By Charlotte Turner
Ilyssa Levins, founder and president of the Center for Communication Compliance (CCC) and a ΦBK graduate of New York University, has recently been honored as the 2014 STAR (Strategic Transformation Achievement Recognition). The Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) annually selects one STAR who stands apart as a truly engaging volunteer who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to furthering the advancement and impact of women in healthcare worldwide. Founded in 1977, the HBA has made it their mission to empower more women as business and thought leaders in healthcare. No one could be more deserving of the award than Levins, who has held numerous HBA board positions and both embodies and drives the HBA’s mission.
In an interview at the 25th annual Woman of the Year event, 2013 STAR Eve Dryer called Levins a “North Star,” adding that she has “set the way for many, many people.” And she has—Levins leads both by intention and example, as a highly successful woman in the healthcare industry. Entrepreneur, creative think-tank, and enthusiastic volunteer, Levins’ career has been set apart by landmark achievements. In 2008, she perceived a gap in the market and founded the CCC, unique in its role in testing and training for healthcare regulatory compliance and risk communication. She is also a founder and co-chair of the DIA-HBA Leadership Project, a collaboration between the Drug Information Association and the HBA intended to facilitate women’s leadership skills, advancement, and impact in regulatory, medical, legal and compliance. The multi-year enterprise launched at a DIA 2012 Annual Meeting and has garnered considerable enthusiasm and momentum. Among her numerous achievements, Levins was named Women Achiever of the Year (YWCA of New York, 2000), 2001 HBA Rising Star, and received the HBA President’s Award in 2001. Her past positions include president at HCIL Consulting, president at Grey Healthcare Group PR, and president at Gross Townsend Frank Hoffman PR. She is also a published author.
PharmaVoice magazine listed her among their “100 of the Most Inspiring People,” calling her “a natural born leader” and “a shining example of a woman entrepreneur.” It is also worth noting that motivating her impressive achievements is a genuine desire to create change. Strategist, businesswoman extraordinaire and innovator, Levins is at least as well known for the dedication and passion she brings to her work. Levins’ ambitions have always been centered on bettering the lives and careers of others and establishing a positive, energetic, and safe work environment. On the importance of trust, Levins quotes Stephen Covey’s book, The Speed of Trust: “Trust is a high performance multiplier.” She explains that “trust ignites innovation. When you trust, you do more sharing and revealing, more listening with no filter, more responding with an open mind…working in a trusting community opens the door for more transformative conversations because when you’re not looking over your shoulder, you can keep your eye on the future.” And clearly, Levins does.
Charlotte Turner received her bachelor’s degree in English from Clark University in May 2014. Clark is home to the Lambda of Massachusetts Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.