Board of Trustees

boardofdirectors

APhA Officers & Trustees

Theresa Tolle

APhA President, 2022-2023

Theresa Tolle, BPharm, FAPhA, is owner of Bay Street Pharmacy in Sebastian, Florida for the past 17 years. Prior to owning an independent pharmacy, she had practice experience in chain, long term care (consultant) pharmacy and hospital. Her pharmacy focuses on patient services such as counseling, MTM, compounding, immunizations and pharmacogenomics testing. Her professional activities have spanned local, state and national pharmacy associations including serving as President of Florida Pharmacy Association in 2003, Treasurer of the Florida Pharmacy Political Committee since 2009, APhA-APPM Community & Ambulatory Chair 1995-96, PAC Region 2 Board of Governors 2009-12 and Speaker- Elect/Speaker of the House 2014-17. As Speaker, she currently serves as a Trustee for APhA. Other APhA service includes appointments to various House of Delegates committees including Policy Committee Chair in 2010-11, AMCP Model Audit Guidelines Task Group, 2010-11 and CPPA Oversight Committee 2012-13. Additional professional involvement includes membership and committee work with NCPA, Cardinal Health National Advisory Board, Health First Health Plans P&T Committee and Creative Pharmacist Advisory Board. Activities outside the profession include Sebastian Chamber of Commerce Immediate Past Board Chair & LGA Chair, American Cancer Society Treasure Coast Council, and Sebastian River Medical Center Trustee. Tolle graduated from University of Florida in 1988. She has won several professional awards including the Palm Beach Atlantic University Community Pharmacy Preceptor of the Year in 2015, Bowl of Hygeia in 2012, APhA Fellow in 2011, APhA Good Government Pharmacist of the Year in 2004 and Cardinal Health’s Ken Wurster Community Leadership Award in 2011.

Valerie Prince

APhA President-elect, 2022-2023

Valerie Prince, PharmD, FAPhA, BCPS, is clinical pharmacy specialist on the interdisciplinary acute care team of St. Vincent’s Family Medicine Residency Program at Christ Health Center where she also serves as adjunct faculty. She is a professor of pharmacy practice at Samford University. Prince graduated from Mercer University and completed a residency at Regional Medical Center at Memphis. She has enjoyed practicing in acute care, ambulatory, independent, chain, and long-term care pharmacies. Prince has served APhA as APhA–Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management President, Speaker of the House of Delegates, and APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA–ASP) national officer. She is currently the APhA President-Elect Designate. She received the Alabama Pharmacy Association (APA) Wayne Staggs Distinguished Service Award for her extensive state level involvement that included service as APA Research and Education Foundation (APAREF) President. Recently she was awarded the APA Faculty Member of the Year. She is a past national president of Phi Lambda Sigma leadership society and was recognized as National Chapter Advisor of the Year. She is a recipient of the Linwood F. Tice Friend of APhA–ASP Award and the APhA–APPM Distinguished Achievement in Clinical Practice Award. She has a long record of community service and mentoring including years as a Girl Scout Leader. She currently serves on the Governor’s Task Force on Opioids. Prince lives in Odenville Alabama with her husband Chip, family cats and dogs, and foster dogs. They have two beautiful daughters, Carlee and MattiLynn and they attend Church of the Highlands.

Sandra Leal

APhA Immediate Past President, 2022-2023

Sandra Leal, PharmD, MPH, FAPhA, CDCES is the 166th President of the American Pharmacists Association and Vice President, Collaborative Innovation and Clinical Strategy for Aetna. Dr. Leal has had diverse experience as a pharmacist, medical director, public health clinician, and as a board member for various groups including the National Center for Farmworker Health. 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. She has published and presented her work in numerous national and international publications and venues. She has been recognized as the Good Government Pharmacist of the Year by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) for her advocacy work on pharmacist provider status. Dr. Leal is a two-time recipient of the Pinnacle Award from the APhA Foundation for her progressive practice innovations and received the ASHP Best Practice Award for her leading practice in diabetes management. Two themes that govern Dr. Leal’s professional life are a passion to eliminate barriers to care and to improve access and outcomes for patients. Dr. Leal has led efforts on both local and national levels to integrate pharmacy, public health, and advocacy to improve the healthcare system and to reduce health inequity

