Caroline Kruse | Executive Director

Caroline Kruse took over the leadership of PDSA in January 2009 as Executive Director. Prior to her appointment by the PDSA Board of Directors, Caroline served as PDSA’s first Director of Public Relations, and has moderated the annual ITP Conference the past three years. Before joining the PDSA staff, Caroline served for two years as a PDSA board member, the second year as Vice Chair. She co-founded the first local ITP support group in the country, in Cleveland, Ohio, and still serves as its co-facilitator.

Caroline is also the creator, producer and co-host of the nationally syndicated talk radio program, Family Matters. She has worked as a broadcasting professional for over 20 years, working on-air and behind-the-scenes at WCPN, Cleveland’s National Public Radio affiliate, and at FOX and CBS TV affiliate stations. She’s been the recipient of numerous broadcasting and journalism honors, including Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards, Cleveland A.I.R. Awards from the March of Dimes, Distinction in Media Excellence Awards, and Cleveland Communicators’ Award from Women in Communications. Her award-winning programs focused primarily on health and family issues, including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome, Elder Abuse, State of Children’s Health, and a week-long series on HIV/AIDS.

Caroline has a B.A. degree in Communications from Cleveland State University. Personally, Caroline had ITP for three years and has been in remission for five years, so she knows firsthand the physical and emotional struggles ITP patients face on a daily basis.