Jacqueline Smith is a two-time stage III melanoma survivor who has dedicated the last decade of her life to patient advocacy, health policy and advancing the field of cancer survivorship. Currently, Director of Grassroots Advocacy and State Government Affairs at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Jacqueline was formerly Associate Director for U.S. Oncology Advocacy and Professional Relations at Bristol Myers Squibb where she oversaw the melanoma, breast, and survivorship portfolios. Jacqueline is also a former staffer for U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand where she served as the Senator’s representative in the 11-county Central New York region and worked tirelessly to develop and forward the federal policy priorities of the constituents of that region.

Due to Jacqueline’s health advocacy efforts, she is a frequent speaker on Capitol Hill and beyond, including being a Spotlight speaker at the Biden Cancer Summit. She has been featured in InStyle, Self Magazine, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Yahoo Health, and other international publications. Jacqueline has also shared her melanoma journey and expertise on live news broadcasts, on NPR and in documentaries.

She is proud to be nominated to serve on the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Council of Research Advocates, appointed to external advisory board for H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center's Skin Cancer and Health Disparities/Health Equities SPORE program, and as a reviewer for the U. S. Department of Defense's Congressionally Directed Research Program in melanoma. She is a former appointed Commissioner on Montgomery County’s Commission on Health (Maryland), served on the Board of Directors for the Melanoma Research Foundation and served as the survivorship and palliative care co-lead for Washington D.C.’s Cancer Action Partnership.

Cheryl Shaw is an award-winning Associate Broker, and Realtor licensed in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Before her real estate career, she was a nonprofit executive for over 30 years and served as an executive at the Bay Area Black United Fund in Oakland, California, United Negro College, Fund-Pacific Northwest Region, Komen Puget Sound Breast Cancer Foundation, and ADRA International in Maryland. As a passionate servant leader, she has also led mission trips to economically depressed regions in various countries and served the homeless domestically.

 Cheryl is a two-time breast cancer survivor, a fierce advocate for early detection, and support for economic and health disparities for minority populations with high mortality rates. She has lobbied for government support of mammography screening and led outreach and fundraising efforts raising over $20 million for treatment and breast cancer screening throughout her career. 

 Cheryl received her Associate of Arts degree from the Fashion Institute in Los Angeles, Bachelor of Science in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and graduate studies in Business Administration at Golden Gate University, San Francisco.

 She is a mother of two grown children and a g-ma to two beautiful grandbabies. A proud military brat born in Washington, DC, Cheryl is a long-time resident of the city.

Erin Polak is the Senior Director for Government Affairs and Alliance Development at GRAIL.  GRAIL is leveraging deep genetic sequencing and machine learning to bring an innovative multi-cancer early detection blood test to patients that ​seeks to save lives by extending the benefits of early detection to cancers that lack screening today.   

Erin joined GRAIL in December 2019.  In her role, she is responsible for federal advocacy and national alliance development. Prior to joining GRAIL, she spent thirteen years in the biopharmaceutical industry, including eleven years at Merck & Co., Inc. where she led the federal advocacy strategy for Merck’s oncology portfolio, including the launch of KEYTRUDA.    

Erin received her B.A. from the University of Virginia.  She enjoys traveling, spending time with her family and friends, and outdoor adventures.

Christopher J. King is a board-certified healthcare executive, educator, and researcher. As Chair of the Department of Health Systems Administration at Georgetown University, Christopher provides visionary leadership in teaching, research, and practice in health system redesign. His scholarship is at the intersection of health equity, structural racism, and population health.

Prior to joining Georgetown University, he served as the first Assistant Vice President of Community Health for MedStar Health. In this role, he created a community health needs assessment framework and spearheaded regional efforts to strengthen the system’s capacity to advance population health goals. Accomplishments include applying rigor and evidence in community-based planning, program implementation, and evaluation with a focus on historically marginalized communities.

Christopher’s scholarship and thought leadership have been published in numerous peer-reviewed publications. And as a commissioner for the DC Mayor’s Commission on Health Equity, his passion is advancing a citywide health equity agenda. His most recent publication, Health Disparities in the Black Community: An Imperative for Racial Equity in the District of Columbia, is a call to action for the city. Christopher has a Ph.D. in Health Services Administration with a focus on barriers to timely access to cancer care by race and ethnicity.

Pamela Goetz joined Sibley Memorial Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine in 2013 as Survivorship Navigator, where she introduced integrative health programing and develops survivorship resources. For four years, she served a central role as navigator on the neuro clinic, providing care coordination to patients and caregivers. Her current position as Survivorship Program Manager entails strategic planning of support and integrative health programing to address barriers, improve quality of life, and enhance self-advocacy for those facing a cancer diagnosis. Pam’s responsibilities include program evaluation and quality improvement, cancer committee administration, and partnerships with advocacy groups. Prior to her current position, Pam was Director of Survivorship Programs at the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, where she oversaw a CDC grant for hematologic cancer resources. While at NCCS, Pam collaborated with the National Association of Social Workers on health care professional trainings, oral adherence initiatives, and the Cancer Survival Toolbox®.

Pam served on the Leadership Council at the Academy of Oncology Nurse and Patient Navigators from 2013-2020, representing the non-clinical navigator voice. AONN+ recognized Pam’s leadership and service with the Ambassador Award in 2018.

In addition to her work in oncology, Pam is passionate about her family, making art, and swimming.