The Society is comprised of leading health communication professionals across various industries, including academia, non-profits, government, and the private sector. Our Steering Committee is actively involved in Society infrastructure and regularly interacts with our members.

Society Leadership

Diane Brodalski, Executive Director

Shahd Husein, MPH, Communication Manager

Tiasia Saunders, MPH, Community Manager

Jay Bernhardt, PhD, Founder and Steering Committee Chair

2021-2022 Elected Leadership

Michael Grela, President

Ashani Johnson-Turbes, PhD, Vice President

Shelly Spoeth, Member at Large

Learn more about our elected leadership.

Steering Committee Members

Brittaney Bethea, MPH
Health Communication Project Director
CommunicateHealth

Jennifer Bishop, ScD
Director, Division of Health Promotion and Communication
Office of Health Promotion & Disease Prevention
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Tony Foleno
Senior Vice President, Strategy & Evaluation
Member, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council
Ad Council

Michael Grela
Executive Vice President
Head of Reputation & Social Impact
Evoke Kyne

Nancy Harrington, PhD
Professor, Department of Communication
Director, Health Communication Research Collaborative
Associate Dean for Research, College of Communication & Information
University of Kentucky

Ashani Johnson-Turbes, PhD
Vice President & Director, Center on Equity Research 
NORC at the University of Chicago

Mike Mackert, PhD
Provost's Teaching Fellow
Director, Center for Health Communication
Professor, Stan Richards School of Advertising & Public Relations
University of Texas at Austin

Erin Norvell
Digital Director
CDC Foundation

Glen Nowak, PhD
Co-Director, Center for Health and Risk Communication and Professor
Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication
University of Georgia

Sung-Yeon Park, PhD
Professor, Lead, Division of Social Behavioral Health and Health Administration and Policy
School of Public Health
University of Reno, Nevada

Monica Ponder, PhD
Assistant Professor of Health Communication
Department of Communication, Culture and Media Studies
Howard University

Rachel Pryzby, MPH, CHES
Vice President, Health Communication Program Director
CommunicateHealth

Leslie Rodriguez, PhD
Senior Director, Public Health Programs
Karna

Terry Savage
Vice President
Westat

Shelly Spöeth
Principal Associate
Abt Associates

Advisory Board Members

Tesfa Alexander, PhD
Co-Lead of Public Health Department
MITRE

TaWanna Berry
Associate Director
Westat

Amelia Burke-Garcia
Program Area Director, Public Health
NORC

Catherine Chao
Vice President, Strategy & Evaluation
Ad Council

LeShaundra Cordier
Director, Communications Strategy
Brunet-Garcia

Kate Durocher
Principal Associate
Abt Associates

Shen Evans
Senior Public Health Consultant
Tanaq Health

Lindsey Gardner, MPP
Associate Director, Public Health Solutions
Medscape & WebMD

Vickie Gogo
Partner, Multicultural Communications
ICF Next

Tom Goosmann
Chief Creative Officer
True North, Inc.

Lenora Johnson, DrPH, MPH
Director, Office of Science Policy, Engagement, Education, and Communication
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Ellliot King, PhD
Professor, Department of Communication
Loyola University Maryland

Maria Lapinski, PhD
Professor, Director of the Michigan State University (MSU) Health and Risk Communication Center
Michigan State University

Karyn Madore
Communication Director
JSI Research and Training Institute, Inc.

Lauren McCormack, PhD
Vice President of Translational Health Sciences Division
RTI

Stephanie Miles, PhD
Managing Researcher, Health Communications Research + Strategy
Fors Marsh Group

Michelle Miller-Day, PhD
Professor, Graduate Programs Director, School of Communication
Chapman University

Pierce Nelson
Vice President, Communications
CDC Foundation

Mehrshad Nourani
Chief Technology Officer
Coleman Group

Claudia Parvanta, PhD
Professor, Director Florida Prevention Research Center
USF

DeJuan Price, MBA
Director of Marketing and Communications
BETAH Associates

Shari Rager
Deputy Director
American Medical Writer's Association

Scott Ratzan, MD
Editor-in-Chief
Journal of Health Communication: International Perspectives

Stacy Robison, MPH, MCHES
President & Co-Founder
CommunicateHealth

Erin Turner
Director of Strategic Communications
Palladian Partners

Hillarie Turner
Vice President
FOVNDRY (formerly Van Eperen)

Molly Rose Walker
Vice President, Unified Partnerships
iHeartMedia

Candice Watkins Robinson
Vice President, Health
Hager Sharp

Anna Zawislanski, MPH
EVP, Government Practice Leader
Crosby Marketing Communications

The Society would like to recognize and honor Dr. Tim Edgar, who was an inaugural member of the steering committee and founding member of the organization. Dr. Edgar's passing was a great loss to his colleagues, the Society, and entire field of public health.