AAA Staff

AAA's staff is based at the AAA National Office in Bethesda, MD. The office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST.

Andrea Pendleton | Colby Shultz | Melissa Kraft | Carlin Bokal | Liz Phares

Andrea Pendleton, Executive Director
apendleton@anatomy.org - 301-634-7910

Andrea joined the American Association of Anatomists as Executive Director in August 1998, following 20 years in association management focusing on communications and public policy. She was Director of Communications and Acting Executive Director for the Optical Society of America, a scientific professional organization of 12,500 members. In this capacity, she was responsible for the association's monthly magazine, Web site, public policy program, membership development, public relations, awards and committees, education activities, customer service, and advertising.

Beyond her 11 years at OSA, Andrea's science/technology background ranges from working as a Laboratory Assistant for experiments on the behavioral effects of addictive drugs on squirrel monkeys to serving as Research Assistant/Editor for the Science Council of Canada. Her public policy experience includes serving as a Legislative Assistant with the Illinois State Senate and as Editor/Acting Public Affairs Director for the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Andrea holds a B.A. in Political Science from Douglass College and is co-author of a book on the social and technological implications of an aging population, as well as numerous magazine articles. She is former president of the D.C. Chapter of Women in Communications, serves on the CEO Advisory Council of the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives, and is a member of the American Society of Association Executives and the Council of Scientific and Engineering Society Executives. She lives in Arlington, VA, with her husband Alan and three Clumber Spaniels, whom they show and breed.

Colby Shultz, Meetings Manager
cshultz@anatomy.org - 301-634-7910

Colby Shultz joined AAA in July 2010 as meeting manager, responsible for all aspects of the AAA Annual Meeting, as well as other meetings and workshops, and the awards connected with the Annual Meeting program. Colby will also be the staff person responsible for coordinating AAA’s 125th Anniversary celebration, which culminates at the 2013 Annual Meeting in Boston.

Colby worked for the American Health Care Association (AHCA) for 9 years as the meeting & registration manager. Her responsibilities included all meeting and conference logistics from start to finish: negotiating hotel contracts, creating & maintaining budgets, onsite management & post-meeting reconciliation, and conference registration. Prior to that, she was with the Youth For Understanding International Exchange as a travel program coordinator working with high school exchange students. She attended The Catholic University of America and earned her CMP (Certified Meeting Professional status) in 2008. Colby and her husband live in Frederick, MD.

Melissa Kraft, Member Services & Marketing Manager
mkraft@anatomy.org - 301-634-7910

Melissa Kraft joins AAA after more than five years as a membership manager for the Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS), where her members included the doctors, nurses, paramedics, and pilots who rescue people after an accident, as well as the big manufacturers of medevac helicopters. Before her employment with AAMS, Melissa's career focused on public relations and marketing at non-profit trade associations within the DC Metro area, including the Grocery Manufacturers of America and the National Association of Water Companies. 

As AAA's Member Services & Marketing Manager, Melissa will be responsible for recruitment and retention of members, including customer service, journal fulfillment, and database maintenance.  She will also have overall responsibility for AAA's Web site and for marketing AAA and its journals.

Melissa graduated from George Mason University with a BA in English. Her personal passions include writing, cooking, photography, and spending time with her husband and two daughters.

Carlin Bokal, Education & Professional Development Manager
cbokal@anatomy.org - 301-634-7910

Carlin Bokal joined AAA in September 2008 after almost eight years in Career Services at The Catholic University of America, where she served as associate director. Her responsibilities there included providing career counseling for undergraduate and graduate students and alumni, job and internship search assistance, mock interviews, and developing career-related programming.  She also spent two years in career consulting work and was an academic advisor at the University of Maryland, College Park.

All of this experience, plus Carlin's MA/AGS in Community and Career Counseling from the University of Maryland, College Park, serves her well in this position. Among her responsibilities are AAA's Outreach Grant program, the Education & Teaching Tools component of the Web site, our Postdoctoral Fellowship and Education Research Scholarship programs, the Anatomy Training Program, and the Career Networking Program. Carlin lives in Columbia, Maryland, with her husband and two children.

Liz Phares, Membership Coordinator/Administrative Assistant
lphares@anatomy.org - 301-634-7910

Liz Phares joined AAA in October as membership coordinator/administrative assistant, supporting all staff with a special focus on membership, awards, and accounting functions.

Liz worked for seven years as membership coordinator for the Restaurant Association of Maryland. Prior to this position, she worked in the hospitality industry as a sous chef and production coordinator and spent two years as a social worker for developmentally disabled adults.

Liz graduated from Hood College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and also earned an Associate of Arts degree in Professional Cooking from Baltimore International College. She enjoys cooking, bicycling, and spending time with family.

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