CF Foundation Announces New National Advocacy Chairs

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is proud to announce our new National Advocacy Chairs, Melissa Shiffman from New York, NY, and Rebecca Schroeder from Coeur D'Alene, ID. Peter Barry, who, along with his wife Amy, has served as the Foundation's National Advocacy Chair for the last five years, announced the news at the Foundation's annual March on the Hill advocacy event on March 19.

| 3 min read

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation National Advocacy Chairs work with CFF Public Policy staff to spearhead advocacy campaigns and represent the Foundation in meetings with elected officials. They serve as advocacy leaders for the organization and ambassadors to the CF advocacy community and beyond.

Rebecca, Idaho State Advocacy Chair and mother to Brady, 7, who has cystic fibrosis, has become an invaluable leader in the CF community with a strong CF social media presence. She is deeply involved in advocacy campaigns such as “Act for NIH” and has served on the Foundation's Patient Engagement Steering Committee.

Melissa, a mother of two and an adult with CF, is an experienced advocate and a steadfast supporter of the community. She has met with countless elected officials in her role as New York State Advocacy Chair.

The Foundation is grateful for all the Barrys have accomplished in this role, and we are excited to usher in a new group of dedicated advocacy leaders.

“I am so humbled, honored and excited to serve the cystic fibrosis community as the National Advocacy Co-Chair with Rebecca," said Melissa Shiffman. “With so many exciting advances happening now and in the near future, there couldn't be a more critical time to inspire our elected officials into action and to raise awareness for cystic fibrosis. As an adult patient in her forties, I am delighted to take on this challenge and demonstrate first-hand how policy decisions can affect lives in our community.”

“I am so honored and excited to serve as the CFF's National Co-Chair with Melissa Shiffman," said Rebecca Schroeder after the announcement. "CF advocates have left an undeniable, positive impact on my family since the day my son Brady was born. From the implementation of the Newborn Screening Program to the swift approval of Kalydeco - CF advocates have paved the way to a better future for him, and everyone with CF. With cystic fibrosis research progressing toward the cure day by day, nothing is more important to me than advocating for a system that understands our needs, and supports our progress.”

Please join us in welcoming our new National Advocacy Chairs!

Learn more about how you can join Melissa and Rebecca in the Foundation's advocacy efforts.

Share this article
Topics
About the CF Foundation | Public Policy | Advocacy
Recent news
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Invests an Additional $5 Million in BiomX
News | 2 min read
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Invests More Than $6.6 Million in Additional Funding in Sionna Therapeutics
News | 2 min read
Bruce Marshall, Chief Medical Officer, to Retire From the CF Foundation
News | 3 min read
Stay up to date with The Foundation

Sign up for our newsletter to get all of the latest news from The Foundation right in your inbox.

Subscribe