The Association of Clinical Research Professionals

Academy Board of Trustees

CHAIR
Steven Ziemba, PhD, MBA, CIP, CCRC, CPI, ACRP PM, FACRP, is the Lead IRB Reviewer and Assistant Professor in Healthcare Administration for Northcentral University, an accredited and nationally regarded online university.  He is also the founder and principal of Research Site Consult, LLC, a consulting business for healthcare organizations involved or interested in clinical research.  Mr. Ziemba holds several graduate degrees and professional designations, including a PhD in Healthcare Administration, MS in Biomedical Science and MBA with a concentration in Pharmaceutical Industry Studies.  Additionally, he is certified as a Clinical Research Coordinator (CCRC) and Principal Investigator (CPI), a Certified IRB Professional (CIP), Fellow of the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (FACRP) and Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE).  In addition to his work, Mr. Ziemba is an active volunteer of the Association of Clinical Research Professionals, working with the association as it strives to enhance the quality of clinical research.  Among other activities, he has served on the association’s Board of Trustees, including as its 2016 Chair.

VICE CHAIR
Robert O’Connor, CCRA, ACRP-CP, FACRP
, is a senior clinical scientist in The Procter & Gamble Company’s Baby, Feminine, and Family Care BioSciences Department. He has a BA in Biology from Drew University in New Jersey and a master’s degree in Biology from The University of Cincinnati. Before joining Procter & Gamble, Rob worked as a clinical research associate at ClinTrials in Nashville, TN., and at Kendle Research Associates in Cincinnati, OH. He joined Procter & Gamble in 1994 and worked for several years as a clinical researcher in the OTC medicine division before moving to the Paper Division. In his current role as a Clinical Scientist, Rob is responsible for protocol development, study design and management, and post-study activities for Pampers diapers and baby wipes. In addition, he is responsible for IRB review, FDA compliance, and monitoring of the safety of study subjects. He has served as the Principal Investigator on over 50 clinical studies.  Rob’s research has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals. He is a Fellow of the Association of Clinical Research Professionals. He is a recognized expert in Bio-Instrumental skin measurements and has served as an internal Procter & Gamble IRB member, as well as an adjunct Professor at the University of Cincinnati.

 

Norbert Clemens, Academy Board of Trustees

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR
Norbert Clemens, MD, PhD, CPI, ACRP-PM, ACRP-MDP, FACRP, is a board-certified physiologist. His broad exposure to worldwide healthcare issues includes service in several academic positions: as medical director for lntersan GmbH, PAION, and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International; as general manager and head of global clinical trial services at Analytica International GmbH; as Vice President Clinical Operations at Impulse Dynamics; as Senior Manager Science & Clinical Affairs at Kaneka Pharma Europe, Germany, as Director CTM EMEA at HOYA Surgical Optics, Frankfurt/Germany, and as Founder and Principal of Clemens Medical Consulting, his current position. He has been a board member of the research and development section of the German Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry. He has also served as president of the German Society of Pharmaceutical Medicine and as treasurer of the International Federation of Associations of Pharmaceutical Physicians for several years. Norbert is a well-known trainer for investigators and site staff. He has served on the ACRP Board of Trustees as Vice Chair, Chair and Immediate Past Chair, and he is a charter member and secretary of the German Chapter of ACRP.

Kristin Smedley

PUBLIC MEMBER
Kristin Smedley 
has dedicated her life to changing people’s perceptions of blindness after her two sons were each diagnosed with a rare blindness at four months of age. In 2011, she launched a mission to fund research and resources for children living with rare eye disease. In less than eight years, the Curing Retinal Blindness Foundation raised more than $1 million and achieved the first legislation in U.S. history to be submitted in Braille—legislation that advocates for better resources for blind and visually impaired Americans. Kristin testified at the FDA on behalf of the first gene therapy for an inherited disease, Luxturna, and was named the Pennsylvania Ambassador for the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). In 2021, she founded ThrivingBlindAcademy.org to guide individuals and families living with blindness and to end the education and unemployment crisis for the blind community. Kristin is known for her constant collaborations and partnerships to drive an entire field to progress. She is the 2019 recipient of the Global Genes Champion of Hope Award and has been voted the 2017, 2018, and 2019 Power Person of Bucks County, Pa.

Tiffany Mayo

ACRP Board Liaison
Tiffany Mayo, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and Associate Professor of Dermatology at The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She received a BS and MS in Chemistry at Tuskegee University in Alabama and completed her MD at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. She completed an internship in Internal Medicine at McGaw Northwestern Medical Center in Chicago, IL, and her Dermatology residency at UAB, where she is the Director of Dermatology Clinical Research and Department Vice Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Her clinical interests include skin of color, hair and scalp disorders, and hidradenitis suppurativa. In addition to her clinical duties, she serves on multiple UAB School of Medicine committees and is active in multiple dermatology organizations. She also mentors undergraduate and medical students. She is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, National Medical Association, Women’s Dermatologic Society, Skin of Color Society, and other dermatology organizations. She is also a recipient of the National Institutes of Health Diversity Supplement Grant and Teaching Award for Resident Education. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her three children and husband.

