Attendee Profiles

Paul W. Abramowitz is the Chief Executive Officer of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).

Prior to joining ASHP in September 2011, Dr. Abramowitz worked in hospitals and health-systems for 34 years. He served as Associate Hospital Director for Professional Services and Chief Pharmacy Officer at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and Professor at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. He also held prior positions as Director of Pharmacy and Associate Professor at the Medical College of Virginia and the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Abramowitz received a Bachelors Degree in Chemistry and Biology from Indiana University, a Bachelors Degree in Pharmacy from the University of Toledo, a Pharm.D. from the University of Michigan, and completed his residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center.

In addition to serving as Treasurer of ASHP from 2007-10 and as ASHP President in 1993-94, he chaired the Boards of: the ASHP Research and Education Foundation, the Iowa Board of Pharmacy, and the Iowa Statewide Poison Control Center.

Dr. Abramowitz has actively combined practice, teaching, and research throughout his career. He has lectured and published extensively focusing on: the effect that pharmacists have on improving outcomes of care and reducing costs; developing new care models; reducing adverse drug events; and expanding comprehensive medication management to the ambulatory setting.

He was a recipient of the John W. Webb Lecture Award in 2000 and the Harvey A.K. Whitney Lecture Award in 2009, health-system pharmacy’s highest honor. In 1990, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Toledo College of Pharmacy, in 2010, the Alumni Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, and in 2013 the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science from the University of Toledo. In 2015, he was recognized as one of Washington’s Trending Association Leaders by Bisnow.

Currently, Dr. Abramowitz serves on the Boards of the American Nurses Foundation, the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and the GTMRx Institute. He also is a member of the National Steering Committee for Patient Safety of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and a Professor-Emeritus at the University of Iowa.

Steven C. Anderson, FASAE, CAE, IOM is President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), a position he assumed in 2007. He represents and is the chief spokesperson for an industry that has annual sales of more than $1 trillion, employs more than 3.2 million individuals, and works with suppliers and other partners to help meet the health, wellness and daily needs of patients and consumers across America. Nearly all Americans (91%) live within five miles of a retail pharmacy.

Anderson also serves as Chairman of the NACDS Foundation, whose mission is to utilize and support education, research, and charitable involvement to help people improve their health and quality of life through an understanding of medication therapy and the importance of taking medications appropriately.

In 2020, Anderson was selected as a Fellow by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), joining only 268 other association industry professionals who have received this designation since the program’s inception in 1986. The ASAE Fellows program is among ASAE’s highest honors, recognizing Individuals who have made a significant impact on the association community through exemplary volunteer service and leadership, extraordinary accomplishments, and other major contributions to ASAE and the profession of association management.

Dr. Carter is the executive director of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) and the secretary of the Association’s Executive Committee. NABP is an international organization whose membership includes the state boards of pharmacy in all 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, and all 10 provincial pharmacy regulatory agencies in Canada.

The purpose of NABP is to: (1) assist the state boards of pharmacy in protecting the public health, (2) serve as an information and disciplinary clearinghouse for the interstate transfer of licensure among the state boards of pharmacy, and (3) provide model regulations in order to assist the state boards of
pharmacy with the development of uniform practice, educational, and competency standards for the practice of pharmacy.

Dr. Carter currently serves as a governor of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Board of Directors and chair of the PTCB Certification Council. Over the years, he has provided expert witness testimony and consultation in the areas of pharmacy practice and regulation. Dr. Carter is a former member and chair of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation – State Board of Pharmacy. In addition to serving on the Board, he was appointed by the Illinois House of Representatives to serve two terms on the Illinois Collaborative Pharmaceutical Task Force.

Previously, Dr. Carter oversaw pharmacy operations and professional affairs in the community pharmacy setting. In this position, he was responsible for the day-to-day operations and pharmacy regulatory oversight of more than 9,200 pharmacies in the US as well as oversight, management, and execution of all commercial, Medicare Parts B and D, and state Medicaid plans.

Dr. Carter has served on numerous committees and task forces for pharmacy organizations, including as chair of the 2019 NABP Overview Task Force on Requirements for Pharmacy Technician Education, Practice Responsibilities, and Competence Assessment. He graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana, College of Pharmacy, with a doctor of pharmacy degree, and received his master of science degree with studies focused on pharmacy regulation and policy from the University of Florida.

