The Major League Baseball Players Association appointed Silvia Alvarez its Acting Communications Director, succeeding Communications Director Chris Dahl who plans to retire at the end of the calendar year.

Alvarez, who joined the Players Association in 2019, is a seasoned communications professional with experience in media relations, brand management, crisis communications, strategic messaging and positioning. She formerly served as a strategic communications counselor and a spokesperson in both the campaign and government offices of U.S. Sen. Cory A. Booker and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

“We are very grateful to Chris for his dedication and long service to the organization. His knowledge of the Union’s history, and leadership of the communications team will ensure a smooth transition for Silvia as she steps into this role,” said MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark.

Before joining the MLBPA, Alvarez was a senior vice president and director of corporate communications for First Horizon National Corp. Earlier in her career, Alvarez was director of multicultural & charitable communications for Major League Baseball. A native Spanish speaker, Alvarez has a BA from Colgate University and a MA from Middlebury College. She was born in El Salvador, immigrated to the U.S. as a child during the Salvadoran Civil War, and became a U.S. citizen in 2015.

Ines Rodriguez Gutzmer, Senior Vice President, Chief Communications Officer, Aflac Incorporated

Ines Rodriguez Gutzmer, senior vice president and chief communications officer, Aflac Incorporated, directs Aflac’s Corporate Communications function in the development and execution of data-infused, integrated strategic programs that resonate with the variety of audiences Aflac engages every day. She oversees public and media relations, executive communications, crisis management, employee communications, sales communications and corporate social responsibility initiatives for the company. In this role, she leads efforts that ensure Aflac serves and supports diverse constituents and stakeholders; consistently articulate the organization’s vision; promote and preserve the company’s strong reputation.

Rodriguez Gutzmer joined Aflac in 2019 as vice president of strategic communications and was promoted to her current role of senior vice president and chief communications officer in 2023. Before joining Aflac, she served as senior vice president and global head of corporate communications and brand at Equifax, a global data, analytics and technology company. With more than two decades of industry experience, Ines held a variety of marketing and public relations leadership positions at other major corporations as well as global marketing and public relations agencies such as Ketchum, Ogilvy and Burson Cohn & Wolfe.

 

Mayra Garcia DNP, APRN, PCNS-BC, EBP-C, named the newly elected Editor in Chief for the Journal of Pediatric Surgical Nursing

Dr. Mayra Garcia is a doctorally prepared Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) at Children’s Health System of Texas. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and her Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of South Alabama. She started her career at Children’s Health in 2009 in the Emergency Department and later transitioned to the advanced practice nursing role as a CNS in general pediatrics/general surgery in 2014.