What are your lessons-learned from 2017?

I joined NCSD 14 months ago and what an eventful year this has been! It is my honor to lead and work with the best and most talented team ever, including our staff and board of directors, and, of course, you our members! We have dedicated ourselves to ambitious goals this past year – update our website and logo, develop a new strategic plan, secure new funding sources, bring aboard new government relations resources, enhance our program and technical assistance work for members, renovate and expand our offices, and make our annual meeting, “NCSD Engage,” the best ever. My lesson learned is that where there is a will, there is a way! We rose to the challenge of a new environment in Washington and we are making progress on raising awareness about the STD epidemics in America. I look forward to moving that needle further in the year ahead!

What are your aspirations for the STD field in 2018?

Unfortunately, we will again see double digit increases in STD rates in America for this immediate past year. We are fighting misperceptions and communications challenges – increasing rates are NOT just a function of more testing, there is a new paradigm of PrEP and impact on STD rates, drug-resistant gonorrhea is on the rise, and there are very real resource needs of the STD field to turn this situation around – to name just a few issues of concerns.  Members can expect NCSD to confront this in several ways in the coming year – convening of thought leaders to develop a national STD plan, update recommendations and communications messages around PrEP and STDs, continuing our efforts to increase appropriations, working to address health equity and the social determinants of health. We will expand our offerings at NCSD Engage 2018 in Orlando, and we will contribute to the national STD Conference sponsored by CDC in Washington. Stay tuned for more communications and advocacy tools that we will release soon!

As 2017 comes to a close, what are you grateful for and how do you maintain work-life balance?

I am grateful for meaningful work that makes a difference in people’s lives and I am grateful for helping to make a contribution to such a fantastically important issue – sexual health and prevention of STDs. My partner Leo and I have two dogs, Sophia and Lola, who keep us busy and in my down time, I cycle, play tennis, go to the gym, and travel! DC offer lots of cultural events and museums that we don’t get take enough advantage of – but we do get to go to the occasional theater and concert.  Also, shopping for sneakers is a great hobby of mine…………! I have way too many pairs of colorful shoes.