Dr. Stacie Propst is GASP’s executive director. An Alabama native, she is an experienced health advocate, public policy expert, scientist and educator. She brings to GASP a passion for making the world, and especially Alabama, a healthier place to live. As vice president of policy and outreach at Research!America, the nation’s leading nonprofit voice for medical research, Dr. Propst spent a decade in Washington, D.C., advocating for science funding and evidence-based public policies. Back in Birmingham, she teaches Interdisciplinary Sciences at the University of Alabama and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Alabama-Mississippi Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Dr. Propst graduated from New College at the University of Alabama and received her doctorate in physiology and biophysics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her research areas included cancer biology and lung inflammation.
Kirsten Bryant is GASP’s outreach coordinator and has been part of the organization since its inception. After a year of volunteering to help establish GASP, Kirsten accepted the role of executive director in 2009. She began advocating for clean air and clean water issues as a student at the University of Alabama through her work for the Alabama Environmental Council’s (AEC) Tuscaloosa Chapter. Kirsten also worked for the AEC’s state office as program coordinator and then as executive director. She was the recipient of the Bob and Mary Burks award in 1995 for her service to the organization.She earned her undergraduate degree in merchandising with a minor in marketing from the University of Alabama. She has lived in the greater Birmingham area for 20 years working in the private sector in management and marketing related positions and as a nonprofit executive. It is Kirsten’s hope that future generations will inherit a healthy Alabama where clean air and water are valued and protected.
Michael Hansen is GASP’s communications specialist. A Tennessee native, Michael has lived and worked in Birmingham since 2008. Michael has a bachelor’s degree in marketing management from The University of Memphis and is scheduled to receive his master’s degree in public relations from The University of Alabama in 2013. He has nearly a decade of experience in business management and strategic marketing communications.Previously, he was director of public relations for The Modern Brand Company where he managed media relations and social media efforts for a number of clients across the Southeast. In 2012, he won the American Advertising Federation of Birmingham’s Ten Award for Public Relations for his work on the Jefferson County Health Action Partnership’s Champions for Health campaign — which included the highly successful SmokeFree Alabama initiative. Before joining The Modern Brand, Michael served as public relations and marketing coordinator at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, garnering many awards and pats on the back along the way. Michael is an active member of the Birmingham community, working passionately as an advocate for health equity, food access, civil rights and equality.
