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2008 Annual ReportMember AwardsNatalie Weissberger Paul National Achievement Award Winner: Nancy Callanan
Background: The Natalie Weissberger Paul Lifetime Achievement Award is the most distinguished honor within the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC). Natalie Weissberger Paul retired in 1993 after a long career with the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation. A long-time advocate for genetic counselors and NSGC, she was instrumental in promoting the profession in its early years and in securing financial support for numerous initial projects and publications. NSGC established this award in 1994. Ms. Weissberger died in January 1996. This award honors one outstanding member who has served NSGC with exemplary national achievements and volunteer activities on behalf of NSGC and the profession. The award is customarily bestowed annually. Nancy's CV and reputation reflects her vast professional experiences in the field of genetic counseling in the over 30 years since graduating from Sarah Lawrence College. Nancy has served on the Board of Directors of the NSGC in several capacities: as a regional representative, secretary and on the Professional Issues and Nominating committees, as well as the ad hoc Committee for Ethical Codes and Principles. In 2006 she served as President of the NSGC. Under her leadership she successfully navigated the NSGC through several transitions to meet the growing needs of the organization. She saw the Genetic Counseling Foundation to fruition and helped author the seminal publication of the NSGC Genetic Counselor Scope of Practice. She has represented genetic counselors national and internationally fostering relationships with many other professional organizations including the American College of Medical Genetics and currently is involved in the Sickle Cell Society. Nancy is also very active in the genetics community of her home state through the North Carolina Medical Genetics Association (NCMGA) where she has promoted licensure for genetic counselors. She has received the NSGC region III leadership award twice. Recently, Nancy was appointed to serve on the North Carolina Task Force on Genomics and Public Health and will serve as Chair of the Education Work Group which has been charged with drafting a state wide plan for addressing Genomics in North Carolina. Board certification for genetic counselors is an important crusade for Nancy. She has been avidly involved in the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) by serving on the Board of Directors. During her five years on the Board she was President and also served as Chair of the ad hoc Committee for Recertification She has served as liaison to the National Coalition of Health Professional Education in Genetics (NCHPEG). As most know, Nancy's passion is the training of genetic counselors, the future leaders of our profession. Her dedication to students is evident in her mentoring and workshop presentations nationally and locally on supervision of genetic counseling students. In 1996 she established the only GC program in the state of North Carolina and has served as the director since its inception. Her students reflect that Nancy's passion for teaching is clear by her attention to every detail of their training and close and excellent oversight of the program. Her passion for training extends to the many colleagues she mentors as they change and grow in the profession of genetic counseling. All of these accomplishments have been achieved while publishing extensively in the field throughout her three decade career. While working as a genetic counselor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) she participated in two important research projects exploring counseling issues surrounding cystic fibrosis and hemophilia A carrier testing. She has numerous publications. Above all, Nancy is a wife to her husband, Roger, and a mother to her daughter, Angela, and son, Brandy. It is with great honor we award the 2008 Natalie Weisberg Paul award to Nancy Callanan.
2008 Leadership Award WinnersAs the leading voice, authority and advocate for the genetic counseling profession, the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) is composed of numerous networks of committees, task forces, SIGs and individual members. Through the continuous efforts of these dedicated professionals, NSGC is able to grow and improve as an organization with each passing year. The NSGC Awards Program will acknowledge the actions and behaviors of exemplary genetic counselors, as well as recognizing volunteers for their contributions. Presenting these awards at the Annual Education Conference and posting the names of the winners on the NSGC website will encourage current members to continue in their efforts and will motivate other NSGC members to become involved. This program will be an excellent platform for volunteer retention and recruitment. International Award Winner: Clara Gaff
Criteria: This award shall be bestowed upon an individual whose contributions to the profession have reached an international scope. Priority consideration will be given to NSGC members who live and work outside of the US, but any NSGC member in good standing may be nominated for this award. Examples of activities include:
