Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced appointments to the Rare Disease Advisory Council. Alexis Bakofsky, Colleen Bartlett, and Blake Shay have been appointed, while Jon Hawayek and Melissa Jordan have been reappointed.
Alexis Bakofsky is the Chief of Staff for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Her previous role was Deputy Communications Director at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. She holds a bachelor's degree in health science from the University of Florida and a master's degree in communication and leadership from Gonzaga University.
Colleen Bartlett serves as a Nurse Practitioner at BayCare Chronic Complex Clinic. She is dual board certified as a Pediatric and Family Nurse Practitioner. Bartlett obtained her bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing from the University of South Florida and her doctorate in nursing from the University of St. Augustine.
Blake Shay works as a Pharmacy Manager at BayCare Health System. He is an active member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Shay earned his associate degree in pre-pharmacy from Daytona State College, his master's degree in health system pharmacy administration from The Ohio State University, and his Doctor of Pharmacy from Mercer University.
Jon Hawayek leads State Government Affairs for Spark Therapeutics. He is involved with Rare Disease Advisory Councils across several states including Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. Hawayek holds a bachelor's degree in business from the State University of New York and an MBA from Clarkson University.
Melissa Jordan directs Community Health Promotion for the Florida Development of Health. She also serves on the Executive Board for the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. Jordan earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees from Florida State University along with a master's degree in public health from the University of South Florida.