Lori Swain, MS, serves as Executive Director of the National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), a position she has held since 2001. During her more than 25 years with NCRA, she has led the organization through significant growth, expanded its national influence, and strengthened its role as the leading professional association representing cancer registrars and oncology data specialists throughout the United States.
Under her leadership, NCRA has advanced initiatives in education, credentialing, professional development, workforce advancement, and advocacy. Lori has become a recognized national voice for cancer surveillance workforce and advocacy, leading efforts to educate policymakers on the critical role of oncology data and advocating for federal support of cancer registry programs, including the CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program.
A highly respected association executive, Lori has extensive experience in strategic planning, governance, convention and meetings management, partnership development, and organizational growth. Throughout her career, she has secured significant funding to advance organizational missions, cultivated collaborative relationships across healthcare and nonprofit sectors, and presented at more than 100 conferences and professional meetings nationwide.
Lori currently serves on the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) Board of Directors. She has also served previously in leadership positions with numerous nonprofit and community organizations, including Visit Alexandria, the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, DC Metro Chapter. and is Chair of the Commonwealth of Virginia Board of Medicine’s Advisory Board on Genetic Counseling Licensure.
Her contributions to the profession and the association community have been widely recognized. She received the Constance Percy Distinguished Service Award from NAACCR in 2012, the Aggie Wolf Defender of Choice Award in 2016, the Calum Muir Award from NAACCR in 2026, and the National Cancer Registrars Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 2026.
Lori holds a Master of Science degree in Environmental Communications and Education from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Geography and Environmental Science from the State University of New York at Buffalo.