Mindy joined MDF in January 2023. As the Director of Programs, she leads MDF’s Community & Care initiatives. She is passionate about ensuring everyone affected by chronic and rare diseases have access to education, resources, and most importantly, community. Mindy brings 17 years of experience providing strategic program development, management, and leadership across uniquely challenging settings. Her background includes working in both academic medical center and non-profit settings, she brings an in-depth understanding of how research and data informs and elevates supportive and advocacy programming.

Mindy spent nearly a decade working in the rare cancer space with adolescents and young adults (AYA). Most recently, as the Director of Patient Programs, she led peer-to-peer support, educational, and psychosocial programming for people affected by sarcoidosis at the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research. Mindy completed her BA from Portland State University in Community Health Education, and a post-graduate-certificate in biomedical ethics. Mindy is also a certified storytelling coach through Living Proof Advocacy. She lives between Portland, Oregon and Edinburgh, Scotland, where she can always be found with her nose in a book.