Welcoming Andy Burness, MBA, and Alex Smith, MD, to Greenwall’s Board of Directors

The Greenwall Foundation is pleased to introduce Andy Burness, MBA, and Alex Smith, MD, as the newest members of its Board of Directors. 

Mr. Burness is founder and President of Burness, a mission-driven global communications firm supporting nonprofits and the people they serve. The company has partnered with more than 600 nonprofit and governmental organizations over its 30 years. Mr. Burness is also on the faculty of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and has been an Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and an instructor at the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs. 

Dr. Smith is Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, where he has taught since 2008 focused on palliative care and geriatrics. He is a Greenwall Faculty Scholar Alum (Class of 2013) and a member of the Foundation’s Lo Award Committee, serving since its inception. Dr. Smith is also the co-founder of the GeriPal blog and podcast and ePrognosis, an online compendium of prognostic indices for older adults. 

“We are excited to welcome Andy and Alex to the Board and to learn from them,” said Michelle Groman, JD, President & CEO. “Their deep expertise in communications, and bioethics and medicine, respectively, will be a tremendous addition to the Foundation’s leadership.” 

Mr. Burness and Dr. Smith join the Foundation’s Board as two veteran members, Jason Karlawish, MD, and James A. Tulsky, MD, retire from its ranks. 

Dr. Karlawish—a Professor of Medicine, Medical Ethics, and Health Policy and Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania and Co-Director of the Penn Memory Center—began his Board service in 2008. He contributed his robust experience examining issues at the intersections of bioethics, aging, and the neurosciences to his roles chairing both the Faculty Scholars Program and the Bioethics Grants Committees during his Board tenure. 

Dr. Tulsky—Poorvu Jaffe Chair in the Department of Supportive Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School—joined the Board in 1999. He held many Board leadership positions, including Faculty Scholars Program Committee Chair, Board Vice Chair, and, ultimately, Board Chair from 2018 to 2023, overseeing pivotal transitions and moments of growth for the Foundation. 

The Foundation is immensely grateful for Dr. Karlawish and Dr. Tulsky’s vision, guidance, and dedication. “Jason and James are irreplaceable presences in the life of the Foundation,” Ms. Groman said. “We’re so thankful for the wisdom and guidance they’ve shared, helping make the Foundation what it is today.”