Dermatology Education Foundation Welcomes New Members to Advisory Council

KILMARNOCK, Va. - Oct. 24, 2025 - PRLog -- The Dermatology Education Foundation (DEF), the leading non-profit foundation focused on the educational needs of nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician associate/assistants (PAs) in dermatology, is pleased to welcome Andy Hicks, MMS, PA-C, Andrew Mastro, MS, PA-C, and Aaron A. Sookhoo, MS, PA-C to the DEF Advisory Council. They will serve alongside existing board members to direct the educational efforts of the Foundation.

"We are excited to welcome Andy Hicks, Andrew Mastro, and Aaron A. Sookhoo to the DEF Advisory Council. They bring a breadth of experience and insight to support our mission to 'inspire dermatology NPs and PAs to achieve a professional balance between the art of healing, the power of diagnostic skills, and case-based assessment and training,'" says DEF President Joe Gorelick, MSN, FNP-C. "Recognizable by peers across the country, they are educators, advisors, and thought leaders on the national stage."

In addition to the annual DEF Educational Resource Meeting (DERM) CME Conference and regional DEF Biologic & Small Molecule CME Bootcamp series, DEF's virtual learning programs include webinars, a podcast, videos, e-newsletters, and more. The DEF Advisory Council supports educational planning; members serve as speakers/educators for DEF programs.

"Advisory Council members' contributions are crucial to DEF's success. They have the pulse of the educational needs of dermatology NP/PAs and are well versed in new and emerging therapies for dermatologic disease," Mr. Gorelick adds. "Our new DEF Advisory Council members join at a crucial time, as planning is underway for DERM2026 and 2026 programming.Physician Resources, our partner in planning and implementing programs, is in the process of releasing details about our exciting offerings!"

The 13 members of the DEF Advisory Council are:

Joe Gorelick, MSN, FNP-C
DEF President
Schweiger Dermatology Group, San Jose-Los Gatos, CA

Matthew Bruno, PA-C, MPAS
Dermatology & Skin Cancer, Surgery Center, Allen, TX

Wendy Cantrell, DNP, CRNP
Village Dermatology, Birmingham, AL

Kara Gooding, MMS, PA-C
Head of the NP/PA Council, Platinum Dermatology, Chandler, AZ

Steve Hawkes, MMS, PA-C
Vivida Dermatology, Las Vegas, NV

Jayme M. Heim, MSN, FNP-BC
West Michigan Dermatology, Grandville and Holland, MI

Alexa Hetzel, MS, PA-C
Director of Clinical Trials, Schweiger Dermatology Group, East Windsor, NJ

Andy Hicks, MMS, PA-C
Arizona Advanced Dermatology, Phoenix, AZ

Sandri Johnson, MSN, FNP-BC
Midtown Dermatology, Rocky Mount, NC

Andrew Mastro, MS, PA-C
Illinois Dermatology Institute, LLC, Chicago, IL

Andrea Nguyen, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C
First OC Dermatology, Irvine, CA

Aaron A. Sookhoo, MS, PA-C
Suncoast Skin Solutions, Riverview, FL

Darren West, MPAS, PA-C
Scottsdale Dermatology, Scottsdale, AZ