TALLAHASSEE, FL - On October 18, 2024, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Alexis Bakofsky, Colleen Bartlett, and Blake Shay and the reappointment of Jon Hawayek and Melissa Jordan to the Rare Disease Advisory Council. 

Alexis Bakofsky
Bakofsky is the Chief of Staff for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Previously, she served as the Deputy Communications Director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Bakofsky earned her bachelor’s degree in health science from the University of Florida and her master’s degree in communication and leadership from Gonzaga University.

Colleen Bartlett, DNP
Bartlett is a Nurse Practitioner at BayCare Chronic Complex Clinic. She is a Dual Board Certified Pediatric and Family Nurse Practitioner. Bartlett earned her bachelor’s degreeand master’s degree in nursing from the University of South Florida and her doctorate innursing from the University of St. Augustine.

Blake Shay, PharmD
Shay is a Pharmacy Manager at BayCare Health System. Active in his community, he currently serves as a member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Shay earned his associate degree in pre-pharmacy from Daytona State College, his master’s degree in health system pharmacy administration from The Ohio State University, and his Doctor of Pharmacy from Mercer University.

Jon Hawayek
Hawayek is the Head of State Government Affairs for Spark Therapeutics. He currently serves as a member of the Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina Rare Disease Advisory Councils. Hawayek earned his bachelor’s degree in business from the State University of New York and his master’s degree in business administration from Clarkson University.

Melissa Jordan
Jordan is the Division Director of Community Health Promotion for the Florida Development of Health. She is an Executive Board Member of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. Jordan earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida State University and a master’s degree in public health from the University of South Florida.