Voting is closed as of 5:00 pm CT on December 2. Stay tuned for results.
2023-2024 Board Elections
Each year, HOPA members elect the association’s new leadership who will provide crucial guidance in reaching HOPA’s strategic goals. Submitting your vote will directly impact the direction of HOPA as a leading voice for hematology/oncology pharmacy for years to come.
We encourage all Lifetime, Full, and Technician members to please cast your vote. If you are not a current HOPA member, please click here to join now.
Voting will open at 8:00 am CT on November 2, 2022 and will close at 5:00 pm CT on December 2, 2022.
Please contact staff at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any questions about the current election.
Learn About the Candidates
President-Elect
Jolynn Sessions, PharmD, BCOP, FHOPA
Watch Jolynn Sessions’ Elections Statement Video
Video
Current Employment
Oncology Pharmacy Manager | Charles George VA Medical Center
Oncology Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner | Charles George VA Medical Center
Election Statement
"Dear HOPA Colleagues, your consideration of my candidacy for HOPA President-Elect 2023 is much appreciated. During the 5 years as your HOPA Treasurer (2015-2019), I had the opportunity to learn the inner workings of our non-profit organization, grow as a leader, and work with excellent members, committee members, committee leadership, fellow board members, and HOPA staff. Through my cumulative involvement and experience with HOPA, I am a uniquely qualified and familiar candidate. HOPA has been my professional home, and my involvement with HOPA began before there was a HOPA in the MAD-ONC days. There are few HOPA committees that I have not worked with in some capacity over the years, either as a member, leader, or board liaison.
I would work diligently with the current board and leaders to fulfill ideas and goals in process, and work to identify new goals. I'd like to explore further expansion of HOPA's research efforts into collaborative projects, further HOPA's efforts on diversity and equity, test the landscape for increased oncology pharmacist involvement on expert panels of national guidelines and position statements, and bolster new tools and resources for the practicing and administrator oncology pharmacist.
I have very intentionally spent my entire career thus far in direct patient care. It is these direct interactions as a pharmacist provider that both fuel my passion and break my heart. We have so much work to do, so many needs to meet. In many places, the oncology pharmacists and technicians are still the hidden gems, not fully realized or recognized for the work that you're doing. Patients depend on you, teams depend on you. HOPA has made great strides in increasing the awareness of our vocation, and I would work to further extend this awareness. As a University of Florida graduate, we are engrained to ""not back down"" for things that matter, things that make a difference, things worth fighting for and things that are good. Knowing that sometimes it is hard, and you may not succeed initially. I have learned much and grown much from great colleagues and mentors through my career at Moffitt Cancer Center as a pharmacy intern/student and technician, Wake Forest Baptist Healthcare as a PGY1 resident, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center as a PGY2 Oncology Resident, Grady Health System as their first oncology clinical pharmacist, Emory Healthcare as a clinical pharmacist, PGY2 oncology residency director and clinical coordinator, UNC School of Pharmacy/Mission Healthcare as shared faculty, and the Western North Carolina VA Health System as a pharmacist provider. These varied experiences have provided exposure to a breadth of concepts and ideals to be used for HOPA's benefit.
Thank you."
President-Elect
Sally Barbour, PharmD, BCOP, FHOPA
Watch Sally Barbour's Elections Statement Video
Video
Current Employment
Oncology Pharmacy Programs Director | Duke University Medical Center
Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner | Duke University Hospital
Election Statement
"I am honored to be nominated for HOPA President and excited about the opportunity to serve HOPA in this capacity. As a prior Board member, I am aware of the time, dedication, collaboration and teamwork required to serve. Both this past Board experience, as well as opportunities in my current role, have helped me become a more effective leader, learn from other leaders and serve and support others to meet a common goal.
