Professional Development in the Nonprofit Sphere: How to Advance and Grow in Your Position [Spring 2025 HRA Members Meeting, March 11, 2025]
This session provided a space in which attendees engaged with other HRA members and learned from their peers’ strategies for advancing their careers! This session featured panelists at various career stages and different professional backgrounds. In this session, panelists discussed how you can navigate the promotion ladder without having a scientific background, how to help support the professional growth of those working on your team, and how to transition from the lab to grants management administration.
Moderator
Jennifer Chang, PhD
Science Manager, American Brain Tumor Association
Jen Chang, PhD, has been a Science Manager at the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) since 2020. She manages the PostAward activities for ABTA grantees and helps to plan the ABTA’s annual Alumni Research Network meeting for the alumni grantees. She has been involved with the Health Research Alliance since joining the ABTA and has served on several past Program Planning Committees for both in person and virtual meetings. Her previous academic work focused on small-molecule therapies for Alzheimer’s Disease at Rosalind Franklin University.
Speakers
Kara Coleman, PhD
Vice President of Grants Administration, The V Foundation for Cancer Research
Kara Coleman, PhD, is the Vice President of Research and Grants at the V Foundation for Cancer Research. Kara got her PhD in cell and molecular biology from the University of Pennsylvania, focusing on the role of BRCA1 in DNA double-strand break repair. After completing her PhD, Kara worked in medical writing for pharmaceutical marketing 4 years. She then pivoted to the non-profit space and was the Director of Biomedical Grant Programs at the Pew Charitable Trusts for 8 years where she managed grant programs for postdocs and early-career faculty. In 2023, Kara took her current position at the V Foundation where she oversees a portfolio of cancer research grants for early-career and established faculty. Kara has expertise in grant program strategy and in communicating the impact of funding to donors and partners.
Mary McGowan, MA
CEO, Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research
Mary joined the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research as the organization’s first-ever Chief Executive Officer in 2020. As CEO, Mary serves as the primary representative and spokesperson for FSR and leads the organization’s strategic vision with patient engagement, strategic partnerships, fundraising, advocacy efforts, program direction, and an aggressive communications and research agenda.
Mary brings 35 years of nonprofit leadership and management experience to the role. Prior to joining FSR, she served as Executive Director at The Myositis Association (TMA.) As Executive Director of TMA, McGowan was featured and highlighted as a preeminent rare disease leader by numerous entities including American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Global Genes and the National Organization for Rare Diseases for her innovative national campaigns including Women of Color and Myositis and her leading telemedicine initiatives for autoimmune patients during COVID-19.
Prior to her time at TMA, Mary served as CEO of WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease. During her 8 years with WomenHeart, McGowan ensured the organization’s long-term growth and sustainability as the leading voice for the 48 million American women living with or at risk of heart disease. McGowan also served as Executive Director of the Allergy & Asthma Network, the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating suffering and death due to asthma, allergies, and related conditions. She held various positions with the American Academy of Pediatrics during her service of 18 years. McGowan earned a Master’s Degree in Human Resources Development from the George Washington University and a B.A. from Trinity University.
Linda Sikora, PHR, SHRM-CP
Senior Director, Human Resources, American Brain Tumor Association
Linda Sikora joined the American Brain Tumor Association in 2019 and currently holds the position of Senior Director Human Resources. She is part of the ABTA Leadership Team; and her responsibilities include managing all aspects of the Human Resources function including developing and implementing HR programs while advancing positive employee relations and best practices in support of organizational growth and strategic initiatives. Linda works at developing and delivering creative, cost-effective human resources solutions in support of the organization’s strategic business plan, culture and core values. Linda has a broad range of experience in Human Resources, including within a medically based fitness center
through Northwestern Memorial Healthcare. She has expertise in benefits, compensation, payroll, performance management, training, coaching, employee relations, and compliance. She is an advocate of employee well-being for optimal work-life balance of all staff. Linda maintains professional human resources certifications through the Human Resource Certification Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management.
Shawna Strickland, PhD, CAE, RRT
Associate Executive Director – Programs, American Epilepsy Society
Shawna Strickland (she/her), PhD, CAE, is the Associate Executive Director, Programs, at the American Epilepsy Society, where she focuses on effective association practice, project management, and quality continuing education. In this role, she leads the clinical activities, research, and education teams and special projects, including a CDC grant that aims to improve outcomes for underserved people with epilepsy. Dr. Strickland started her career as a clinician in pediatric intensive respiratory care. From there, she transitioned into higher education, serving as faculty and in program administration, as well as serving as an ethics consultant for the University of Missouri School of Medicine’s Center for Health Ethics. She has been active in developing clinical practice guidelines and researching areas such as clinician burnout and provider workforce shortages. Dr. Strickland earned her undergraduate degrees from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale and her graduate degrees from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.