NACDS Annual 2026

Dr. Christine Birnie was appointed dean of the Wegmans School of Pharmacy in 2017. Prior to being named dean, she served as associate dean for academic affairs and chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. A founding faculty member of the School, her primary teaching responsibilities have included pharmacy calculations, pharmaceutics, and the compounding laboratory. In addition, she developed and taught an elective course, Introduction to Medical Missions, which includes students from nursing and pre-professional disciplines.

Christie Boutte is the Senior Vice President of Reimbursement, Innovation, and Advocacy, where she oversees policy development, strategic direction, advocacy, and overall management of the association’s reimbursement portfolio at the federal and state levels and assists with the strategic development of priority issues to advance and expand pharmacy practice and programs. Christie also serves as the Interim President of the NACDS Foundation, providing leadership and strategic oversight to advance the Foundation’s mission in support of patient care, pharmacy innovation, and public health initiatives through research and education.

Grace Kuo, PharmD, MPH, PhD, an experienced academic leader with a deep background in clinical practice and research, officially joined Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center as the third dean of the Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy in May 2022.

Under Angie's leadership, Hy-Vee was named the 2024 Pharmacy Innovator of the Year by Drug Store News. Angie has also received numerous individual accolades for her work, including being named one of Progressive Grocer's Top Women in Grocery twice, a Drug Store News Top Woman in Health, Wellness and Beauty, and one of Mass Market Retailers' Most Influential Women. She was also named a 2022 Gold GLOBEE Hero of the Year.

Dr. Leigh Ann Ross is Dean and Bell Endowed Chair, and Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, at Auburn University Harrison College of Pharmacy. Prior to joining Auburn University, she served as the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, Director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, and Research Professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences. She previously served as the Chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Mississippi. Dr. Ross also worked with the John D. Bower School of Population Health at the University of Mississippi Medical Center as Professor in the Department of Population Health Science.

Rina Shah is Senior Vice President and Head of Enterprise Specialty at Walgreens, where she leads the company’s transformation of specialty pharmacy. She oversees teams of clinical experts focused on delivering innovative, patient‑centered care models and scalable solutions for providers and partners.