Greg Ruf serves as Public Advisor to the ABGC Board of Directors.‎ An entrepreneur for more than 30 years, Greg now spends his days growing the DCM Foundation (Dilated Cardiomyopathy) and working as an entrepreneurial business consultant.

What is your role on the ABGC Board of Directors?‎
I am a public advisor to the Board, representing patients and families.‎

What entrepreneurial and/or leadership skills do you have that you think are ‎most valuable to you in this role?‎
I have been an entrepreneur for more than 30 years, so I believe I can help ABGC most by ‎looking at the business side, marketing and fundraising efforts.‎

‎Can you tell us about any experiences you have had with genetic counseling or ‎working with genetic counselors? ‎
I have Dilated Cardiomyopathy that is genetically based (LMNA) and so far, nine ‎people in my family have tested positive for the same variant. I and most of my ‎family members worked with Ana Morales (past ABGC Board Member) to help ‎navigate this complex area.‎

Did these experiences with genetic counseling or genetic counselors influence ‎your decision to serve on the ABGC Board? If so, in what way?‎
Yes, absolutely. I also have seen a huge need to make more people aware of genetic testing to ‎help in disease prevention, management and to help create potential new ‎therapies. ‎

Based on your experiences with genetic counseling, your perspective as a ‎consumer of genetic counseling services and an ABGC Board member, how ‎would you like to see the profession change or evolve? How can ABGC help this ‎happen?‎
I think the field will grow at an astonishing rate while becoming an integral part of ‎all disease diagnoses and treatments. I really think the field is just in its infancy.‎ As the field explodes – quality control with be paramount, thus ABGC will play an even‎ more critical role.‎