Brian Caswell, President of Wolkar Drug in Baxter Springs, KS is a University of Kansas School of Pharmacy Graduate in 1987. He owns 4 stores in S.E. KS and S.W. MO and is the current President of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA).

Mr. Caswell serves as a board member for NCPA’s Innovation Center, the Kansas Pharmacy Foundation, is a past President of the Kansas Pharmacists Association and also serves as The Lead Network Facilitator and luminary for CPESN-KS. Brian and his wife, Gretchen, reside in Baxter Springs, KS.

Chester “Chip” Davis, Jr., JD, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Healthcare Distribution Alliance and President of the HDA Research Foundation. Mr. Davis joined HDA in March 2020 from the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM), the nation’s leading trade association for manufacturers of generic and biosimilar medicines, where he served as President and Chief Executive Officer since 2015. Mr. Davis oversees HDA’s day-to-day operations and is responsible for ensuring that the organization’s members have a strong advocacy voice in legislation, regulation and policy.

Prior to AAM, Mr. Davis held leadership roles at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and AstraZeneca, where in 2007 he was recognized as one of the inaugural winners of the CEO Leadership Award.

Mr. Davis earned an undergraduate degree in Accounting from the University of Delaware, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Mr. Fensky, a member of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy, automatically assumed the office of president at the conclusion of NABP’s 116th Annual Meeting. Prior to the election, he served one‐year terms as president‐elect and treasurer and a two‐year term as an Executive Committee member (District 1). As a member of NABP, Mr. Fensky has made many contributions to the NABP District 1 meetings and previously served as president of the Massachusetts Board. Mr. Fensky served on the Task Force on Best Practices for Veterinary Compounding and the Task Force on Pharmacist Prescriptive Authority. He currently represents NABP on the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee to the United States Food and Drug Administration. Mr. Fensky is the pharmacy administrator at Bournewood Health Systems and the chief pharmacy officer at Sullivan’s Health Care. Further, he is recognized as a full fellow for the American College of Apothecaries, and is an adjunct faculty member at both the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and Northeastern University, Bouvé College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Mr. Fensky earned his bachelor of science degree in pharmacy from Northeastern University, Bouvé College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and received an honorary doctor of pharmacy license from the Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy.

Paul leads P&G’s global personal health care portfolio, including trusted brands such as Metamucil, Pepto-Bismol, Neurobion, Prilosec OTC and Vicks – currently the number one retail over-the-counter brand in the world. Prior to his global leadership role, Paul led P&G’s North America PHC portfolio over the last three years, and has been key to P&G’s improved business growth and innovation success.

Paul is among P&G’s most experienced in the health care space having literally grown up in the business over a span of two decades. Paul joined P&G in 2017, bringing with him an impressive resume and track record of success at industry leaders such as Bayer, Novartis, and Reckitt Benckiser.
Originally from Canada, Paul received his Bachelor’s degree at McMaster University, and his MBA from the University of Rochester. In addition to his responsibilities at P&G.

Paul and his wife Laurie have two children. In addition to spending time with his family he enjoys skiing, cycling, hiking and travelling.

Brian Douglas (Doug) Hoey is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Community Pharmacists Association. The National Community Pharmacists Association represents the owners of more than 22,000 pharmacy small businesses. These pharmacies are important to local economies providing jobs for more than 250,000 people in their communities and consumers consistently rank them as the top rated pharmacies in the country.

Hoey is a licensed pharmacist in Oklahoma, Virginia, and Texas and practiced in community pharmacies including his own family’s pharmacy before coming to NCPA. Hoey was NCPA’s first Chief Operating Officer and in 2011 was named CEO. He is widely quoted by media as an industry expert on community pharmacy practice issues including drug supply and prescription drug pricing. Hoey also developed and taught pharmacology courses at George Washington University and Marymount universities. He is co-Chairman of the Board of Directors for Surescripts, Chairman of the NCPA Innovation Center, and vice-Chair for Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services-USA (CPESN-USA) Board of Managers, and is on the Board of the Stabler-Leadbeater Pharmacy Museum (Alexandria, VA) as well as advisory boards for several schools of pharmacy. His pharmacy degree is from the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy and his MBA is from the Oklahoma City University graduate school of business.

Thomas J. Johnson is Assistant Vice President of Hospital Pharmacy at Avera Health, in Sioux Falls, S.D. He has consistently championed advancing optimal patient outcomes through the progressive use of pharmacy staff within healthcare teams.