Dr. Clara Gaff has truly made a global impact on the field of genetic counseling. She is an international member of NSGC who received her Bachelors degree and Doctorate from the University of Melbourne Australia. She is certified in genetic counseling by the Human Genetics Society of Australasia. Dr. Gaff has spent her career contributing to the growth of the genetic counseling profession through forging roles for counselors in public education, clinical care and research on two continents. She has also been an international leader in student education through the development of training programs at the Cardiff University in Wales, where she was co-director from 2004-2007, and currently at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Dr. Gaff has served as a peer reviewer for several publications including the Journal of Genetic Counseling as well as British Medical Journal, Clinical Genetics Education, European Journal of Human Genetics, and Patient Education and Counseling to name a few. As a long standing member of the editorial board of the Journal of Genetic Counseling, she has worked tirelessly to promote new ideas and approaches to research and publication. Her colleagues report she is an inexhaustible resource and that the breadth of the work that she mentors has been unique and wide-ranging. With her advocacy, international submissions to the Journal of Genetic Counseling have increased. Dr. Gaff has made significant contributions to the field of genetic risk understanding and communication, particularly in the arena of cancer genetics. A prolific author, she has had 10 publications in 2007-2008 alone. She has shared her knowledge globally by attending and presenting at conferences throughout North America, Europe and Australia. She is a member of genetics societies worldwide and has served on several conference organizing committees including the International Congress of Genetics and the Transnational Alliance of Genetic Counselors. Through her roles in counseling, education, research, and publication, and advocacy, Dr. Clara Gaff has made countless contributions to the NSGC and the genetic counseling profession worldwide. She is a true international leader. New Leader Award Winner: Jennifer Hoskovec
Criteria: This award shall be presented to a new genetic counselor who has shown significant initiative in her/his contributions to NSGC and to the profession. Eligible candidates shall have graduated within the 5 years prior to the time of nomination and must be current members of NSGC. Since joining NSGC the member has done one or a combination of the following:
Jennifer received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Truman State University in 2000. She went on to receive her M.S. in Genetic Counseling from the University of Texas Health Science Center in 2003, and later that year achieved ABGC certification. Following graduation Jennifer remained in Houston; she currently holds the position of Director of Prenatal Genetic Counseling services in the Dept of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Texas-Houston Medical School, where she also holds a faculty appointment as a Clinical Instructor. Jennifer’s extensive work as a volunteer within NSGC during the 5 years since receiving her Master’s degree include the Region V conference Program committee, Billing & Reimbursement subcommittee, Professional Issues committee, co-Chair of the Prenatal Special Interest Group, co-Chair of the AEC Educational Breakout Session committee, Chair of the Traveling Educational Short Course and Vice-Chair of the Education Committee. She is also involved in the Texas Society of Genetic Counselors, and serves as a member of the CDC Select Panel on Preconception Care. Jennifer’s nominations for the New Leader award speak to her dedication and passion for this profession, as an advocate for genetic counselors and through her various contributions during her tenure on the various NSGC committees. She is further described as an invaluable member of the UT Genetic Counseling Program, filling roles as a student advisor, lecturer, class coordinator and thesis committee chair, in addition to her regular clinical duties and administrative responsibilities in managing several maternal-fetal medicine clinics and their genetic counselor staff. Her accomplishments in the short time since receiving her graduate degree are certainly worthy of recognition as one of the premier new leaders within NSGC. Outstanding Volunteer Award Winners: Leslie Cohen & Jennifer FarmerCriteria: Outstanding Volunteer Awards shall be presented to two candidates for exceptional contribution and volunteerism to NSGC. Candidates must be current members of NSGC. Candidates will be considered based on the following activities:
Leslie Cohen
Leslie Cohen never seems to run out of energy. Over the last fifteen years, Leslie has participated in several NSGC committees involving education, licensure, billing and reimbursement as well as the American Board of Genetic Counseling. She has also served in leadership roles for many of these committees, sometimes several at the same time! Leslie has worked tirelessly on behalf of NSGC in the area of billing/reimbursement and access to care. She has been an effective chair of the Billing & Reimbursement Subcommittee, the B&R Taskforce, and now the GCASD committee. Her colleagues note that “working with her is a pleasure; she is always quick to volunteer to help, and you can depend on her to follow through. She is quick to respond to any members' questions about billing.” Leslie has also been active in training genetic counselors and medical students. She is an active public speaker with her most recent topics ranging from Jewish genetic diseases to prenatal/preconception issues to billing and reimbursement. Leslie is a generous resource for her colleagues and her efforts have helped move the genetic counseling profession towards independent billing and greater recognition of our expertise. She is truly an outstanding volunteer and we are grateful for her efforts and dedication to the NSGC. Jennifer Farmer
