Hello, Amstat News readers! My name is Christina Bonner, and I recently joined the ASA as the membership marketing coordinator. I also manage advertising for the ASA.

Born and raised in north Bethesda, Maryland, right outside of Washington, DC, the DMV is home for me. I attended college at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and then returned to Washington, DC.

I have spent most of my career in the capital markets and technology sectors of the commercial real estate industry. During my time in this industry, I worked alongside two co-founders to launch the first transactional marketplace for office space. I also helped clients invest in and refinance their commercial real estate properties. Several years in, I decided to make a career change and enrolled in courses that allowed me to build upon my marketing, communication, and business development skills. My favorite course focused on innovation in the life sciences and health care industries.

Upon completing these courses, I was a marketing ambassador for the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine’s Global Entrepreneurship program. I assisted with communications, marketing, research, and business development strategy to improve marketing collateral, advertise the program, and recruit startup founders from around the world for future cohorts.

I interned at the Natural Products Association during college, so I was eager to return to the association world in a role that allowed me to focus on marketing, advertising, and connecting closely with members. I am excited to be here and for this opportunity to work with such a diverse and intelligent group of members spread across industry, government, and academia.

Outside of work, my favorite hobby is playing tennis. And, many days, my favorite way to unwind is going for a long walk around the monuments on the National Mall while listening to music or a podcast. (The ASA’s Practical Significance is now included in my regular podcast lineup.)

I could not live without my daily cup of coffee, so as you may guess, I love stumbling upon and trying different coffee shops. My current favorite is Compass Coffee. If you are ever in DC, be sure to check them out.

I enjoy cooking and baking, too, and constantly challenge myself to find the newest, next-best recipe (any recipe with pistachios is always a good idea). On weekends, you can find me checking out new restaurants in the city with friends and family.

I also love to travel. Whenever I need to relax and recharge, I find myself planning my next trip to a California beach. I’ve already checked off Malibu, San Diego, Venice, and Santa Monica from my list … next up is Santa Barbara! I hope to visit many beaches outside the US, too. If you have any recommendations, send them my way.

I was happy to connect with many of you in Toronto at my first JSM and, later, the Biopharmaceutical Section Regulatory-Industry Statistics Workshop. I look forward to meeting more of you via our Community site, Zoom, and future ASA events.