Tom earned his Pharm.D. from North Dakota State University (NDSU) and completed an ASHP-accredited residency at St. Alexius Medical Center/NDSU in Bismarck, N.D. He has served in multiple roles over his professional career including clinical practice, academia, research, and leadership.

Tom has served ASHP in multiple roles including Treasurer (2016–2019); Board of Directors (2011–2014); Council on Education and Workforce Development; Council on Therapeutics; Committee on Nominations; Task Force on Organizational Structure; Practitioner Recognition Committee; and as a state delegate for many years. Johnson is a Past President of the South Dakota Society of Health-System Pharmacists (SDSHP) and 2005 SDSHP Pharmacist of the Year. Currently Tom serves as ASHP President.

Rick Keyes is the President and CEO of Meijer, Inc., the family-owned and privately-held Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates over 240 supercenters throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. Rick joined Meijer in 1989 as a pharmacy team member in Columbus, Ohio, while attending college.

A 31-year Meijer veteran, Rick was appointed President in October 2015 and named the first non-Meijer family member CEO in January 2017 after holding various leadership positions in pharmacy and store operations, as well as supply chain and manufacturing. Rick is the 11th President in the history of the company that employs more than 70,000 team members across the Midwest.

As President and CEO, he oversees all day-to-day operations and works closely with Executive Chairman Hank Meijer in developing and executing growth strategies. These strategies include a strong focus on enhancing the customer experience, driving team member engagement, and maintaining a competitive focus in the fast-paced retail industry while staying true to the Meijer values.

Prior to his appointment as President and CEO, Rick served as Executive Vice President of Supply Chain and Manufacturing, a role he had held since 2006. Prior to that role, Rick spent 15 years in retail operations, starting in Pharmacy, and becoming a Store Director, Market Director and Regional Vice President.

Rick received his Bachelor of Science Pharmacy degree from Ohio Northern University, where he now serves as a member of the Board of Trustees. Additionally, he serves as Chair of the Board for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, on the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy Dean’s Corporate Council, Retail Industry Leaders Association Board, Business Leaders for Michigan Board, and the Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council.

Scott Knoer, MS, PharmD, FASHP, is the 13th Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Pharmacists Association. He received his BA in psychology from Creighton University in 1988 and his PharmD from the University of Nebraska in 1996. He completed a 2-year administrative residency with a concurrent MS degree in hospital pharmacy from the University of Kansas in 1998.

Before his current leadership role at APhA, Dr. Knoer was the Chief Pharmacy Officer at the Cleveland Clinic from 2011 to 2020, where he led an international pharmacy enterprise with a $1.4 billion dollar drug budget and 1,558 FTEs in 18 hospitals with facilities in Ohio, Florida, and Nevada; Toronto; London; and Abu Dhabi.

After graduation from pharmacy school, he was an Operations Manager at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston for 3 years. Moving to Minnesota, he was the Director of Pharmacy at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, for a decade before being recruited to the Cleveland Clinic in 2011.

Dr. Knoer has served the profession extensively through involvement in professional organizations at the local, state, and national levels. He is published widely on a variety of pharmacy and leadership topics. He is a frequent invited lecturer to state, national, and international audiences. He is often quoted as a health care expert on a broad array of topics in newspaper, radio, and television outlets.

Dr. Knoer is a passionate advocate for patients and the profession of pharmacy. He has successfully lobbied boards of pharmacy in Ohio and Minnesota to allow the advancement of pharmacy practice, and he has led initiatives that changed Ohio and federal law related to the elevation of pharmacy practice and reducing the impact of drug shortages.

Sandra Leal is the Executive Vice President for SinfoníaRx, A TRHC Solution. Dr. Leal is responsible for oversight and expansion of progressive pharmacists’ services that focus on outcomes, access, and quality.

Dr. Leal received her PharmD from the University of Colorado and her MPH in Public Health Practice from the University of Massachusetts. Dr. Leal completed her residency at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System and a Primary Health Care Policy Fellowship with the Department of Health and Human Services.

Her work has been published in Diabetes Care, Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease, American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, Annals of Internal Medicines and a discussion paper published by the Institute of Medicine entitled, “Patients and Health Care Teams Forging Effective Partnerships”.

