Andrew Alfonso, MS, LCGC ; Rebeca B. Venezia, MSc, CGC
The role of the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (J.E.D.I) Stewardship Committee is to support NSGC’s goal of fostering a sense of belonging for all its members. It was established to support NSGC’s J.E.D.I. Action Plan, as developed by the NSGC J.E.D.I. Action Plan Task Force and approved by the NSGC Board of Directors in 2021. The action plan was first implemented in August 2022 and completed its first iteration in August 2025. It focuses on fostering a professional community that supports and promotes a culture of belonging for our membership, which includes varied identities, perspectives, and backgrounds. Additionally, it seeks to drive engagement with, and retention of, this inclusive and diverse membership.
As representatives of the committee, it is difficult for us to consolidate the broad efforts and accomplishments over the past five years since the committee's inception, but we welcome you to dive deeper into the six operational pillars of the Action Plan and review both accomplishments and ongoing work via the J.E.D.I. Action Plan Dashboard. These pillars continue to align with the NSGC 2025 - 2027 Strategic Plan and drive change that permeates across all of the organization.
In 2026, the committee was charged with several major initiatives:
- Assessing NSGC’s organizational culture and members’ current priorities related to continued development of a culture of belonging.
- Leading NSGC's student outreach strategy to engage with communities underrepresented in genetic counseling.
- Organizing a new program/event for NSGC members that promotes networking and community-building within the Society.
- Building educational programming/trainings that incorporate DEI principles.
- Developing and leading a presentation to NSGC leadership which incorporates key J.E.D.I. leadership principles and best practices.
We, Andrew Alfonso (Chair) and Rebeca Venezia (Vice Chair), are proud to introduce our 2026 J.E.D.I. Stewardship Committee members and honor their efforts in addressing these charges. As always, none of this would be possible without the support of Sara Pirzadeh-Miller (Board Liaison) and Madalyn Frigo (Staff Liaison).
Shilan Hameed [student member], Priyanka Maripuri, and Anna Vickrey (Educational Resources Workgroup)
At the time of writing this, we are looking forward to hosting an upcoming Community Conversations webinar: SNVs in Healthcare: Implementation of Pharmacogenomics (PGx) and Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS) and the Role of Genetic Counselors with Howard McLeod, PharmD & Emma Perez, MS, CGC. This webinar will debut on October 1 at 12 pm CT. The workgroup has also consolidated trainings and resources that incorporate DEI principles to develop a resource guide for NSGC leaders that will be shared at the NSGC Leadership Summit, organized annually for incoming committee chairs and vice chairs and the Board of Directors. Additionally, the committee anticipates collaborating with the Education Committee on the generation of J.E.D.I.-related tools and guides for ensuring future NSGC educational content is presented in a culturally sensitive and accessible manner.
Brittany Bowman, Harita Joshi [student member], and Zaria Neal (Outreach Workgroup)
We are excited to offer a J.E.D.I. Coffee Hour at the NSGC 45th Annual Conference on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 - 8:30 am ET. This will be an in-person opportunity for all attendees to meet new people and build community, and will be hosted in collaboration with the NSGC Membership Committee. Shilan will host an NSGC booth at the SACNAS Annual Conference on Oct. 29 - 31, raising awareness of the genetic counseling profession with prospective students of Chicano/Hispanic or Native American heritage. Throughout 2026, the outreach workgroup has addressed multiple requests for speakers at schools and outreach events nationally (both virtually and in person) and will continue to do so through the remainder of the year. Additionally, Anna and Annaya supported the virtual NSGC Prospective Genetic Counselor Student Fair on September 24 by being available to answer prospective students’ questions about the profession and introducing them to a day-in-the-life of a genetic counselor.
Ayanna Boyce and Badí Quinteros [student member] (Survey Workgroup)
The committee supplied additional questions to better assess members’ feelings of belonging that were included in the Member and Education Needs Focus Groups and Assessment conducted earlier this year. A high-level review of responses, as shared with the committee, will be used to develop and present any necessary recommendations to NSGC’s Membership Committee and Board once available.
Ways to be heard and where to find community
In addition to the charges outlined above that are being driven by the J.E.D.I. Stewardship Committee, there are efforts happening across NSGC to support building an inclusive society supporting NSGC members of diverse backgrounds and experiences. Whether you are a tenured genetic counselor, freshly in the field, or even if you are still a student, there are plenty of opportunities to be heard and find belonging within NSGC.
● Avenues for communicating with leadership, giving feedback, and guidance for members
○ Have feedback or comments you’d like elevated to NSGC leadership? Email memberfeedback@nsgc.org. (For customer service, you can always email nsgc@nsgc.org.)
○ Refer to NSGC’s Disciplinary Procedures to learn about NSGC’s process for handling alleged violations of NSGC policy and/or to submit a complaint.
○ Review the NSGC Participant Code of Conduct that outlines guidelines and expectations of attendees participating in NSGC programming.
● Ways to get involved and find community
○ Students and new graduates are invited to join the webinar or watch the recording, From Student to Professional: How an NSGC Membership Works for You, to learn how NSGC can help you build a future in genetic counseling.
○ Did you know that NSGC memberships include access to all 20+ Special Interest Groups (SIGs)? Learn more about each of the SIGs and how to join!
○ NSGC hosts multiple networking events at the Annual Conference. Check out those highlighted below and detailed in the full schedule:
■ First-Time Attendee Welcome Reception: Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 5:30 - 7:00 pm ET
■ Opening Night Exhibit Hall Reception: Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 4:30 - 6:30 pm ET
■ Inaugural J.E.D.I. Coffee Hour: Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 - 8:30 am ET
■ Genetic Counselor Appreciation Day Celebration and Poster Viewing in Exhibit Hall: Thursday, Nov. 12 at 4:30 - 5:30 pm ET
■ SIG Networking Event (refer to the conference schedule for more details)
○ Sign up to connect with a mentor and/or mentor someone else in the profession via the NSGConnect Mentorship Program.
○ Engage in conversation and idea-sharing with other genetic counselors via the members-only NSGCommunities platform.
○ Consider joining one of NSGC’s committees, including the J.E.D.I. Stewardship Committee, next year to lead change and further support building inclusion and belonging across the organization!
While we share all of this as representatives of the J.E.D.I. Stewardship Committee, this work does not happen in a vacuum. We are proud to work alongside the NSGC Board of Directors and collaborate with fellow committees, such as the Education and Membership Committees, SIG leadership, and beyond. These efforts are reflective of the needs voiced by our members, and we encourage you to continue to make your voices heard by volunteering, engaging in membership programming and events, and responding to surveys.
Andrew Alfonso, MS, LCGC is Manager of Medical Science Liaisons for Oncology at Natera. He earned his MS in genetic counseling from the University of South Carolina before embarking on his decade long career in industry. He has provided clinical education on cancer risk assessment, companion diagnostics, pharmacogenomics, and molecular residual disease testing, supporting and launching multiple products both personally and as a manager of field MSLs. Andrew is passionate about advancements in equitable care via patient and provider education as well as clinical evidence generation.
Rebeca B. Venezia, MSc, CGC obtained her BSc in Biotechnology from the University of Wroclaw in Poland and her MSc in Nutrigenomics and Personalized Nutrition from the University of the Balearic Islands in Spain. Drawn to the clinical side of genetics she pursued a genetic counseling degree from Sarah Lawrence College in New York. Rebeca now works as a board-certified genetic counselor at SequenceMD in the general adult and rare disease space. Rebeca is the current Vice Chair of the NSGC J.E.D.I. Stewardship Committee.