Greg Fox

Treasurer, 2022-2024 (second term)

Gregory A. Fox, BSPharm is the Health & Wellness Merchandiser (Director) for The Kroger Co.’s Central Marketing Area, encompassing Indiana, Illinois, and parts of Missouri, Michigan, and Ohio. Fox’s experience includes community, managed care, long term care, and consultant pharmacy. He served on numerous health insurance plan boards as a board member or P&T committee member. He received his pharmacy degree from the University of Cincinnati and is a graduate of the University of Mississippi APhA Community Pharmacy Business Management Program. He was the President of the Ohio Pharmacists Association when legislation passed allowing pharmacists to immunize and provide collaborative services. He initiated and testified for similar laws in Indiana. Fox is member of the APhA APPM section and is a House Delegate and a contributing author. He serves on the Indiana State Board of Pharmacy Technology Committee, the Indiana Pharmacists Alliance, the Ohio Pharmacists Association, the Indiana and Illinois Retail Pharmacy Committees, and the Medication Safety Partnership of Indiana. Fox is responsible for the development of the Kroger/Purdue Community Pharmacy Residency Partnership. He is an Adjunct Professor of Pharmacy Practice for several Colleges of Pharmacy and sits on three Pharmacy Dean’s Councils. Fox was awarded the BCPA Pharmacist of the Year, Ohio’s Young Pharmacist of the Year and a Kroger Chairman’s Award. Purdue University recognized Fox with the 2010 “Friend of Pharmacy Award” for dedication to the profession and the College.

Theresa Tolle

Valerie Prince

Sandra Leal

Greg Fox

Ilisa Bernstein

Interim CEO

Ilisa Bernstein, PharmD, JD, FAPhA, is Interim CEO and Executive Vice President at the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). She is responsible for leading the development and implementation of APhA’s strategies, policies, and programs, and guiding APhA as the voice of pharmacists in all practice settings. Prior to this position, Dr. Bernstein was Senior Vice President for Pharmacy Practice and Government Affairs at APhA.

She has over 30 years of experience advocating for pharmacy and patients at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where she has held several senior leadership positions. Prior to joining APhA, Dr. Bernstein was deputy director of FDA’s Office of Compliance in the Center for Drug Evaluation & Research, leading policies, compliance, and enforcement in areas including drug compounding, supply chain security, drug manufacturing and quality, drug shortages, and post-market drug safety. Dr. Bernstein also served as director of pharmacy affairs for FDA and senior advisor for regulatory policy in the Office of the Commissioner. She started at FDA as clinical pharmacology reviewer of investigational and new drug applications.

Previously, Dr. Bernstein was senior associate director of worldwide regulatory affairs for Pfizer and completed a post-doctoral clinical residency at the National Institutes of Health. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Michigan and her Juris Doctor from American University Washington College of Law.

Ilisa Bernstein

Officer(s) of the House

Melissa Skelton Duke

APhA Speaker and Trustee, 2021-2023

Dr. Duke earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of New Mexico, and a Master of Science degree in Pharmacy Administration from the University of Utah. As a former Speaker of the APhA-ASP House of Delegates, Dr. Duke has remained committed to serving the profession of pharmacy throughout her career and has been honored to serve on three APhA Policy Committees, two APhA Policy Review Committees, one APhA New Business Review Committee, and as a volunteer leader for the APhA Institute on Substance Use Disorders. Believing in the critical role that state-level pharmacy leadership plays in practice advancement and innovation, she is also an active member of her state association and has served in a variety of state-level leadership roles, including President of the Utah Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Dr. Duke has practice and leadership experience in health-system, specialty, ambulatory, and population health pharmacy services. In her current role as the Executive Director of Population Health Pharmacy Solutions at Banner Health, she is responsible for designing and delivering innovative pharmacy programs in primary care, oncology, transplant, and other specialty areas. She has experience building pharmacist-provided services through fee-for-service and contracted service payment models. Dr. Duke collaborates with payers, employers, and health plans to align benefits, build member engagement strategies, and deploy technology solutions that improve patient experience and health outcomes. Her passion is improving access to pharmacist-provided care, creating demand for pharmacy services, and generating opportunities for pharmacists as essential healthcare providers.