HOPA has grown tremendously since I first became involved as a new practitioner. It has grown in size, diversity, opportunities offered and advocacy to name a few. What hasn't changed is the willingness of our membership to serve, to advocate for our patients, to offer exceptional education, to support research and to believe that every individual affected by cancer have an oncology pharmacist as an integral member of their care team. This vision and our mission to promote and advance the practice on hematology oncology pharmacy is achievable. Our current strategic plan provides specific ways in which our four pillars of professional development, tools and resources, research and advocacy can help us achieve this, with members involved in a variety of different ways as their own practices and life outside of work change. As a Board member some of the ways I would support this include: continuing the work of the current Board in incorporating diversity and quality into the Strategic Plan; promoting different ways that our members can be involved in or organization; building on the work of the Oral Chemo Collaborative and creating meaningful, yet doable, quality and practice-based research opportunities that encourage new researchers and collaboration across sites; continuing to evaluate and provide educational opportunities that meet the needs of our increasingly diverse membership; working with the new Director of Strategic Partnerships in creating opportunities for collaboration in education and research with other oncology professional organizations; promote the inclusion of pharmacists on national guidelines and ensuring the voice of the pharmacist is included; and continue to advocate on behalf of our profession and patients while including the patient and caregivers in this effort.
I am passionate about oncology pharmacy, the role of oncology pharmacists on the care team, the value we bring, our contributions to research, the training of our future clinicians and our mission of making sure that all cancer patients have access to an oncology pharmacist. HOPA is and can be an integral part of all of that. I will work hard to serve the membership, listen to new ideas, foster collaboration and encourage volunteerism in any way. I am excited to see how our newer initiatives like the Oral Chemotherapy Collaborative and the new DEI Committee make HOPA an even better organization. It has been a challenging time to be in healthcare but also still such an exciting time to be in oncology. HOPA's members have so much to offer their patients, other oncology colleagues and each other. It would be a privilege to serve as a Board member and President."
Board Member At-Large
Jason Bergsbaken, PharmD, BCOP, MBA
Watch Jason Bergsbaken's Elections Statement Video
Video
Current Employment
Resident Program Director, PGY2 Oncology | UW Health
Pharmacy Coordinator, Regional oncology Services | UW Health
Election Statement
"It is an honor to be nominated to serve as Board Member At-Large on the HOPA Board of Directors.
It's a challenging time in healthcare; more than ever our ability to best serve our cancer patients is facing multiple threats, including increasing costs, drug shortages, complex payment models, and most recently a global pandemic. Despite these challenges, HOPA remains laser focused to reach towards our vision that all individuals affected by cancer have a hematology/oncology pharmacist as an integral member of their care team.
I currently serve as Pharmacy Coordinator, Regional Oncology Services and PGY2 Oncology Residency Program Director at UW Health and well as Clinical Assistant Professor at the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy in Madison, WI. My previous HOPA involvement includes Chair of the BCOP Oversight Committee and BCOP Annual Conference Subcommittee. Currently, I serve as a member of the HOPA Public Policy Committee. Throughout my years as a HOPA member, the common bond between all experiences within the organization is the remarkable, intelligent, caring, and fun! professional network of HOPA members working to improve the lives of cancer patients.
If entrusted as a member of the board, I pledge to work collaboratively with other leaders and staff to ensure HOPA continues to be your professional home. Regardless of your title and practice setting; whether you are a frontline clinician, clinical specialist, oncology administrator, industry professional, resident/student trainee, or other oncology professional; HOPA is equipped to support your goals and help you optimize cancer patient outcomes. HOPA can continue to evolve and improve this support through several areas: networking opportunities, innovative continuing professional education, enhanced volunteer experience, and strategic advocacy efforts.
Regardless of your practice setting and role, the ability to serve as an integral member of the patient care team for cancer patients is a significant privilege. HOPA is well-positioned to support members in their endeavors to help cancer patients now; and will continue to evolve and grow stronger as an organization in the future.
I am humbled by the nomination for the Board Member At-Large on the HOPA Board of Directors and greatly appreciate your consideration."
