Board of Director

MBA, Executive Committee Member Ms. Schmidt is a kidney transplant recipient from Liberty, Illinois. She is on the Board of Directors for AAKP – American Association of Kidney Patients, an AAKP Ambassador and member of the policy and strategic communications committees and a member of the National Kidney Foundation.

MBA, MA, RD Ms. Schaeffer has spent more than fifteen years in kidney care. Starting as a registered dietitian (RD), her career organically grew to include dialysis operations, leading contracts for Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and chronic kidney disease population health.

National Patient Advocate | Kidney & Liver Transplant Recipient David Rodriguez is a kidney and liver transplant recipient, national patient advocate, and Senior Political Analyst dedicated to improving access to transplantation and advancing patient-centered healthcare policy.

CHAIR OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE, AAKP FIELD AMBASSADOR My name is James Myers. I live in Hammond, Indiana. I graduated from Valparaiso University Law School and I have 2 MBA’s in Business and Healthcare Administration. Polycystic Kidney Disease runs in my family.

MSC, FASN, Executive Committee Member Dr. Janice P. Lea, MD, MSc, FASN is a Professor of Medicine at Emory University and is board-certified in Nephrology and Hypertension.

DNP, RN, MBA, CHC, CCM, FACHE Catherine began her participation with a healthcare career in 1967, as an EKG technician. This experience led to the need to pursue an education in nursing to further assist individuals. The beginning of nursing education was to become a licensed practical nurse.

MA, RN In 1982 after undergoing a renal biopsy, Kent was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a disease that causes scarring in the glomerulus of the kidney. In 1987, after two days of dialysis via central line, he received a kidney transplant from his brother Kip. He has been on Sandimmune (150 mg daily)

Chair of Policy and Global Affairs Mr. Conway is the Chair of Policy & Global Affairs, and a past president, for the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP), the largest kidney patient organization in the USA. Mr.

MBA, Immediate Past President, former AAKP Vice President Richard A. Knight is a kidney transplant recipient of eighteen years and a former hemodialysis patient. He is the Past President of the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) and serves on numerous advisory boards and committees.

Secretary As an infant, Dale was adopted into a family with three other adopted children. When he was 12 years of age, Dale was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Some years later, as a young adult, he was diagnosed with hypertension. While working in upper management of a national food chain, the hypertension continued to escalate.