at the Washington Office of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons, I played a pivotal role in effectively disseminating the organization's policy positions and initiatives. This involved engaging diverse audiences, including national and regional media, members of Congress, and advocacy groups. I spearheaded comprehensive communication efforts, which encompassed various mediums such as press releases, op-eds, congressional testimonies, and articles for prominent publications. Additionally, I directed digital communication strategies and established robust relationships with media outlets, government offices, and healthcare organizations. A standout achievement was the creation and management of the acclaimed "Neurosurgery Blog: More Than Just Brain Surgery," which not only garnered a substantial readership but also significantly amplified the reach of organized neurosurgery's communications. In this role, I also provided leadership and support to the AANS/CNS Communications and Public Relations Committee. Through collaborative efforts with key neurosurgeons, our committee goal was to advance the field of neurological surgery, enhance the quality of patient care, and create a healthcare system that delivers even greater value in the future.

The Congress of Neurological Surgeons, a leader in education and innovation, is dedicated to advancing neurosurgery by providing members with the educational and career development opportunities they need to become leaders and innovators in the field.In my capacity as the Senior Manager of Communications at the Washington Office of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons, I played a pivotal role in effectively disseminating the organization's policy positions and initiatives. This involved engaging diverse audiences, including national and regional media, members of Congress, and advocacy groups. I spearheaded comprehensive communication efforts, which encompassed various mediums such as press releases, op-eds, congressional testimonies, and articles for prominent publications. Additionally, I directed digital communication strategies and established robust relationships with media outlets, government offices, and healthcare organizations. A standout achievement was the creation and management of the acclaimed "Neurosurgery Blog: More Than Just Brain Surgery," which not only garnered a substantial readership but also significantly amplified the reach of organized neurosurgery's communications. In this role, I also provided leadership and support to the AANS/CNS Communications and Public Relations Committee. Through collaborative efforts with key neurosurgeons, our committee goal was to advance the field of neurological surgery, enhance the quality of patient care, and create a healthcare system that delivers even greater value in the future.

Podium Prose provides award-winning speechwriting and communications consulting services to an elite clientele that includes Fortune 500 companies, leading trade associations and non-profit organizations, and some of Washington, D.C.’s premier public affairs firms. In addition to speeches that are tailored to each individual’s style and strengths, we craft attention-getting op-eds, annual reports, white papers, press releases and material for websites and blogs. Our clients have included prestigious companies, organizations and individuals such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Amway, the American Beverage Association, the American Gas Association, the Texas Rangers baseball organization and Oprah Winfrey. Podium Prose also features a speakers bureau with engaging authorities in a wide range of subject areas.

The Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC), a coalition of chief executives from all disciplines within American healthcare, is the exclusive forum for the nation’s healthcare leaders to jointly develop policies, plans, and programs to achieve their vision of a 21st century system that makes affordable, high-quality care accessible to all Americans.As the Director of Strategic Communications at the Healthcare Leadership Council, I played a central role in effectively disseminating the organization's policy positions and initiatives. This encompassed engaging diverse audiences, including national and regional media, members of Congress, and advocacy groups, through various channels such as press releases, op-eds, congressional testimonies, and articles for prominent publications. In addition, I directed digital communication strategies, fostering strong relationships with media outlets, government offices, and healthcare organizations. A notable achievement was helping to steer the communications efforts for HLC during the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), where I successfully managed and represented the communication needs of large healthcare companies associated with the council, navigating complex policy discussions and ensuring effective messaging during a critical period in healthcare legislation.

Medicare Today, a coalition of national and local organizations representing seniors, health care providers, employers, patients and consumer groups focused on providing beneficiaries with reliable information on the Medicare program and its benefits. Medicare Today was created by the Healthcare Leadership Council, an alliance of chief executives of the nation’s leading healthcare companies and organizations from all health sectors.During my tenure as the National Outreach Coordinator at the Healthcare Leadership Council, I played a vital role in shaping and executing advocacy initiatives on critical healthcare issues. This encompassed strategic contributions to areas such as confidentiality, disease management, healthcare workforce shortages, health information technology, medical liability, innovation protection, Medicare, patient safety, quality, uninsured populations, health equity and value-based purchasing. A key highlight was coordinating the Health Access America campaign, a nationwide effort focused on providing healthcare coverage for all Americans. I spearheaded community education, organized Hill briefings, conducted forums on the uninsured in various states, and acknowledged outstanding community programs. This effort was done in collaboration with campaign partners such as: Pizer, Johnson & Johnson, Baxter, Mayo Clinic, CVS Caremark, and McKesson Corporation. Additionally, I managed the coordination of 400+ national and local members of the Medicare Today coalition, overseeing 80 skilled community organizers throughout the country which trained 175,000 volunteers and successfully educated 5.8 million beneficiaries about the Medicare prescription drug benefit. This effort facilitated the enrollment of over one-half million Medicare beneficiaries during the initial and low-income subsidy enrollment periods.

In my role as a Staff Assistant at the Healthcare Leadership Council, I embraced the art of versatility and the mantra "Whatever's Needed." My journey in the workforce literally began by packing FedEx boxes filled with healthcare education materials, perfecting the delicate dance of bubble wrap and Styrofoam peanuts all while orchestrating a symphony of "Fragile" stickers. Little did I know that this early experience would be a cornerstone of my professional growth. Transcending from the FedEx Picasso of health education pamphlets to become the Rembrandt of strategic collaboration and partnership to drive positive changes and advancements in healthcare for patients.