After graduating from LaSalle University magna cum laude, Jennifer began her career in medical sciences coordinating hospital laboratory procedures as a medical technician and then researching genes involved in type 2 diabetes. She returned to school and graduated with her Masters in Genetic Counseling from Arcadia University in 1997. Jennifer then spent the next 8 years at the University of Philadelphia where she developed first from an entry level genetic counselor to the Clinical Division Administrator for the Division of Medical Genetics. In 2002, her career shifted towards neurogenetics with a special focus on Fredreich Ataxia. She has since established herself as an expert in FA and in October 2007 began her current role as executive director for the Fredreich Ataxia Research Alliance. Her work has significantly advanced knowledge in neurogenetics, authoring 22 journal articles and 5 book chapters and editing one journal and one book. Paralleling her career accomplishments has been her dedication to her profession and the NSGC. Jennifer first joined NSGC as a student member in 1995 and served on her first committee, the Annual Education Conference no less, in 1998. Since that time she has served on the Board of Directors for 7 out of 9 years, been Treasurer and then Finance chair, short course co-chair, liaison to the American Academy of Family Physicians, member of the Billing & Reimbursement and NSGC/ABGC Subspecialty Certification task forces, served on the State Licensure Awards, AHSPA, Professional Issues and AEC committees, participated in the Connective Tissue and the Neurogenetics Special Interest Groups and served as a reviewer for the Journal of Genetic Counseling. To top it off, she has been instrumental in the development of the Foundation for Genetic Counseling. Jennifer is described as a ‘big picture thinker’ and someone who balances the time and energy demands of her volunteering within the NSGC with selflessness and grace. It is truly fitting that she be recognized simply as OUTSTANDING! Strategic Leader Award Winners: Dawn Allain & Cheryl ScacheriCriteria: Strategic Leadership Awards shall be presented to two outstanding candidates who the Awards Sub-Committee believes promote the genetic counseling profession as a recognized and integral part of health care delivery, through such avenues as education, research and public policy. Candidates must be current members of NSGC. When submitting candidates for nomination, the nominator should consider the methods of NSGC’s current strategic plan. Examples of activities include:
Dawn Allain
Visionary…strategic….exemplary….proactive…big picture thinker…the quintessential genetic counselor. These are just a few of the ways that Dawn Allain has been described. Dawn earned her degree in genetic counseling from Northwestern University in 1993, joined NSGC that same year, hit the ground running and continues to pick up speed. Dawn has served on numerous institutional, regional and national committees, subcommittees, work groups and task forces, far too many to list here, but allow me to highlight a few. Dawn served on NSGC’s Board of Directors first as Region IV representative and then as president. During her presidential rotation, Dawn initiated the move to evaluate the effectiveness of our organization’s governance and to consider ways in which it could be improved. She is always thinking about how NSGC must evolve to meet the changing needs of its members and how the profession must evolve to meet the advances in technology and the changing needs of those we serve. Dawn has demonstrated her dedication to education in a myriad of ways from professor to clinical supervisor to thesis advisor to lecturer. Between 1998 and 2003 Dawn helped to plan conferences in Region IV and she has been involved in the planning of many of NSGC’s Annual Education Conferences at one time or another serving on the Workshop Committee, PBS Committee, Program Committee, Logistics Committee and serving as conference co-chair. She is an active member of the current Education Committee. Beyond that, Dawn strives to educate health care providers, administrators, clinic managers and the public about the value of genetic counselors. She is a fierce advocate for our profession and an effective spokesperson, being interviewed numerous times for the media including two appearances on the Today Show. Dawn has also played an important role in the relm of billing and reimbursement playing a part in the Billing and Reimbursement Research Taksforce from 2004-2007 and serving on the Billing and Reimbursement Subcommittee. Dawn is currently a co-chair of the Ohio State Genetic Counselor’s Licensure Workgroup and previously co-chaired the licensure committee of the Wisconsin State Genetic Counselor’s Network and the licensure committee of the Genetic Task Force of Illinois, Inc. Dawn was instrumental in the creation of the Genetic Counseling Foundation and just rolled off the GCF Board of Directors. To quote one of her nominations “Dawn promotes NSGC in everything that she does and is an example to all of us of how we can mentor students and young genetic counselors to become active contributing members of NSGC.” She is truly a Strategic Leader. Cheryl Scacheri