Melissa Skelton Duke

Academy Presidents

Wendy Mobley-Bukstein

APhA-APPM President and Trustee, 2021-2023

Dr. Wendy Mobley-Bukstein PharmD is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Drake University. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Drake University in 1999 and is a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, Board Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist and Certified Health and Wellness Coach. She teaches a Medication Management elective, co-teaches the Advanced Diabetes Care elective and coordinates the Intermediate Pharmacy Skills and Applications 2 lecture and lab. She teaches in the Pharmacy Skills and Applications course series and the Self Care & Nonprescription Products course; both team taught courses. She maintains a clinical practice at Primary Health Care East Side Clinic where she precepts third and fourth year student pharmacists; focusing on interprofessional ambulatory care and diabetes as a specialty practice. Her areas of interest in practice and scholarship are diabetes, medication management services and community education. She is the Co-President and Advocacy Lead for the Iowa Chapter of the American Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialist Coordinating Body, President of the Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management, an academy of the American Pharmacists Association, an active member of the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists, where she sits on the Professional Practice Committee and Advocacy Committee and Iowa Pharmacy Association, where she is a member of the Education Advisory Committee and the Policy Committee on Public Affairs.

Spencer Harpe

APhA-APRS President and Trustee, 2022-2024

Spencer E. Harpe, PharmD, PhD, MPH, FAPhA is Professor of Pharmacy Administration at Midwestern University College of Pharmacy (Downers Grove, IL Campus) where he teaches courses on practice development and evaluation, quality improvement, epidemiology, and statistics. He holds a BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences and a PharmD from the University of Mississippi. Dr. Harpe completed graduate training in health outcomes research at the Ohio State University earning his MS and PhD in Pharmaceutical Administration and an MPH in biostatistics. His scholarly interests include health outcomes research, healthcare quality, educational research, and meta-research. Dr. Harpe frequently collaborates with colleagues in various practice settings to evaluate the outcomes of pharmacy services. He has a keen interest in improving research and evaluation capacity among pharmacists. Dr. Harpe is the 2022-2024 President of the American Pharmacists Association’s Academy of Pharmaceutical Research and Science. He is also Deputy Editor for the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association and Associate Editor for Author Services at Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning.

Kennedy Erickson

APhA-ASP President, 2022-2023

Kennedy Erickson is a final year student pharmacist at Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Born and raised in Olympia, WA, Kennedy has attended several legislative events at the Washington State Capitol, beginning early in her schooling when her third-grade class worked to pass a bill together! Throughout her life and especially now as a student pharmacist, Kennedy has strived to share her passion for policy, advocacy, and action that drives change for the better with others. With her American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) Presidential Theme "Courage to Change", Kennedy hopes to foster an environment where all student pharmacists feel empowered and supported to be brave and make changes for themselves, our Academy, our profession, and our communities for the better. Kennedy has been actively engaged with APhA-ASP since her first year of pharmacy school by serving her local chapter's policy committee and as President-elect. Her excitement for APhA-ASP grew tremendously throughout her second year of pharmacy school, where she was able to help her local chapter with drive thru vaccination clinics, COVID-19 testing, mental health awareness, and Back the PAC fundraising. Later that year, Kennedy was elected to serve on the National Executive Committee where she currently serves as the APhA-ASP National President, Trustee on the APhA Board of Trustees, member of the APhA Committee on Addressing Structural Racism in Pharmacy, and member on the APhA Foundation Women in Pharmacy Committee. Outside of pharmacy school, Kennedy works as a pharmacy intern at an independent compounding pharmacy and enjoys hiking, neuroscience, playing piano, and spending time with her friends and family.