Her programs are a two-time recipient of the American Pharmacists Associations (APhA) Foundation Pinnacle Award, ASHP Best Practice Award in Health-System Pharmacy and the National Association of Community Health Centers Innovative Research in Primary Care Award. Dr. Leal was recognized as APhA’s Good Government Pharmacist-of-the-Year for her advocacy work on pharmacist provider status and was installed as President-Elect for the American Pharmacists Association for the 2020-2022 term.

Dan Leonard is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM), the nation’s trade association for the makers of generic and biosimilar medicines, which fill 9 out of 10 prescriptions in the United States. Appointed to the position by the AAM Board in summer 2020, Dan is responsible for ensuring the association fulfills its mission to improve the lives of patients and consumers by providing timely access to safe, effective and affordable medicines.

Prior to joining AAM, Dan served as president and chief executive officer of the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC), which sponsors and conducts research on a number of critical health policy issues. NPC plays a leadership role in the evolving areas of value assessment, value-based contracting and the importance of maintaining a robust innovation ecosystem.

Before his tenure at NPC, Dan served as executive vice president of advocacy for America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the trade association representing companies providing health insurance coverage in the United States.

Dan has significant experience in politics and government, including time spent with presidential campaigns, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) and as a chief of staff on Capitol Hill. Early in his career, Dan worked as a television broadcast journalist and held on-air and management positions at affiliates across the nation.

He has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio, where he currently serves on the Board of Trustees. Dan received a master’s degree in government from Johns Hopkins University. He lives in Annapolis, Maryland, with his wife, Susan. They have two children and enjoy sailing on the Chesapeake Bay.

Dr. Anne Lin is currently the Founding Dean & Professor of the School of Pharmacy at Notre Dame of  Maryland University.

She graduated from St. John’s University in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy and in 1986 received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the same institution.  In 1987 she completed a clinical pharmacy residency at Medical College of Virginia Hospital.

Dr. Lin began her professional career as a faculty member at her alma mater.   In 1996, she assumed the position of founding chair of the department of pharmacy practice at Wilkes University’s new school of pharmacy. Subsequently, in 2004 she moved to Arizona to serve as Dean of Midwestern University College of Pharmacy-Glendale.

Dr. Lin’s interests are in the areas of curriculum development and the incorporation of interdisciplinary teaching, service learning, leadership development into curricula and the professionalization of students. Additionally, she is committed to the advancement of pharmacy practice.  She is an active member of many professional organizations including American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, American College of Clinical Pharmacy, American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists, and American Pharmacist Association.  Dr. Lin is currently President of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.

Lucinda L. Maine serves as executive vice president and CEO of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. As the leading advocate for high quality pharmacy education, AACP works to develop strong academic scholars and leaders, to support excellent professional doctoral and postgraduate degree programs and to build relations with key constituency groups both inside and external to the profession of pharmacy.

Prior to assuming her current role in July 2002, Maine served as senior vice president for policy, planning and communications with the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).

Maine is a pharmacy graduate of Auburn University and received her doctorate at the University of Minnesota. She served on the faculty at the University of Minnesota where she practiced in the field of geriatrics and was an associate dean at the Samford University School of Pharmacy.

Maine has been active in leadership roles in and out of the profession. Prior to joining the APhA staff she served as speaker of the APhA House of Delegates and as an APhA trustee. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Research!America and is an Executive Committee member of the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education. She has been honored with several prestigious awards, including the University of Minnesota Outstanding Alumnus Award, the Linwood Tice Friend of APhA-ASP Award and the Gloria Niemeyer Francke Leadership Mentor Award from the American Pharmacists Association. In 2017 she was installed in the Alabama Pharmacy Hall of Fame. In March 2019, Lucinda received the Remington Honor Medal, the professions’ highest honor presented annually by APhA.

Scott Melville is the president and chief executive officer of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) and leads the organization’s efforts to empower self-care by preserving and expanding choice and availability of consumer healthcare products, including OTC medicines,
dietary supplements, and consumer medical devices.

With a diverse background in pharmaceuticals, association management, public policy and law, Melville has advocated before Congress, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, state legislative and regulatory bodies, and the media. Prior to joining CHPA, Melville served as senior vice president for government affairs and general counsel for the Healthcare Distribution Alliance (formerly HDMA), the national association representing pharmaceutical wholesale distributors. Previously, Melville served as an attorney and head of government relations for Cephalon, Inc., an international biopharmaceutical company, since acquired by TEVA Pharmaceuticals, and in public policy and government affairs positions at Hoffmann-La Roche
and Sterling Winthrop, Inc. He is a former chair of the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Association. Prior to joining the pharmaceutical industry, Melville served as legislative counsel and Appropriations Committee associate on the staff of retired U.S. Congressman Jerry Lewis (RCalif.).

