About CERTs
Steering Committee
Virginia Ladd, RT
Ms. Ladd has been involved in the nonprofit community for over 20 years as a patient advocate and educator. Ms. Ladd is president and executive director at the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA). She served as president and executive director of the Lupus Foundation of America and is one of the founders of the Michigan-based Chronic Illness Awareness Coalition (CIAC). Ms. Ladd was instrumental in the formation of the International Alliance of Patients' Organizations (IAPO) and the National Coalition of Autoimmune Patient Groups (NCAPG), and continues to play a leadership role in both organizations. She is a past member of the board of directors of the National Health Council and the editorial board of The Patient's Network, and also is a member of the Board of Contributors of the Chicago-based Institute for Voluntary Organizations U.S.A. Ms. Ladd serves on several committees of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including the Autoimmune Diseases Coordinating Committee; the Public Interest Committee for the National Institute of Heart, Lung, and Blood; the Public Interest Group for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; and the Panel of Experts for the NIH Autoimmune Diseases Research Plan. She also serves on the Agency for Toxic Substances and Diseases Registry expert panel on autoimmune diseases.