WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease appoints three new members to its Board of Directors

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease today announces the induction of three new Governing Board members -- all women heart patients who will bring a personal perspective to their Board service. Dina Piersawl, Jerri Anne Johnson and Rhonda Monroe are all WomenHeart Champions – volunteer community educators, advocates and Support Network Coordinators trained at the prestigious WomenHeart Science & Leadership Symposium at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. They join leaders in women's cardiovascular health at the helm of the nation's first and still only national organization solely devoted to women's heart health and supporting the 42 million living with or at risk for heart disease.  

"We are very excited to welcome the three new Board members to our leadership team," said Mary McGowan, Chief Executive Officer of WomenHeart. "As heart disease survivors and patient advocates, they bring a deep passion and understanding about the struggles that other women have experienced living with heart disease," she continued. "Their unique journey and special skill set will help ensure that WomenHeart continues to provide the education, advocacy, and support needed by all women living with or at risk for heart disease," she added. 

Dina Piersawl
Dina Piersawl is a chemist with more than 25 years of experience as a consultant for the hair care, skin care and cosmetics industry. She is a graduate of the fall 2009 WomenHeart Science & Leadership Symposium at Mayo Clinic. As a WomenHeart Champion Dina shares her personal heart story and inspires women at the local, regional and national levels about women and heart disease. She has also been interviewed for print and broadcast news stories on heart disease in women, including The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2011 and Windy City Live on ABC 7, Chicago, IL, in 2012. She attended the first White House Community Leaders Briefing on Cardiovascular Health in 2012 with other WomenHeart Champions and WomenHeart leadership. As a WomenHeart Board Member, she looks forward to advocating on behalf of women's heart health with a special focus on women of color who are at higher risk and have a higher mortality rate from heart disease than other racial and ethnic groups.

Jerri Anne Johnson, M. Ed.
Jerri Anne Johnson recently retired after 26 years in the pharmaceutical industry in various roles. She began working with WomenHeart in 2009 when she was the Director of the new Women's Heart Health Initiative at Abbott. In that role, she worked with healthcare providers and community groups around the globe to deliver education about the unique aspects of heart disease in women. While at Abbott, she served on the WomenHeart Corporate Advisory Committee. She accepted the 2013 Wenger Award for Excellence in Corporate Leadership on behalf of Abbott for launching the Women's Heart Health Initiative in collaboration with the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. Jerri Anne is a graduate of the fall 2014 WomenHeart Science & Leadership Symposium at Mayo Clinic and leads the WomenHeart Support Network in Lancaster County, PA. As a WomenHeart Board Member she hopes to drive awareness about the connection between preeclampsia and other pregnancy complications and the increased risk of early heart disease, as well as the importance of women with heart disease participating in clinical trials.  

Rhonda Monroe, MBA
Rhonda Monroe is a former economist and financial analyst turned health advocate. She has survived three heart attacks and a stroke, and lives with coexisting heart conditions. She now applies the passion of her personal health struggle to the nation's number one health plight – heart disease in women. Rhonda is a graduate of the fall 2007 WomenHeart Science & Leadership Symposium at Mayo Clinic. As a spokesperson for women's heart health, she has been featured twice in TIME magazine, on The Today Show, and in a Bayer Aspirin commercial. She has served on the Board of Directors of WVU University Healthcare. Her board service and grassroots efforts to combat heart disease in West Virginia earned her the 2012 West Virginia Governor's Volunteer Service Award.    

WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease is the nation's only patient centered organization serving the 42 million American women living with or at risk for heart disease – the leading cause of death in women. WomenHeart is solely devoted to advancing women's heart health through advocacy, community education, and the nation's only patient support network for women living with heart disease. WomenHeart is both a coalition and a community of thousands of members nationwide, including women heart patients and their families, physicians, and health advocates, all committed to helping women live longer, healthier lives. To receive a free online heart health action kit or to donate, visit www.womenheart.org 

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SOURCE WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease