Jo Ah Sundrani PharmD, MBA, President
Jo Ah Lee has been involved with the Dallas Area Pharmacy Association for 5-years. She initially got involved with DAPA by being a director of the board and began contributing to the development of the association’s virtual presence in the community as the Virtual and Social Media Director.
She believes that standing together and advocating for pharmacy will advance the practice in ways where pharmacists can be utilized to their full potential to optimize patient care and ultimately the community. With representation, numbers, and active members of DAPA and TPA we can advance pharmacy!
Amber Myers PharmD, Vice President
Amber Myers has worked in independent pharmacy even when she was a technician in Oklahoma. She has a passion for educating her community and build lasting relationships with them. Amber has worked in compounding pharmacy with a functional medicine emphasis as well as hospice pharmacy. Amber also tutors pharmacy students and teaches technician classes at community college.
Jeff Loesch PharmD, Past-President, Auditing Committee
Jeff Loesch is the Director of Pharmacy for the Kroger Company’s Dallas Division. With over 20 years of experience, Jeff has been extensively involved in numerous aspects of the practice of pharmacy, including pharmacy management, pharmacy procurement, regulatory compliance, and government relations. During his time as the Pharmacy Procurement Manager for Kroger, Jeff led the effort to develop the Company’s suspicious order monitoring and hazardous waste programs. In his most prior role as the Company’s Manager of Pharmacy Regulatory Compliance and Government Relations, he was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Company’s pharmacy compliance and ethics programs. In that capacity, he also served as the Company’s HIPAA Privacy Officer. In his current role as Director of Pharmacy, he is responsible for Kroger Pharmacies throughout North Texas and Louisiana. Most recently, he has been involved with efforts to coordinate a naloxone program with the Texas Pharmacy Association that allows Kroger pharmacists in Texas to provide naloxone to patients through a physician-signed standing order.
He is a member of the American Pharmacists Association, the Texas Pharmacy Association, the American Society for Pharmacy Law, and the Health Care Compliance Association. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Texas Federation of Drug Stores, and on the National Association of Chain Drug Stores’ Public Policy Council.
Jeff earned his Pharm.D. from the University of Houston in 2002. He is also Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC) by the Compliance Certification Board. He is a Registered Pharmacist and Pharmacist Preceptor in the State of Texas.
Shari McDaniel RPh, Treasurer, Auditing Committee Chair
Shari has been DAPA Treasurer since 2013.
Kim Nguyen RPh, Secretary
Brittany Aldridge CPht, Pharmacy Technician Director
Andrew Wall PharmD, Director, Bylaws Committee Chair, Nominating Committee Chair, Member of the Scholarship Selection Committee
Andrew Wall is a Clinical Pharmacy Manager and Residency Director at Child & Family Guidance Center as well as a Professor at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth College of Pharmacy. He received his Bachelors in Biology and Business Administration from UT Dallas and his Doctor of Pharmacy from The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He has experience in multiple different pharmacy settings including community, hospital, nuclear, health outcomes research, and drug development. He has been on the Dallas Area Pharmacy Association (DAPA) Board since 2015. He is also a member of the American Pharmacist Association (APhA) and the Texas Pharmacy Association (TPA). In his spare time, he volunteers with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, goes to the theatre, and rides his bike.
Ashley Chasse PharmD, Director, Scholarship Committee Chair
Ashley Chasse is a clinical pharmacist for the Methodist Patient Centered Accountable Care Organization (MPCACO) at Methodist Health system in Dallas and an Advanced Practice Coordinator for The University of Texas College of Pharmacy. Ashley received a B.S in Physiology from the University of Arizona and a Pharm.D from The University of Oklahoma. Upon graduating she completed a Community Residency at Las Colinas Pharmacy in conjunction with the University of Texas. Her professional memberships include the American Pharmacist Association (APhA), the Texas Pharmacy Association (TPA) and the Dallas Area Pharmacy Association (DAPA). Not only is she a board member and the scholarship chair, but she enjoys spending time with her family in her spare time.
Mahdi Al Hallaqh RPh, Director, Treasurer-in-Training
Mahdi is the COO & Co-Owner of the SandsRx. He is also the Pharmacist-In-Charge at the SandsRx Wylie location. He is a licensed Pharmacist who lives in the Murphy community. Mahdi graduated from St. Louis College of Pharmacy in 1998 and is currently licensed to practice pharmacy in 14 states. Mahdi has over 20 years of experience in retail and specialty pharmacy. He worked for a major retail chain for over 12 years, with 5 years as a District Manager overseeing 33 operations in the state of Alabama. Mahdi also worked as a Pharmacy Director for a leading company that specializes in long-term care serving 60 nursing homes in Alabama. Growing up in a family owned pharmacy, Mahdi spent his childhood working as a clerk at his father’s store. He has extensive experience in specialty pharmacy including Blood Disorders, Fertility, and Women’s Health. Mahdi is also a trained Compounding Pharmacist, who specializes in hormone replacement treatments.