Calvin Brasor, CCRA, ACRP-PM, has monitored and managed trials since 2016, from study startup for oncology trials, to most recently supporting rare disease trial operations in the pediatric space as Senior Clinical Lead. As a site monitor, Calvin became CCRA certified in 2018, contributed to CCRA exam item writing, and obtained his ACRP-PM in 2019. Calvin has worked in CRO settings with projects ranging from operationalizing home care, to facilitating global trials from first-in-human through phase III. He has been a part of quality-minded teams who contributed to multiple approved therapies, and he has learned from highly engaged coordinators and PIs who care for unique populations. Calvin has a strong interest in applying new methods to deliver more impactful data for the development of cancer cures. He has contributed to trials involving radiopharmaceuticals and live biotherapeutic products. Calvin has experience refining standard operating procedures, writing study manuals, streamlining study protocol, training clinical teams, and managing vendors. Calvin graduated from American University with a BS in Health Promotion and a concentration in Biology.

Robert Greco

Robert Greco, BS, RPh, CCRA, ACRP-CP, FACRP, is a registered pharmacist and has worked in the clinical research industry for about 20 years. After several years as a community pharmacist, Mr. Greco entered the industry and has held several positions at CRO, Biotech, Large Pharma and as a consultant. His different roles have provided a good variety of experience serving as a Drug Safety Surveillance Associate, a CRA at several levels, a Trial Manager and a leadership role on a Global Project Team. Mr. Greco has participated in many study teams monitoring or managing studies and has been involved in data reviews and the writing of core submission documents. While he’s enjoyed every role, Mr. Greco has always found the monitoring piece the most enjoyable. He’s always held that there is nothing like working at a study site to fully appreciate the deep responsibility everyone has to the study subjects and the public at large. He earned his CCRA Certification in 2002 and has enjoyed working with colleagues as an ACRP volunteer. Mr. Greco has served as a CCRA Exam Committee Item Writer and Exam Committee Member and Chair as well as on the CRA Academy Working Group and the Fellows Working Group. Mr. Greco was named an ACRP Fellow in 2017 and earned the ACRP-CP designation in 2018.

Glenda Guest

Glenda Guest, BS, CCRA, RQAP-GCP, ACRP-MDP, FACRP, has an extensive background in clinical research, having worked as a monitor, project manager, data manager, database programmer, senior trainer, quality assurance auditor, and regulatory consultant since joining the clinical research profession in 1997. In 2017, she established her independent consultancy, Assured of Quality Consulting & Training, specializing in GCP site/sponsor, due diligence and other specialty auditing services, development of clinical quality management systems, mock FDA inspections, and advanced GCP and FDA Regulations training for professional training organizations and clients. She has been a long-time advocate and volunteer for ACRP from chapter leadership to committee service to serving on both the ACRP Association and Academy Boards of Trustees. Glenda has maintained her ACRP Certified Clinical Research Associate (CCRA) certification since 2002. She has also achieved the ACRP Medical Device Professional (ACRP-MDP) subspecialty designation, and is honored to be recognized as a Fellow of ACRP (FACRP). Glenda has also maintained her Society of Quality Assurance (SQA) status as a Registered Quality Assurance Professional – Good Clinical Practices since 2007.

Dee Tilley

Dee Tilley, RN, CGRN, CCRC, ACRP-MDP, ACRP-PM, FARCP, is a clinical research nurse for Bon Secours Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center. She has 24 years of research experience in Phase I-IV clinical trials, with a special interest in infectious disease, gastroenterology, and rare diseases. She obtained her CCRC certification in 2006, her ACRP-MDP subspecialty designation in 2019, and her ACRP-PM subspecialty designation in 2021. Dee received an associate degree in Nursing from the University of Toledo. She first became involved with ACRP by writing items for the CCRC exam in 2013, served as a committee member for the CCRC exam from 2014 to 2020 (including time as the committee Chair from 2018 to 2020), and participated in the creation of the ACRP-MDP exam. She is also certified with the Society of Gastrointestinal Nurses (SGNA) since 1991, was the founding president of the Maumee Bay Chapter of SGNA, and initiated the annual Gut-Together educational conference. She is dedicated to the process and oversight of ACRP.

Susan P. Landis

SECRETARY/TREASURER
Susan P. Landis
joined ACRP as Executive Director in June 2021. Landis brings to ACRP more than 25 years of experience in organizational leadership, including as Vice President, Quintiles, where she helped build and lead a global clinical research engagement group. Most recently, Landis served for 6 years as Head of Strategic Engagement & Communications at Duke Clinical Research Institute, where she led external and internal marketing for the world’s largest academic research organization.