Wendy Mobley-Bukstein

Spencer Harpe

Kennedy Erickson

Trustee-at-Large

Vibhuti Arya

APhA Trustee-at-Large, 2022-2025 (first term)

Vibhuti Arya is a Professor at St. John's University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and Clinical Advisor to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. She works to integrate pharmacists into public health initiatives, particularly among high-risk, medically underserved areas in NYC, and advises on legislation pertinent to pharmacy practice and access to care. To date, she has been engaged with several efforts including public heath detailing, expanding naloxone access through community pharmacies, syndromic surveillance, and emergency preparedness. Through her teaching, Dr. Arya engages her students to examine public health programs and policies through the lens of equity, applying social justice principles and frameworks to help reduce inequities in care. She is also a member of the Health Department’s Institutional Review Board and serves as a Global Lead for the Equity and Equality Workforce Development Goal for FIP. Dr. Arya completed the Pharmaceutical Care Leadership Residency at the University of Minnesota, and her MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Stephen Carroll

APhA Trustee-at-Large, 2022-2025 (first term)

Stephen Carroll received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2005 from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy. He also completed his Masters in Business Administration degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2006. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from Arkansas State University. He currently practices and is a co-owner in AllCare Specialty Pharmacy in Little Rock. Dr. Carroll served on the Arkansas Pharmacists Association (APA) Board of Directors from 2010-2020 and served as President of the APA Board of Directors in 2018-2019. Dr. Carroll was appointed to the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission and served as a commissioner from 2016 until 2019. Dr. Carroll is also an active member of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP).

CDR Andrew Gentles

APhA Trustee-at-Large, 2021-2024 (first term)

CDR Andrew Gentles, PharmD, MPH, BCPS, is a United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Officer at the FDA where he is a Senior Regulatory Program Coordinator within the Division of Antiviral Products and Medical Countermeasures Therapeutics Regulatory Team Lead. In this role he oversees the FDA's portfolio of investigational drugs to treat emerging infectious disease outbreaks such as the 2018 Ebola Virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the 2022 Human Monkeypox outbreak. A graduate of Howard University (PharmD) and the John Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health (MPH), CDR Gentles is an ASHP Residency trained and BCPS credentialed pharmacist. With over 10 years of public health and clinical pharmacy experience including the Indian Health Service, he is also a passionate pharmacist leader with a forward thinking mindset. Having served as the 1st USPHS Officer to become President of the DC State Pharmacy Association, he successfully spearheaded an advocacy initiative that resulted in the passage of regulations for Collaborative Practice Agreements between Physicians and Pharmacists. As a result, this historic legislative victory now advances the District’s pharmacy profession for 2,000 licensed pharmacists and stands to increase access and quality of care for 600,000 residents in DC. The recipient of the prestigious 2019 National 40 under 40 Health Leaders Award, RADM George Lythcott Award for public health impact and VADM Koop award, CDR Gentles’ wealth of experience and dedication has provided him with a progressive and collaborative mindset to address the challenges and opportunities facing our pharmacy profession today.

Randy McDonough

APhA Trustee, 2020-2023 (second term)

Randy McDonough is co-owner of Towncrest, Solon Towncrest, and Towncrest Compounding Pharmacies. He is also co-owner of Innovative Pharmacy Solutions and Thrive Pharmacy Transformations. He oversees Towncrest’s clinical services including MTM services, nursing home consulting, wellness screenings, immunizations, and adherence services. He is responsible for development, implementation, and quality assurance for all aspects of the clinic and services. He is board certified in geriatrics and pharmacotherapy. His areas of interest include community-based outcomes research, geriatrics, chronic disease, management, and the development of patient care initiatives in community pharmacy. Dr. McDonough has published and presented extensively on pharmaceutical care and MTM in the community pharmacy setting. In particular, he is recognized for his efforts in developing and implementing patient care services. He coauthored a book on pharmaceutical care and has written chapters for several other texts. He presents nationally and internationally on pharmaceutical care, MTM services and value-based reimbursement in the community pharmacy setting. More recently, two papers have been published that highlight his work in implementing a new workflow process that emphasizes the role of community pharmacists of ensuring that patients are achieving their therapeutic outcomes with safe and effective medications. This led to a pilot program with the largest payer in Iowa and resulted in Towncrest Pharmacy saving the payer $300.00 per member per month in total health care costs. Randy is a member of APhA, National Community Pharmacists Association, American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, American College of Clinical Pharmacy, and the Iowa Pharmacy Association.

