APhA Foundation names 2021 Jacob W. Miller Award recipient

Susan Winckler, CEO of the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration, is the American Pharmacists Association Foundation’s 2021 recipient of the Jacob W. Miller Award. The award recognizes individuals who help to advance the Foundation’s mission through their involvement and leadership in longstanding programs and new initiatives. 

Established in 2000, the award honors Jacob W. Miller who held positions in state and national pharmacy organizations and was APhA Foundation president from 1990-2000.

Winckler was honored at the APhA Foundation’s Innovation Celebration program on Sunday, March 14 during the APhA 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting and Exposition.

“The Foundation is often at the forefront of innovation in our profession, and I am proud to have benefitted from and contributed to, the Foundation’s work,” said Winckler. “Its spirit of experimenting with new concepts, evaluating the performance of those concepts, and adapting to the changing environment has, and will continue to serve our profession well. I look forward to seeing “what’s next” on the Foundation’s horizon.” 

A pharmacist and attorney by training, Winckler has utilized her pharmacist training to shape policy regarding optimal use of medication. Immediately prior to joining the Reagan-Udall Foundation in May of 2020, she served as president of Leavitt Partners Solutions, a national healthcare strategy firm led by former Health and Human Services secretary Michael Leavitt.

Winckler served as chief of staff at FDA from 2007-2009, managing the commissioner’s office and serving both Republican and Democratic commissioners as their senior-most staff adviser. Prior to leading Leavitt Partners Solutions, she held top posts at the Health Care Transformation Task Force and the Food & Drug Law Institute. Much of her early career was invested in serving on the staff at APhA.

“We are proud to present Susan with the 2021 Jacob W. Miller award,” said APhA Foundation executive director, Mitchel Rothholz. “Her leadership and participation in APhA Foundation initiatives and work with APhA and the profession have contributed to our nation’s efforts to improving medication use and utilization of pharmacists’ patient care services.”