Why would you like to be on the NCDA Board of Directors?

I would be honored to join the NCD Alliance Board in support of its mission to “unite civil society for action on NCDs…, leaving no one behind”, as I feel I can provide tangible value to the execution of the 2021-2026 NCDA Strategic Plan and support NCDA during the HLM at UNGA 2025 through a focus on health workforce issues. With respect to Prevention and Care, we design programs like the NCD Academy which support equitable access to prevention, screening and care in the communities where people live and work. On Financing, I have experience with multilaterals and government funders but can also lead on the importance of data to support financing requests. With respect to Community Engagement, my experience running global public health programs has taught me the importance of early engagement with a community to assure programs fit local needs and are sustainable. I have also learned that and orientation toward Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, including emphasizing lived experience, supports broader thinking and better solution development. Much of the work I lead is dependent on Collaboration, with the need to communicate clearly to articulate a problem and then work together, valuing others’ unique contributions, to solve it. This articulation also supports Accountability, the ability to solve unforeseen problems, and to drive Results. I believe a position on the Board provides me a channel to bring my abilities to bear on the organization’s strategic direction in support of a mission I deeply believe in.

What makes you a good candidate for the NCDA Board of Directors?

I bring a unique combination of experiences to achieving NCDA’s goals. I have eighteen years’ experience in global health, having developed national and global policy frameworks for pandemic preparedness capacity building, and collaborated with local partners and funders from third countries to achieve goals. I lived and worked supporting global health programs in Indonesia and China, and remotely led global program implementation in other regions, including some affected by a legacy of war and instability. I learned the importance of understanding the local culture and have a track record of respect, clear communication, aligning on shared priorities. I understand how governments think about health funding and believe that current funding challenges can be partially addressed through integrated care by better leveraging existing health resources as attending to gaps in the system. As a woman in technology, I lead the ACC’s innovation strategy and investment portfolio, which seeks to close gaps in care access. I’ve learned the importance of mentorship and inclusion of underrepresented groups to solve pressing problems. It has also filled me with optimism that technology, when thoughtfully constructed and equitably deployed, can be a powerful tool to expand the reach of clinicians and to engage patients in their care from their community. The combination of my experiences in policy, programs, financing, technology, expat living and partnership, and my focus on mentorship and development make me a unique candidate; I hope to leverage those experiences as a member of the NCDA Alliance Board.

Biography

Jennifer Bae, MHSA, is the Executive Director of Global Innovation at the American College of Cardiology. She oversees ACC Global Programs, contributes to innovation strategy, and manages ACC’s venture fund focused on expanding access to care. Jennifer leads her organization to contribute to stronger health systems worldwide though education for the primary care and specialist workforce, data to measure disease burden and care quality, and technology to support care access.

Prior to joining the College, she worked for ten years in global health with a focus on pandemic preparedness, working within and between governments. She led direct public health capacity building and served on delegations to multilateral meetings. She also has a background in health care consulting at the Advisory Board Company.

Jennifer holds a Master of Health Services Administration and Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan. She has language skill in Spanish, Bahasa, and Mandarin.