April Dawn Shinske

April Dawn Shinske has a diverse work experience spanning several roles and organizations. April Dawn is currently serving as the Chief Communications & Marketing Officer at The Marfan Foundation, where they lead the marketing and communications team to improve the lives of individuals with genetic aortic and vascular conditions. Prior to this, they worked at the American Heart Association in various roles, including National Director of Donor Experience and Director of Communications in the Greater Baltimore area. In these positions, they focused on utilizing digital communications to drive revenue, build engagement, and create mission-driven public relations solutions. April also held several positions at the American Heart Association in the past, such as Eastern States Regional Director of Internal Communications, Northeast Senior Director of Executive & Internal Communications, and Northeast Director of Internal Communications. In these roles, they oversaw internal and executive communications, implemented brand strategies, and led corporate communications efforts. April's earlier experience includes working as a Freelance Editor/Writer at the Poughkeepsie Journal and as an Editorial Assistant at Pearson, where they assisted in the publication of college-level psychology texts.

April Dawn Shinske's education history includes several achievements. In 1999, they completed their Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a concentration in Journalism, Secondary Education, and a minor in Religion from Vassar College. April Dawn pursued further education and in 2009, they completed two graduate-level courses on Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching as well as Distance Learning through Penn State World Campus.

In 2017, April earned a Master of Arts degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Marist College. Their educational journey continued in 2020 when they obtained an Executive Certificate in Non-Profit Leadership from Harvard Kennedy School, specializing in Non-Profit Leadership.

It is important to note that April's additional certification, the Executive Certificate in Non-Profit Leadership, was obtained from the Harvard Kennedy School in November 2020.