CHPA names new communications VP and head of CHPA Foundation
WASHINGTON - The Consumer Healthcare Products Association on Wednesday named seasoned journalist and association executive Anita Brikman to the dual role as the association’s VP communications and public affairs and as executive director of the CHPA Educational Foundation, the association’s 501(c)(3) educational affiliate.
“Anita’s unique experience as a broadcast journalist, association executive and healthcare advocate makes her an ideal leader for CHPA’s communications function and our educational foundation,” stated Scott Melville, CHPA president and CEO. “It’s an exciting time for self-care, and Anita brings a lifetime of communicating about healthcare issues that will make CHPA an even more effective voice for consumer healthcare.”
“We’re delighted to have Anita lead the foundation as it continues to raise its profile and fulfill its mission to educate consumers about safe use, storage and disposal of OTC medicines and dietary supplements," added Chris DeWolf, chairman of the CHPA Educational Foundation and president and CEO of Lil' Drug Store Products. "She brings passion and insight that will immediately enhance our ability to reach and educate consumers.”
Brikman will begin her new role on Sept. 6 helping CHPA and its foundation serving as a member of the association’s senior management team and reporting directly to the foundation’s board of directors.
For Brikman, CHPA will be a new, but familiar, chapter in her professional life. “Throughout my career, an overarching goal has been to educate consumers about all of their healthcare options to aid them in making informed choices for themselves and their families,” Brikman said. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead the communications team at CHPA and spearhead the critically important consumer education programs of the foundation.”
For over two decades, Brikman worked as a news anchor and health reporter in the major television markets of Philadelphia (WPVI Channel 6) and Washington, D.C. (WUSA Channel 9), where she served as chief medical correspondent directing coverage on a wide range of healthcare matters. She eventually moved into the association world where she recently served as SVP communications and outreach at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization leading communications and marketing for the association and its affiliates, including the National Hospice Foundation.
Brikman is a graduate of Miami University in Ohio where she majored in mass communications and graduated with honors.