Melville earned his bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Bucknell University, and his juris doctorate from George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia School of Law. He serves on the boards of the Global Self-Care Federation and the CHPA Educational Foundation.

Kathleen Pawlicki is currently serving as the immediate past president of ASHP. After earning her B.S. in pharmacy (Ferris State University), she completed an ASHP accredited residency and an M.S. in Pharmacy Administration (Wayne State University). During her practice career, Kathy has served in various pharmacy leadership positions in small, medium and large hospitals and has held faculty appointments at all three colleges of pharmacy in the state of Michigan. She was recognized as a Fellow of ASHP in 2001 and in 2018 was named the Michigan Pharmacist of the Year.

Throughout her career, Kathy has championed improved medication management by advancing pharmacists and technician roles at small, medium and large hospitals. She values continual advocacy for regulatory issues surrounding pharmacy practice through leadership in professional associations and as a member of the Michigan Board of Pharmacy. In her recent position as Vice President and Chief Pharmacist at Beaumont Health, an 8-hospital health-system in southeastern Michigan, Kathy was responsible for leading horizontal integration of pharmaceutical services throughout the health system in all care settings. Previous service to the profession includes various roles in pharmacy organizations, including President of both the regional and state societies for health-system pharmacy in Michigan, a delegate to the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) House of Delegates and Chair of the Pharmacy Management Committee for the Michigan Hospital Association. She is a member of the ASHP Section of Pharmacy Practice Managers, previously serving as the Executive Committee Chair.

Ronald T. Piervincenzi, Ph.D., has served as Chief Executive Officer of the United States Pharmacopeia since February 2014. Dr. Piervincenzi provides strategic leadership to USP’s global staff of over 1,400 across sites in Rockville/USA, Brazil, China, Ghana, and India. His transformative vision has launched key USP initiatives in bringing quality across the healthcare spectrum, upholding USP’s reputation as a quality leader since its founding in 1820. Under his leadership, USP has modernized its operations and launched innovative new science, including in the areas of digital medicine, cutting-edge manufacturing technologies and advanced biologics. USP is also better connecting to its stakeholders and customers through new initiatives including the Hyderabad Training Institute in India, the Quality Institute, and USP’s new Impurities for Development service. Dr. Piervincenzi also provides oversight and leadership of USP’s global public health initiatives, including sites in Ethiopia, Indonesia, Nigeria and the Philippines. Dr. Piervincenzi served as Chair of the Council of Experts, USP’s scientific standards-setting body of 24 Expert Committees and over 750 standards-setting experts until June 2015, when he transferred this responsibility to USP’s new Chief Science Officer.

Dr. Piervincenzi brings more than 20 years of industry experience across pharmaceutical sciences, research and business strategy. Before joining USP, Dr. Piervincenzi served as Vice President of Development Sciences with Biogen Idec, Inc., where he designed and launched Biogen’s value-based medicine group focusing on applying tools and technologies of personalized medicine in the treatment and management of multiple sclerosis. Dr. Piervincenzi was a partner and leader in McKinsey & Company’s global pharmaceutical and medical products practice for over 12 years. In this capacity, Dr. Piervincenzi launched McKinsey’s global drug safety, medical and regulatory service line. With McKinsey, Dr. Piervincenzi also led the global research and information analytics team, managing staff in New Jersey, London, Brussels, and India.

Dr. Piervincenzi earned his M.S. and Ph.D. from Duke University in Biomedical Engineering, with research focused on protein engineering. He is the proud co-founder and chairman of the board for the Newark Mentoring Movement.

