Biography

Jennifer W. Pegher, MA, MBA, 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 cancer center membership, welcomed new corporate and sustaining members, and formed new partnerships with like-minded organizations. 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. In December 2023, she earned her Executive MBA in Healthcare at the University of Pittsburgh.