Dana grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. She graduated from Texas A&M University in 1976 with a B.S. in Microbiology and later in 1982 with an M.S. in Immunology. She held research technician roles both at Texas A&M and the University of Alaska, Fairbanks before being hired at Alcon Laboratories in 1983. At Alcon she transitioned to Clinical Development within Research and Development. Dana assumed roles of increasing responsibility in her tenure at Alcon, managing ophthalmic human trials for both drugs and devices until 2016 when her role was transitioned to Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Dana has continued her work managing ophthalmic trials at Novartis. She is responsible for trials which supported the filings for several drugs and devices that have been marketed by Alcon and Novartis.
Dana married her husband Jim, also a native of Fort Worth, in 1989 and they raised a son, John and a daughter, Jamie. Both are married and her son and his wife are recent proud parents of a baby boy.
Dana enjoys volunteering in the community through church as well as for other worthwhile causes. She and Jim are lifetime PTA members and are proud of their work in recent years with two local Title 1 schools. She served previously on the Board of the Salvation Army First Choice program for mothers in recovery.
