Board of Trustees

boardofdirectors

APhA Officers & Trustees

Valerie Prince

APhA President, 2023-2024

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.

Alex C. Varkey

APhA President-elect, 2023-2024

Alex C. Varkey, PharmD, MS, FAPhA, has dedicated his career to advancing the pharmacist's role in patient care. His passion for professional service began as a student pharmacist, when he served as national president of the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA–ASP). Varkey's service and dedication to APhA and other pharmacy organizations have continued for almost two decades, including his current service as trustee on the APhA Board of Trustees. Varkey is passionate about promoting practitioner well-being as an essential component of a well-functioning health care system, and is a recognized pharmacy thought leader in this space. As chair of APhA's Well-Being Steering Committee, Varkey promotes awareness of well-being concerns in pharmacy and resources to help individuals and organizations address these concerns. Varkey is currently director of pharmacy at Houston Methodist Hospital. In this 950-bed academic medical center, he and his team have implemented innovative technologies to enhance efficiency and safety in medication-use processes and developed thriving learner programs including their award-winning two-year health-system pharmacy administration and leadership residency. Most recently, Varkey and his team coordinated efforts to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to over 150,000 Houstonians. Varkey received his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Houston and Master of Science in Health-System Pharmacy Administration from The Ohio State University. He completed a two-year health-system pharmacy administration residency at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, OH.

Theresa P. Tolle

APhA Immediate Past President, 2023-2024

Theresa Tolle, BPharm, FAPhA, is owner of Bay Street Pharmacy in Sebastian, Florida for the past 18 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.

Greg Fox

Treasurer, 2019-2024 (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.

Valerie Prince

Alex C. Varkey

Theresa P. Tolle

Greg Fox

Ilisa Bernstein

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 College of Pharmacy and her Juris Doctor from American University Washington College of Law

Officer(s) of the House

Brandi Hamilton

APhA Speaker and Trustee, 2023-2025

Brandi Hamilton, PharmD, MS, BCPS is the Director of Pharmacy at California Rehabilitation Institute in Los Angeles, CA. Brandi began her pharmacy career over 20 years ago as a pharmacy technician. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy and her Master of Science in Pharmacy Leadership and Administration from the University of Houston College of Pharmacy.

She completed a PGY1/PGY2 Health-System Pharmacy Administration residency at CHI St. Luke’s Health – Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston, TX. Brandi has held, and continues to hold, numerous leadership roles within several pharmacy organizations. As a student she served as APhA-ASP National President and APhA Trustee. As a practitioner she continues to be actively engaged in a variety of organizations. She currently serves on the CPhA Elections Committee, the Pharmacy Today Editorial Advisory Board, and as Speaker-elect of the APhA House of Delegates. Brandi enjoys helping others reach their potential, working with colleagues to optimize their strengths and promoting their development as pharmacy professionals. Her top five strengths are communication, strategic, activator, woo, and ideation.

Brandi Hamilton

Academy Presidents

Patricia Fabel

APhA-APPM President and Trustee, 2023-2025

Dr. Patricia Fabel is the Executive Director of the Kennedy Pharmacy Innovation Center and a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy. She received her PharmD from the University of Rhode Island and completed a community pharmacy practice residency at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy and Kroger Pharmacy. She has over 10 years’ experience developing and implementing patient-care services in community pharmacy settings. Specifically, she has implemented medication therapy management (MTM), vaccination, health and wellness, adherence and pharmacogenomics programs in both independent and chain pharmacies. In addition, Dr. Fabel served as the Director for the college’s Community-based Residency Programs for 8 years. She is a former president of the South Carolina Pharmacy Association and worked as their assistant coordinator for grant programs for almost a decade, helping to manage a pharmacist-provided hypertension coaching program, assisting in the implementation of a statewide MTM & Group Lifestyle Coaching program, and most recently, worked to promote the incorporation of pharmacists into the primary care team within FQHCs and rural health centers across the state. In the last few years, her scholarly activities have focused on the sustainability of pharmacist and physician collaborative services, maternal health services in a community pharmacy, and pharmacist's role in digital death. On a personal note, she lives on a 100-acre farm with her husband, Josh, daughter, Georgianna, and a plethora of animals, including a goat, sheep, chickens, dogs, and cats.

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.

Victoria Lyle

APhA-ASP President, 2023-2024

Victoria Lyle is a third year Student Pharmacist at the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and a Radiologic Technologist. Victoria decided to pursue a career in pharmacy with the goal of playing a fundamental role in her communities’ health care and well-being. Victoria believes that pharmacists have the ability to positively impact their patients with their knowledge and ease of accessibility. Victoria currently serves as the APhA-ASP National President-elect, Dean’s Student Ambassador and of Phi Lambda Sigma at the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. In addition to her responsibilities at school, she is a member on the Canal Fest Pageant Committee in her community. When she is not busy preparing for her next exam, Victoria enjoys journaling, art and exploring new restaurants in the Buffalo, NY area to share on her Instagram food blog called City of Good Flavors.

