2025 Guest CEO Blog: Tessa Schnelle, PharmD, MPH, DPLA

It was a great privilege and honor to have the opportunity to participate in the APhA Foundation’s CEO for a Day Program.  Throughout the event I gained an appreciation for the work of our association staff and their dedication to leading the pharmacy profession as we evolve and pivot with the rapidly changing world around us.  Each APhA staff leader demonstrated deep dedication to our members and a renewed laser-like focus on delivering great membership experiences through careful discernment to forge a path into the future.   

My day started with time spent with the APhA Foundation for their Board of Directors Meeting.  I am always amazed at the vast portfolio that the Foundation’s research and grant programs fuel and am so excited about the Foundation’s current dedication to amplifying the visibility of the amazing work that our researchers and community-based grant programs generate to reach audiences external to our profession. 

As an avid lover of history, I always love spending time in the APhA Library.  During my visit I spent time with a specially curated collection of artifacts collected by Brittany Botescu, Associate Director, Governance & Policy.  Taking time to reflect on the foundational leadership accomplishments of past pharmacy leaders provided me with a renewed understanding of the pivotal role each of our APhA volunteer leaders play in the innovation and preservation of our profession.    

I also had the opportunity to visit Capitol Hill alongside APhA Manager of Government Affairs, Keaton Higgins.  We met with staff from US Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall’s offices and US Representative Sharice Davids to discuss support for the Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services (ECAPS) bill. Taking time to visit with your legislators each time you visit the US Capitol is a great opportunity to advocate and keep pharmacy issues at the front of mind of your legislators.  A few short weeks later while in town for APhA Day of NP LIFE, ironically while standing on the steps of the US Capitol, I received a text from Keaton that stated we had the support of all of Kansas legislative team signed onto the ECAPS bill.  I was able to share my excitement with my fellow APhA Day of NP LIFE attendees as they participated in their own Capitol Hill visits. 

As a new practitioner involved in association leadership, the professional pearls gained during time spent with department leaders within the APhA organization have already driven outcomes within my association leadership roles back home in Kansas.  My day as CEO made me appreciate the collaborative work of Team APhA.  While I am caring for my patients Team APhA is busy advocating for the profession, building relationships, and developing education to prepare me to be the pharmacist that will be needed to lead in the years to come.  I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in the CEO for a day program and enjoyed my time spent serving “for every pharmacist” and “for all of pharmacy.”