STAFF NOTES

Programs Director Donna Gassie traveled to China from Aug. 29 to Sept. 2 to deliver a lecture about best practices in grants management at a conference sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. Vice president of the National Grants Management Association, Gassie has previously given lectures about grants management in India and Indonesia.

Public Affairs Coordinator Richard Foster was the subject of a feature article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch this summer, talking about how his 1997 book The Real Bettie Page was made into the movie The Notorious Bettie Page, which stars Gretchen Mol and was released in select theaters this year.

Deputy Director Marge White traveled to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta to represent the VTSF at a Aug. 16-17 meeting of MSA-funded groups and state tobacco control managers. The purpose of the meeting was to enhance the exchange of information and collaboration within and among states. It was the first meeting of its type since MSA-funded organizations have developed in various states. The first day included representatives from the eleven foundations that are funded through MSA payments, excise taxes, or conversion agreements with health insurers. State health department program managers were invited to join the meeting on the second day.