Patricia Fabel

Spencer Harpe

Victoria Lyle

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.

Lauren Bode

APhA Trustee-at-Large, 2023-2026 (first term)

Lauren E. Bode PharmD, BCPS, CDCES, BC-ADM is currently an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the Vermont Campus of Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and practices with University of Vermont Department of Family Medicine as an ambulatory care clinical specialist. In 2010, she graduated summa cum laude from Boston University with a degree in art conservation but realized she wanted to use chemistry to restore people instead of art and went to the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy, graduating with highest honors in 2016. After graduation, she completed a PGY1 and PGY2 Pharmacotherapy Residency at the University of North Carolina Medical Center. Involvement in APhA and state pharmacy organizations has been a feature of her career since being student, serving as the APhA-ASP Speaker of the House and then in a variety of state and national leadership positions, including Chair of the New Practitioner Advisory Committee and is serving as Trustee at Large from 2023-2026. She is unwavering in her belief that pharmacists are central to improving the lives of patients and seeks to create opportunities for pharmacists to do so in innovative and fulfilling ways. For her efforts, Bode was awarded the Distinguished Young Pharmacist Award from the Vermont Pharmacists Association in 2019.

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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) where he is a Senior Regulatory Health Scientist within the Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections (DPEI), Regulatory Affairs and Clinical Guidelines Team (RACG). A graduate of the 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 15 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.

Vibhuti Arya

Lauren Bode

Stephen Carroll

CDR Andrew Gentles

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.

Cathy Worrall

APhA Trustee-at-Large, 2023-2026 (first term)

Dr. Cathy Worrall is the Associate Dean for Admissions & Student Affairs and a Professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Outcomes Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) College of Pharmacy. Formerly a critical care registered nurse, Dr. Worrall earned her PharmD at the University of Florida, then completed a residency in critical care and nutrition support therapeutics at the University of Tennessee - Memphis. Following residency training, Dr. Worrall worked as a critical care clinical pharmacy specialist at the Mayo Medical Center in Rochester, Minnesota, where she started Mayo’s Critical Care Pharmacy Residency Program. She later accepted a position at MUSC where she specialized in burn, trauma and nutrition support until she transitioned in 2009 to the Dean’s Office at the College of Pharmacy. Dr. Worrall served as the Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Experiential Education for 10 years prior to serving in her current role. She is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist. Her current research interests focus in the areas of student pharmacist personal and professional development, including self-awareness, leadership development, emotional intelligence, wellness & resiliency. Dr. Worrall is an active member of AACP, APhA, Phi Lambda Sigma, and Rho Chi and has served in numerous leadership roles in these organizations. She is an APhA Fellow, a past recipient of APhA’s Distinguished Achievement Award in Hospital/Institutional Practice, and South Carolina Pharmacy Association’s Kenneth Couch Distinguished Mentor Award.

Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner

Cathy Worrall

Ex Officio Member – Honorary President

James Ponto

APhA Honorary President, 2023-2024

James A. Ponto, MS, RPh, FAPhA is Emeritus Clinical Professor, University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. He earned his BSPharm from University of Iowa, MS Radiopharmacy from University of Southern California, and completed a short residency in nuclear pharmacy at Duke University Medical Center. He then spent his career at the University of Iowa, where he was Chief Nuclear Pharmacist, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and Clinical Professor, College of Pharmacy until his recent retirement. He has been a continuously board-certified nuclear pharmacist (BCNP) since the inaugural BPS certification exam in 1982. In APhA, he served on numerous APPM and Nuclear Pharmacy committees, including chair of the Section on Nuclear Pharmacy. He also served on various BPS groups, including chair of the Nuclear Pharmacy Specialty Council, non-specialist member on the Nutrition Support Specialty Council, and two terms on the BPS Board of Directors. He has also served on several United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Expert Committees and Expert Panels. He has published over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles, 40 abstracts, 20 book chapters, and numerous CE lessons. Honors received from APhA include Fellow, Distinguished Achievement Award in Nuclear Pharmacy Practice, Daniel B. Smith Practice Excellence Award, and four poster Presentation Merit Awards. Other honors include ASHP Fellow, Society of Nuclear Medicine Presidential Distinguished Service Award, and USP Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Standards. As a practitioner and educator, he strove to advance nuclear pharmacy specialty practice, and also recognize, promote, and advance other practice specialties in pharmacy.