Ms. Zawisza is a senior federal government manager with more than 25 years of experience as a public and private sector executive in communications, regulatory affairs, public policy, public relations, and health-care delivery.  In her current position, as Assistant Commissioner for Public Affairs, Ms. Zawisza oversees FDA's public affairs and media relations programs; she develops and directs strategic communications initiatives and works closely with senior leadership to enhance FDA"s external communications and media relations activities.  She has had extensive experience working with U.S. federal agencies, physician and health care provider organizations, consumer advocacy and public interest groups, pharmaceutical and medical product firms, and lay and trade media outlets.
As Chief, Consumer Affairs Branch, for FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), Ms. Zawisza led interactions with members of the public, special interest groups, health professionals, medical organizations, and trade media.  She developed public communications and outreach programs for CBER-regulated products. While at CBER she was selected for FDA’s Leadership Develop Program, a competitive program to train future senior executives for expanded leadership roles.  While in the program, she became the Acting Assistant Commissioner for Public Affairs and eventually was selected for her current position.
Prior to joining the FDA in June 2000, Ms. Zawisza’s experience includes Associate Vice President for Regulatory Affairs at AdvaMed, Director for Public Relations at American Association for Clinical Chemistry and public relations consultant for Porter Novelli.  Ms. Zawisza has also worked at the National Institutes of Health, Department of Transfusion Medicine, and the George Washington University Medical Center, Department of Clinical Pathology as a medical technologist.