Vibhuti Arya

Stephen Carroll

CDR Andrew Gentles

Randy McDonough

Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner

APhA Trustee, 2021-2024 (second term)

Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner, PharmD, FAPhA, is a Professor, Associate Dean for Clinical Services and Practice Transformation and Executive Director of the Center for Innovative Pharmacy Solutions at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. Currently, she is a Fellow in Population Health at the University of Maryland Health System. Her role as a pharmacy faculty has led to the development of many nationally recognized innovative programs, including the Giant Diabetes Education Program and the Maryland P3 Program- a pharmacist-directed MTM and chronic disease management program prior site of Ten City Challenge- in partnership with the Maryland Pharmacists Association, government and business organizations. Past director of the Community Pharmacy Residency Program and current preceptor. She regularly speaks at national and international forums on development and implementation of pharmacist-directed services. Her work includes collaborations with the CDC and other government agencies. She is past President of the Maryland Pharmacists Association and APhA Foundation Board, APhA Fellow and served on APhA committees and taskforces, including the Forum of the Americas. Recipient of the 2015 APhA Foundation Pinnacle Award for Individual Career Achievement, 2014 Maryland Innovator of the Year, 2013 University of Maryland Entrepreneur of the Year, the 2013 American Pharmacists Association Daniel B. Smith award, the 2010 Group Pinnacle Award; 2007 APhA Community Pharmacy Residency Excellence in Precepting Award and Bowl of Hygeia 2005. She has dedicated her career to advance pharmacy practice and the development of innovative and sustainable patient care programs to maximize the impact of pharmacists in patient care.

Alex C. Varkey

APhA Trustee-at-Large, 2020-2023 (first term)

Alex C. Varkey, PharmD, MS, FAPhA is the Director of Pharmacy at Houston Methodist Hospital, a 924-bednonprofit academic teaching hospital in Houston, TX. Alex received his Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) from the University of Houston in 2005. He then completed a two-year administrative residency at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH while completing his Master of Science in Health-System Pharmacy Administration at The Ohio State University in 2007. Alex has prioritized professional involvement since he was a student, serving as national president of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Academy of Student Pharmacists and voting member of the APhA Board of Trustees in 2004-05. Upon graduating, Varkey remained active with APhA, serving in elected positions in both APhA-APRS and APhA-APPM. Alex was recently appointed to serve on APhA’s Board of Trustees in January 2018, with the term ending March 2019. Alex has served in other organizations such as the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), and the Texas Society of Health-System Pharmacists (TSHP) through various appointed positions. Varkey is an accomplished writer and public speaker, having authored and co-authored several articles in national publications and has served as a keynote speaker at local and national meetings. Varkey is passionate about educating pharmacy learners, having developed a two-year health-system pharmacy administration residency, and a longitudinal pharmacy internship program throughout his tenure at Houston Methodist Hospital. For his efforts, he has won several awards, including the Gulf Coast Society of Health-System Pharmacists Outstanding Pharmacist Award in 2014.

Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner

Alex C. Varkey

Ex Officio Member – Honorary President

Mary L. Euler

APhA Honorary President, 2022-2023

Mary L. Euler, PharmD, FAPhA, serves as Professor and Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs at the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy. Prior to arriving in Morgantown, WV, she served for 4 years as McGee Chair for Doctoral Studies and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy and 21 years as a faculty member and administrator at the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Pharmacy. Her academic career includes experience in curricular design, faculty development, distance education, experiential learning, leadership development, and academic service learning. Her teaching interests include professional communications, pharmacy history, patient education, health care ethics, leadership development, self-awareness training, and vaccine-preventable illnesses. She is an APhA certified immunizing pharmacist and trainer. Dr. Euler is also the Associate Executive Director for Phi Lambda Sigma, the pharmacy leadership society, after having served as the Executive Director from 1999–2020. She is also the recipient of many professional and community service awards, including the APhA–ASP Outstanding Advisor Award, the APhA Gloria Niemeyer Francke Leadership Mentor Award, the Missouri Pharmacist Making a Difference Award, and the University of Missouri–Kansas City’s Mathew Wilson Award. In 2011, she was inducted as an APhA Fellow. Engaged in her community, Dr. Euler co-chaired the H1N1 education committee for the Kanawha County Health Department and served on the health department’s Multi-Agency Emergency Response Task Force. She is a certified trainer–facilitator for GIANT Worldwide leadership development programs.