The Northern California Coalition of Genetic Counselors (NCCGC) is dedicated to supporting genetic counselors and genetic counseling students in the Northern California region. Our mission is to empower our members to excel in the profession, and advocate for our members, patients, and community.
Prior to 2004, NSGC-supported regional meetings were held regularly to gather local colleagues together for collaboration and networking. Region VI included the states of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, with the regional conference held biennially at Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove. The last Region VI meeting was held in North Lake Tahoe in 2004.
Since then, genetic counselors in the Bay Area met occasionally at different sites and maintained an email contact list for communication.
In 2013, Bay Area genetic counselor Kelly Chen organized the first conference to resurrect the spirit and community of the original Asilomar meetings. She planned the meeting with her friend and colleague Ana Stenzel, who designed the NCCGC logo. At this meeting, she met colleague Lauri Black, who was a member of the original Asilomar organizing committee and who shared her vision. Together they co-organized the 2014 meeting in San Francisco and recruited the help of colleagues Sara Mokhtary and Katie Kobara. This small and dedicated team of 4 went on to plan and execute an annual meeting for genetic counselors and GC students for the next 6 years in various locations around the region.
In 2020, new interest to expand and formalize the group has resulted in the establishment of a non-profit 501c3 organization and the formation of a board of directors who represent the diversity and experience of the region.