2025 Sponsors
Platinum Sponsor
Diamond Sponsor 
Silver Sponsors  
 
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Contact us to inquire about our sponsor/exhibitor opportunities by emailing info@navref.org or by
calling 703-202-8113
Conference Questions?
David Stout Program Support david@navref.org
Hawk Tran
Chief Operating Officer
htran@navref.org
Need help with PowerPoint slides? Use NAVREF's template deck! Template Conference SlidesEmail estout@navref.org for questions.
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Sunday, September 14th
| 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM |
Registration Opens |
| 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM |
Pre-Conference: Networking Blitz Conference Room A |
| 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM |
NAVREF Annual Membership Meeting Alpine Ballroom |
| 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM |
Welcome Reception Colorado Lounge |
Monday, September 15th
| 7:00 AM - 8:30 AM |
Breakfast Upper Mountain View Terrace
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| 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM |
National Anthem: Alpine Ballroom
- Technical Sgt. Melina Bradbury, Space Base Delta 2 Financial Management and Analysis Flight Chief
Welcome:
- Rashi Romanoff, NAVREF CEO
- Ms. Sunaina Kumar-Giebel, Director of the VA Rocky Mountain Network
- Melissa Swoope, PharmD, CSP, Senior Director, Patient Engagement: Access and Retention – Global Community Engagement Strategy, Eli Lilly and Company
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| 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM |
Keynote: Voices of Veterans
Alpine Ballroom
- Chris Blomgren, Voice of the Veterans, NAVREF
- Cindy Parsons, Warriors Speak Spokesperson, Wounded Warrior Project
Veteran and former Army medic Chris Blomgren and military caregiver Cindy Parsons share their powerful stories of service, resilience, and recovery. From the battlefield to the home front, they offer candid insights into the challenges veterans and families face, and the hope found in treatment, advocacy, and community.
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| 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM |
Refreshment Break |
| 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM |
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Federal Grants Management Conference Room A
- Pamela Sharpe, Grants Administration Manager, Center for Veterans Research and Education
- Leah Phillips, Project Management and Research Support Core Director, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital
- Christiane Perry, Contracts and Grants Post Award Senior Manager, Veterans Medical Research Foundation
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Reducing Fiduciary Risk: Governance Strategies for Non-Profit Boards
Conference Room B - Greg Johnson, Senior Consultant, Multnomah Group
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Finance Workshop: Key Accounting Standards and Government Best Practices Conference Room G
- Bennie Lewis, CPA, Partner, Assurance Dimensions
- Preston Jenson, CPA, Managing Partner, Panda Accounting
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| 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM |
Lunch on Your Own
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| 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM |
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Strategic Planning with Your Board
Conference Room A
- Jessie Lenhardt, Senior Manager, Baker Tilly
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Unlocking the Dawn: How NPCs Can Harness AI Today
Conference Room B
- Hawk Tran, NAVREF COO
- Brittany Baber, Executive Director, Lowcountry Center for Veterans Research
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Finance Workshop: Practical Applications & Tips
Conference Room G - Bennie Lewis, CPA, Partner, Assurance Dimensions
- Preston Jenson, CPA, Managing Partner, Panda Accounting
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| 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM |
Refreshment Break
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| 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM |
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Workshop: NPC Governance
Conference Room A
- Matt Dinsdale, Senior Manager, Baker Tilly
- Kinman Tong, Partner, Baker Tilly
- Jessie Lenhardt, Senior Manager, Baker Tilly
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Workshop: Crowd Sourcing Solutions
Conference Room B
- Carol Meyer, Executive Director, Institute for Medical Research
- Allison Shafer, Executive Director, Veterans Research and Education Foundation of St. Louis
- Hawk Tran, NAVREF COO
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Workshop: Executive Leadership Excellence: Essential Skills for High Impact Leadership Conference Room G
- Lori Gould, Executive Director, Middle Tennessee Research Institute
- Angie Blizzard, Executive Director, North Florida Foundation for Research and Education, Inc.
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| 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM |
10th Annual NAVREF Awards Dinner Alpine Ballroom
- Join this evening of celebration and recognition of award recipients.