As a mentor, advocate, volunteer, and a leader, Cheryl Scacheri has championed the cause of NSGC and her fellow genetic counselors. Cheryl’s professional career and volunteer footprints represent the foundation of our organization. Her continuous efforts for the genetic counseling profession and our Society resonate not only with her co-workers and students, but with those of us that have worked with her as volunteers in our organization. Cheryl currently serves as the as the Director of Genomics Education and Policy, where her key role is to integrate genetic services into universal healthcare delivery at Cleveland Clinic. Currently, she is engaged in the roll-out of a year-long genetics education campaign aimed at incorporating genetics knowledge into every level of care at the Cleveland Clinic. This campaign aims to educate patients about genetic risk and how genetic information can impact their health care. The campaign also includes a plan for integration of genetics into each of the Cleveland Clinic Institutes, and creation of materials for patient care. Beyond her roles in the clinic and in health policy, Cheryl has chosen to give back to the genetic counseling community in her role as an instructor, working with and developing both academic and genetic counseling training programs. Cheryl’s dedication to the profession continues as a Society member and volunteer. Those that know Cheryl best describe her as having the ability to “view our profession from 35,000 feet.” As her colleagues, she empowers us to appreciate our valuable skill-sets and potential to work outside the typical sphere of genetics. Whether it is her own work in the ophthalmology clinic or supporting other genetic counselors in clinics with gastroenterologists, endocrinologists, breast specialists, surgeons, and cardiologists, her impact on expanding the role of genetic counselors has been significant. Cheryl plays and integral role on public policy on both national and local levels. Locally, she leads the charge for licensure in Ohio while concurrently working with insurance carriers to expand coverage for genetic counseling services including exploring coverage of the 96040 CPT code. In an effort to expand the influence of NSGC on a national level, Cheryl is a member of our partner organization, The Genetic Alliance, where she participates on their Policy Action Team on Nondiscrimination as an advocate for GINA. Cheryl sees through the boundaries others have imposed on the genetic counseling profession and envisions the future for genetic counselors that is embodied in the NSGC strategic goals. A visionary in our profession, she enables genetic counselors to position themselves for potential success, and encourages our profession to be on the cutting edge of genetics. Cheryl personifies the role of a strategic leader both in the Society and the profession. From her start as a clinical genetic counselor to her work in research genetics to her current role of developing policy and training students, Cheryl’s work represents the expanding role of genetic counselors in the health care delivery system.
The Jane Engelberg Memorial Fellowship2008 Advisory Group Purpose: Under the leadership of Audrey Heimler, the JEMF was established in 1991, providing the first fellowship opportunity for genetic counselors. Jane Engelberg was a genetic counselor who was a friend and colleague of Audrey’s at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. A bilingual genetic counselor, Jane developed expertise in counseling patients on issues related to hemophilia and prenatal diagnosis during her 15 year career. She died of Hodgkin’s disease at the age of 47. To perpetuate her memory, her husband Al Engelberg through the Engelberg Foundation, established The Jane Engelberg Memorial Fellowship. For 16 years, JEMF has awarded a fellowship to a board certified genetic counselor to promote the professional development of the genetic counselor and further the practice of genetic counseling. The $50,000 award is the largest award specifically for genetic counselors nationwide. 
Congratulations to Nancy Steinberg Warren, MS for being awarded the 2009 Jane Engelberg Memorial Fellowship Award for her project entitled: “Enhancing Cultural and Linguistic Competence in the Genetic Counseling Profession”. Nancy is the Director of the University of Cincinnati Genetic Counseling Program and has been a leader in the genetic counseling profession, seeking ways to promote diversification of the profession and teaching cultural competence.
State Licensure Grant AwardsA full grant of $3250.00 was awarded to Florida to reimburse travel expenses for genetic counselors and other supporters for travel to their State Capital to meet with legislators, and possibly, testify at committee hearings. The funds also supported printing Sunrise documents and conference calls related to licensure activities. Another full grant of $6,078.00 was awarded to Washington State to help defray the costs of a part-time lobbyist during their 2008 legislative session and to reimburse some travel expenses of genetic counselors traveling to their state Capital to meet with legislators and, possibly, testify at committee hearings. The funding also helped to support a website related to genetic counselor licensure activities. A Rolling Grant of $500 was awarded to Hawaii to help offset the cost of a lobbyist they hired in the 2008 legislative session.
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