Kath
Chisholm PharmD, RPh, Director
Kath Chisholm obtained her Doctorate in Pharmacy at Creighton University. Dr. Chisholm has hospital pharmacy experience, but most of her experience comes from retail pharmacy. Currently, she is a Pharmacy Manager at a Kroger Pharmacy where she truly enjoys helping her patients, leading them to the path of better health. Her passion to volunteer and the love for the pharmacy profession has led her to be involved in different organizations, such as, American Pharmacist Association (APhA), Texas Pharmacy Association (TPA) and the Dallas Area Pharmacy association (DAPA). Due to her motivation to promote the pharmacy profession, she has served as Student Liaison and later as a DAPA Director. She has organized many events allowing the public to know the many services that pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy students provide, as they are the most accessible healthcare providers in the community.
Aaron Gilbert PharmD, Director
Elizabeth Beard PharmD, Director, Social Events Chair
Elizabeth Beard moved to DFW after graduating in 2019 from The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy. She currently works in nuclear pharmacy at Siemens Healthineers/PETNET Solutions. Elizabeth is excited to advance the profession of pharmacy through her role as Director with DAPA. She lives with her husband, a blind cat, and a crazy dog and enjoys trying new restaurants, travel, and modern art.
Emery Johnson RPh, PD, DAPA Advisor, Nominating Committee Member
The ability to give philanthropically is a gift of success that one should not take lightly, therefore it must be carefully administered to the organization and institutions that do the most good with that financial support. That is why I lend my financial support to MCPHS University, the APhA Foundation, Texas Pharmacy Association and Dallas Area Pharmacy Association Scholarship funds, local food banks in Allen and Dallas, Battered Women and Domestic Violence Family Shelters, and local Church organizations providing food and clothing to those in need. I also volunteer my time to the Collin County Medical Reserve Corp as a director for the local Point-of-Dispensing site for Disaster Relief and as a MRS First Responder. My advice to All Pharmacy Professionals is; Challenge yourself always. Opportunity surrounds us as individual pharmacists and as a profession. The challenge is to turn opportunity in to reality. It requires the commitment of every individual to be members and active participants within our professional associations, and with our Universities as supporters. This drive will allow us to maintain our professionalism and motivation to embrace opportunity, innovation, entrepreneurism. Our Professional Passion will allow us to volunteer our time for the benefit of others. We must focus on delivering knowledge gained with integrity, discipline, and leadership to promote patient health through pharmacist care services. Pharmacy Students, Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians, and Pharmacy Organization must promote and spread the word about their Impact on Patients, Communities, and the Health Care Industry. It is our Duty to “Pay it Forward”.
Very Sincere Regards,
Emery-
Don Levine D.Ph, DAPA Advisor, Nominating Committee Chair, Auditing Committee
Donald (Don) Levine, D.Ph., is a 1972 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy. His entire 40 year professional career was spent in the pharmaceutical industry working for Plough, Inc, Schering-Plough, and Merck, retiring at the end of 2011. The bulk of his experience revolved around Clinical Trials, Product Safety and Global Clinical Supply. In addition to being active in MAPS (Memphis Area Pharmacist Society), he worked for the American Pharmacist Association, holding a number of offices, and was elected as a APhA Fellow, being honored at the 2012 Annual Meeting in New Orleans. He opened his consulting firm, DJL Pharma Consultants, LLC, in 2012 and lists both large and small pharmas and a state university among his clients.
In 2013 when he was given an ultimatum by his children: “If you want to see your grandchildren grow up, you WILL move to Texas.” His 4 granddaughters and grandson are the reason he still hangs around today. Prior to moving to the DFW area, he contacted DAPA through an internet search and attended his first DAPA meeting in 2014. In 2015, wanting to continue to pay back his profession, he asked to be considered to run for a Board of Director position and was elected.
Melanie Smith RPh, DAPA Advisor
Melanie Smith is a registered pharmacist, nationally recognized Product Development Consultant for the cosmetic industry, political advocate for her community and the pharmacy profession, and a volunteer for the Dallas County Medical Reserve Corps. Her professional memberships include the Texas Pharmacy Association, the Dallas Area Pharmacy Association (Board of Directors), and the Society of Cosmetic Chemists. She enjoys cooking, swimming, traveling and enjoying the cultural activities in Dallas in her semi-retired lifestyle. Prior to embarking on these endeavors, she was the Director of Product Development at Mary Kay Inc. for 25 years.
Melanie received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy from Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, Master of Science Degree in Pharmacy from the University of Rhode Island; and Master of Business Administration from the University of Dallas.
Christine Hong, PharmD, Social Media Director
Alan Nguyen, PharmD Candidate, Student Liaison
Mahsa Helforoush, PharmD Candidate, Student Liaison
Mahsa Helforoush is a P4 student at Texas Tech School of Pharmacy in Dallas, Texas. She currently serves as a pharmacy intern at H-E-B Pharmacy. Outside of DAPA, she is involved in organizations including the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), Phi Lambda Sigma (PLS), and Rho Chi. She enjoys staying active by going on runs and Camp Gladiator sessions. She is very excited to increase student engagement in DAPA and overall help the profession of pharmacy grow!
Navin Kumar, PharmD Candidate, Student Liaison