- Hear from our Diamond Sponsor, Johnson & Johnson, Ken Marcy, MBA, Associate Director, Strategic Account Lead Oncology
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Tuesday, September 16th
| 7:00 AM - 8:30 AM |
Breakfast Upper Mountain View Terrace
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| 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM |
Keynote: Celebrating 100 Years and Looking Forward Alpine Ballroom
- Dr. Grant Huang, PhD, Acting Chief Research and Development Officer (CRADO), Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development (ORD)
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| 10:00 AM - 10:15 AM |
Refreshment Break |
| 10:15 AM - 11:15 AM |
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What it Takes to Get to the Next level: Affiliate Research Relationships (none/needed) Alpine Ballroom
- Jeremy Greene, MS, Executive Director, Arizona Veterans Research and Education Foundation, Dayton Veterans Affairs Research and Education Foundation
- Dr. Sam Aguayo, MD, Associate Chief of Staff for Research, VA Phoenix Health Care System
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What it Takes to Get to the Next level: Affiliate Research Relationships (existing/growing)
Conference Room B
- Rebecca Rosales, MBA, CRA, CEO, Northern California Institute for Research and Education
- Danielle Fluemer, MPA, Executive Director, Seattle Institute for Biomedical and Clinical Research
- Dr. Irene Zoesch, MD, Associate Chief of Staff for Research, and Designated Education Officer VA, Mann Grandstaff Medical Center
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| 11:15 AM - 1:00 PM |
Lunch On Your Own
Private Luncheon: 2026 Conference Committee Volunteers – Inquire at registration desk if interested.
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| 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM |
Policy and Progress at the Dawn of a New Century for Veterans Research
Alpine Ballroom
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| 2:00 PM - 2:15 PM |
Refreshment Break |
| 2:15 PM - 3:15 PM |
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Strategies for Recruiting New PIs into Research and Marketing Your VA-NPC Within the VA Conference Room G
- Dr. River Smith, VA Eastern Oklahoma Health Care
- Carmen Mincy, Bedford VA Research Corporation, Inc.
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The Three Primary Responsibilities of Effective People Leadership
Conference Room B
- Patrick Donnelly, Doolittle Leadership Center
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| 3:15 PM - 3:30 PM |
Refreshment Break |
| 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM |
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NPC Growth in the New Century Through Education, Industry, and Investment Conference Room G
- Casey Braddy, Lilly
- Lewis Lea, Merrill Lynch
- Greg Corso, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.
- Allison Shafer, Executive Director, Veterans Research and Education Foundation of St. Louis
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Clinical Trial Budgeting
Conference Room B
- MaryAnne Bowman, Founder & Strategic Growth Partner, ClinGRO | CollabTrials | Coffee To GRO
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| 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM |
Social Activities! Buses board at 5:30pm outside main lobby
- Rockies vs. Marlins Baseball Game
- Mini Golf
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Wednesday, September 17th
| 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM |
Wellness Activity: Puppy Yoga Lower Mountain View Terrace |
| 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM |
Breakfast Upper Mountain View Terrace
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| 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM |
General Session: Tomorrow’s Care, Today’s Commitment Alpine Ballroom
The NPC and the VA Research Office: Working Together Towards Common Goals
- Dr. Irene Zoesch, MD Associate Chief of Staff for Research, and Designated Education Officer Mann Grandstaff Medical Center
- Dr. Amado Baez, ACOS-R&D, VA Augusta Health Care System
- Brittany Baber, Executive Director, Lowcountry Center for Veterans Research
- Dr. R. Amanda C LaRue, PhD, Associate Chief of Staff for Research, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center
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Chris Wood, Executive Director, Dorn Research Institute
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Dr. Mike Ryan, PhD, Associate Chief of Staff for Research, Columbia VA Health Care System
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| 10:00 AM - 10:15 AM |
Special Announcement!
- Dawn Brown PhD, Field Medical Health Equity Lead/ Principle MSL, Genentech
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| 10:15 AM - 11:15 AM |
The Next 100 Years of VA Research
- Dr. Jay Gorman, Ph.D., MIRREC Clinical Research Investigator, Director, Social Reintegration Research Program, VA Bedford Healthcare System
- Dr. Rona Relova, M.D., Research Health Scientist, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System
- Dr. Arash Harzand, M.D., M.B.A., FAAC, Director of Digital Cardiology, Atlanta VA Medical Center
- Moderated by Rashi Romanoff, NAVREF CEO
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| 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM |
NPC Conference Wrap-Up and Adjournment Alpine Ballroom
- Hawk Tran, NAVREF COO
- Katrina Washburn, Executive Director, South Florida VA Foundation For Research and Education, 2025 Conference Committee Chair
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Promoting Partnerships To Improve Veterans’ Health
