Jacqueline Smith is a two-time stage III melanoma survivor who has dedicated the last decade of her life to patient advocacy, health policy and advancing the field of cancer survivorship. Currently, Director of Grassroots Advocacy and State Government Affairs, Jacqueline was Associate Director for U.S. Oncology Advocacy and Professional Relations at Bristol Myers Squibb where she oversaw the melanoma, breast and survivorship portfolios. Jacqueline is also a former staffer for U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand where she served as the Senator’s representative in the 11-county Central New York region and worked tirelessly to develop and forward the federal policy priorities of the constituents of that region.
Due to Jacqueline’s health advocacy efforts, she is a frequent speaker on Capitol Hill and beyond, including being a Spotlight speaker at the Biden Cancer Summit. She has been featured in InStyle, Self Magazine, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Yahoo Health and other international publications. Jacqueline has also shared her melanoma journey and expertise on live news broadcasts, on NPR and in documentaries.
She is proud to be appointed to the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Council of Research Advocates, the external advisory boards for H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center’s Skin Cancer and Health Disparities SPORE programs, and as a reviewer for the U. S. Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Research Program in melanoma. She is a former appointed Commissioner on Montgomery County’s Commission on Health (Maryland), served on the Board of Directors for the Melanoma Research Foundation and served as the survivorship and palliative care co-lead for Washington D.C.’s Cancer Action Partnership.
