Megan Gordon Don

Megan Gordon Don is the President and Founder of MGD Strategies. As the head of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s (PanCAN) Government Affairs & Advocacy Office for more than a decade, Gordon Don led legislative and grassroots campaigns that have had real-world impact, including the passage of the Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act – landmark legislation that is opening new avenues of NCI-supported research for pancreatic cancer; Department of Defense funding for pancreatic cancer research through the Peer-Reviewed Cancer Research Program; as well as establishment and continued growth of the Congressional Caucus on the Deadliest Cancers. 

Grassroots engagement and training has been a key area of focus during Gordon Don’s career. Under her leadership, PanCAN grew its grassroots advocacy engagement 500%, its Advocacy Day participation over 300% (over 600 participants in 2017 from all 50 states), and the organization’s advocates became well recognized as a dedicated and passionate force on Capitol Hill. 

Gordon Don’s previous experience includes working as the American Cancer Society’s lead federal lobbyist on health insurance and drug development issues, a congressional healthcare legislative aide, the Director of Socioeconomics and Quality Management for the Dallas County Medical Society and as a healthcare industry analyst for Andersen Consulting (now known as Accenture). 

Gordon Don established the Deadliest Cancers Coalition in 2008 and continues to serve as its Executive Director. She has also served on the Steering Committee and as the Treasurer of the One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC) coalition since 2006 and has served on the board of directors for United for Medical Research (UMR) and as the Government Relations Affinity Group (GRAG) Chair for the National Health Council. 

Gordon Don received her BA in modern European studies from Smith College and her MHS in health policy & management from Johns Hopkins University.