Biography

Jennifer W. Pegher, MA, was named executive director of the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) in October 2018. She is the second executive director in AACI’s history.

Pegher joined AACI in 2012 as government relations manager. In 2015, she was named director of government relations, and in 2018, deputy director. Before joining AACI, Pegher served as executive director of the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation. Previously, she worked in Washington, DC, for former Congressman Philip S. English of Pennsylvania and the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions (formerly the National Association of Federal Credit Unions).

Under Pegher’s leadership, AACI has increased its membership to 108 cancer centers and welcomed new members to its Corporate Roundtable and sustaining members. Additional accomplishments include establishing task forces to address conflicts of interest, staff retention, and diversity, equity, and inclusion; overseeing presidential initiatives focused on cancer-related public policy, mitigating cancer disparities, and enhancing diversity in the cancer center leadership pipeline; and expanded opportunities for networking, including new listservs dedicated to special roles and topics, and meetings for new cancer center directors.

Pegher earned her master of arts degree in government at the Johns Hopkins University and her bachelor of arts degree in political science at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. She is currently enrolled in the Executive MBA in Healthcare Program at the University of Pittsburgh.