Board Member At-Large
Kayleigh Marx, PharmD, BCOP
Watch Kayleigh Marx's Elections Statement Video
Video
Current Employment
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Leukemia | The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Election Statement
"HOPA, from its inception, has sought to provide patients affected with cancer the best possible care. This is only realized when each patient benefits from the expertise provided by a highly trained oncology pharmacist as a member of their care team. Essential to the training of an oncology pharmacist, HOPA supports its members by promoting the quintessential pillars of Professional Development (e.g. Education), Professional Resources and Tools, Research, and Advocacy. As a member of the Board I will collaborate with thought leaders on how best to enhance our educational initiatives' content, scope, and audience capture. I will support initiatives aimed at enhancing mentorship opportunities and promotion of activities that bring our membership together. I will endorse our value as cancer researchers and quality and resource stewards and support our many groups charged with enhancing the research output of our members. Lastly, I will foster collaboration amongst our brilliant and creative leaders to provide the resources and tools our members need to advocate for enhancing pharmacist-provided services to patients affected by cancer."
Board Member At-Large
Sol Atienza, PharmD, BCOP
Watch Sol Atienza's Elections Statement Video
Video
Current Employment
Resident Program Director, PGY2 | Aurora Health Care
Oncology Pharmacy Clinical Specialist | Aurora Health Care
Clinical Instructor | Concordia University – Wisconsin
Adjunct Instructor | Midwestern University
Adjunct Instructor | Drake University
Election Statement
"I am grateful to have the opportunity to be a candidate for the board member at-large position within the Hematology Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) organization. I bring to the candidacy a wide variety of experiences. As a member since the inception of HOPA, I have been involved in various committees, task forces, workgroups and poster activities; achieved an award; and had the opportunity to present at a HOPA conference. My 28 years of clinical practice is primarily in the inpatient setting within Advocate Aurora Health, a large organization of 27 hospitals and 500 small and large sites of care. This gives me the appreciation of a vast range of work environments and their different challenges. Furthermore, I have reviewed and am an author of various publications, including book chapters for oncology pharmacy. In addition, I have been involved in other organizations such as the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Addressing HOPA's Strategic Plan, I would like to contribute to all 4 tiers being Professional Development, Professional Tools and Resources, Research, and Advocacy.
An area I would like to immediately address is Professional Development. We should invest time and effort into grooming our residents and learners. I am the Resident Program Director (RPD) to a twelve-year PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy Residency program. I assure that our residents are deeply engrained in our practice. In fact, all our learners, including students, are able to contribute valuable work that benefit our patients and staff. HOPA has started the efforts of preparing our learners to be leaders by integrating the pharmacy residents into the various HOPA activities such as committee involvement, journal clubs, poster sessions, Special Interest Groups and webinars. I would like to continue to expand on this involvement. Developing leadership skills and encouraging involvement from our trainees will help HOPA expand and grow.
Professional Tools and Resources is a valuable and practical area to our membership. Oncology pharmacists and technicians continue to face many challenges in their practice. HOPA has the capacity to address these obstacles by continuing to create standards, guidelines, and education. In the past, I participated in the creation of the oncology pharmacy practice standards and am currently on a committee to address coordinated strategies that optimize safe and quality care with anti-cancer medications while minimizing toxicity and cost. Through a committee, I was involved in the HOPA Value of Care Summit and the publication of a White Paper to discuss and educate the membership on a topic that not everyone is versed in. I plan to continue these efforts to address the issues and educate my colleagues. I would like to also consider local chapters or entities of HOPA to facilitate the many services of HOPA, but in a local fashion.
I am proud to be a member of HOPA and would be grateful for the opportunity to serve you as board member at-large. I would work hard to represent your voice and address your needs."
Not a HOPA Member? Apply to Join Now!
Are you interested in determining the future of HOPA, and would like to vote during the HOPA 2023-2024 elections (but you are not a HOPA member)?
You may be eligible to vote if you qualify for the Lifetime, Full, or Technician membership category.
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