Alok (Pron: Ah-Loke) Sonig is CEO, US Generics and Global Head, Generics R&D and Biosimilars of Lupin, Inc. ​

With over 23 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Alok has previously served as the CEO of Developed Markets (U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan) at Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. Prior to Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, he spent over 15 years at Bristol-Myers Squibb, where he held several positions of increasing responsibilities in General Management, Global Strategy, and Marketing. ​

Alok holds a Bachelor’s of Engineering from Punjab Engineering College in India and an MBA from American University in Washington, DC. ​

LINDA S. TYLER, Pharm.D., FASHP, is the Chief Pharmacy Officer for University of Utah Health; Professor (Clinical), Department of Pharmacotherapy and Associate Dean for Pharmacy Practice, University of Utah College of Pharmacy. Tyler received her B.S. in Pharmacy and Pharm.D. degrees from the University of Utah. She completed a pharmacy practice residency at University of Nebraska Medical Center. She was a faculty member and critical care practitioner at the University of Wisconsin and a poison control center specialist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She returned to the University of Utah as Director of Drug Information Services. She served in that role for many years before becoming the senior pharmacy leader for University of Utah Health. She is the residency program director for the HSPAL program. Tyler is a tireless advocate for progressive and innovative pharmacy services in health systems. Tyler has served ASHP in many capacities, most recently as a Board Member. She previously served as Chair of the Council on Pharmacy Management and as Director-at-Large of the Section of Clinical Specialists and Scientists Executive Committee. She has also served on the Councils on Organizational Affairs, Therapeutics, Education and Workforce Development, and Pharmacy Practice; the Committee on Nominations; Section of Ambulatory Care Practitioners; New Practitioner and Student  Forums; and a delegate to the House of Delegates for several years. She is a Past President of USHP. Dr. Tyler was the 2015 recipient of the John Webb Award, given by ASHP in recognition of outstanding leadership.

Stephen J. Ubl is president and chief executive officer of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), which represents America’s leading biopharmaceutical research companies. The biopharmaceutical sector directly employs more than 854,000 Americans, and invests more than $70 billion in research and development every year — more than any other industry in America. Mr. Ubl leads PhRMA’s work preserving and strengthening a health care and economic environment that encourages medical innovation, new drug discovery and access to life-saving medicines. Ubl is recognized around the world as a leading health care advocate and policy expert who collaborates successfully with diverse stakeholder groups – including patient and physician groups, regulators, public and private payers, and global trade organizations – to help ensure timely patient access to innovative treatments and cures. “If anyone can find areas of agreement with the critics, or at least work productively with them, it may be Mr. Ubl,” the New York Times’ Robert Pear wrote in February 2016. “He is more conversant with the intricacies of health policy, and more adept at the politics.”

As president and CEO of medical technology association AdvaMed, Ubl helped facilitate landmark reforms related to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration product review process and Medicare’s coverage and reimbursement of medical technologies. He led the industry’s defense of breakthrough R&D, successfully delaying an innovation-stifling device tax, and, in 2013, was recognized by a leading industry publication as one of 10 people to have a lasting impact on the medical technology industry.

Ubl has worked extensively with patient advocacy organizations in health policy, including longstanding service on the board of the National Health Council, a leading umbrella organization for voluntary health care organizations and has been personally involved with JDRF (formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation).

He is routinely recognized as one of Washington’s most effective advocates. For two years in a row, Ubl was named to Modern Healthcare’s “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare,” as a Top Lobbyist by The Hill and a top health influencer by Medical Marketing & Media and PR Week magazines.
Prior to AdvaMed, Ubl was vice president of legislation for the Federation of American Hospitals. He began his Washington career on Capitol Hill.

Susan C. Winckler, RPh, Esq., is CEO of the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration. The Foundation is the non-profit organization created by Congress to advance the mission of the FDA.

Prior to accepting the Foundation post in May of 2020, Ms. Winckler served as President of Leavitt Partners Solutions. As President and Chief Risk Management Officer for the Leavitt Partners family of businesses, Ms. Winckler advised corporate executives on policy and business matters. As CEO of the Food & Drug Law Institute, she provided attorneys, regulators, industry leaders, and consumers with a neutral forum to address domestic and global issues.

As FDA Chief of Staff from 2007-2009, Ms. Winckler managed the Commissioner’s office; served as his/her senior staff adviser; analyzed policies; and represented FDA before myriad government and external stakeholders. She simultaneously led FDA’s Offices of Legislation, External Relations, Public Affairs, and Executive Secretariat.

As APhA Vice President Policy/Communications and Staff Counsel, she served as the association’s lead spokesperson and senior liaison to Congress, the executive branch, state associations, and allied groups. Ms. Winckler earned a BS from the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and her JD magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center. She is an APhA Fellow, an elected member and Chair of the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) Board of Trustees (2015-2020, 2020-2025), a member of the Purgo Scientific, LLC board, and a member of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy National Advisory Council.