2026 Meet the Honorees: ADAO Conference – “Asbestos: Awareness, Prevention, and the Law”

Register Today | Conference Details | “Meet the Speakers & Honorees” 7-Week Series 

Featured on August 31, 2026

ADAO is proud to launch our 2026 “Meet the Keynote Speakers & Honorees” seven-week blog series in celebration of ADAO’s 21st Annual Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference, taking place on September 25–26, 2026. Each week, we’ll spotlight the distinguished speakers, honorees, sponsors, and ADAO leaders whose expertise, leadership, and dedication are advancing asbestos awareness, prevention, and the law.

We are honored that Dr. Dan Whu, Chief Medical Officer of the International Association of Fire Fighters, will deliver the Saturday keynote speech and Julie Gundlach will share her inspirational story at the Saturday dinner.

Keynote Speakers Information

Dr. Dan Whu, MD, MPH, FACPM, FAAMA, Chief Medical Officer of the International Association of Fire Fighters, will deliver the keynote address at the Mesothelioma Awareness Day Academic Conference. The IAFF represents nearly 370,000 professional firefighters and paramedics.

Dr. Whu is a founding member, senior disaster physician, and medical team manager for FEMA’s Urban Search and Rescue Florida Task Force 1. During more than 40 years as an emergency first responder, he has deployed to major national and international disasters, including 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti earthquake, Hurricane Maria, and the Surfside condominium collapse. Asbestos exposure can occur during these natural disasters when old buildings are destroyed, which sends the tiny fibers into the air. Firefighters are twice as likely as the average citizen to contract asbestos-caused cancers like mesothelioma. 

Julie Gundlach, a mesothelioma survivor and longtime asbestos-ban advocate, will deliver the keynote address at the Mesothelioma Awareness Day Awards and Recognition Dinner. Diagnosed with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma in 2006 following secondary asbestos exposure, Gundlach traveled across the country seeking treatment and underwent multiple radical surgeries and chemotherapy protocols. She has remained stable since 2014.

Gundlach has advocated on Capitol Hill with ADAO, served on Department of Defense mesothelioma research panels, and remains deeply committed to securing a comprehensive ban on asbestos. Her personal experience has both opened the eyes of policymakers to the dangers of asbestos and helped ADAO grow our community of mesothelioma warriors and caregivers. 

We are deeply grateful to these individuals and organizations for generously sharing their time, knowledge, and experience with our community. Their commitment to science, public health, advocacy, and justice continues to inspire action and strengthen our shared mission to prevent asbestos exposure and eliminate asbestos-caused diseases.

Join us this September for two days of education, collaboration, and action. Register today and be part of the conversation shaping the future of asbestos prevention and public health.

Honorees Information for ADAO’s 21st Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference

The honorees will be revealed soon. Please stay tuned. 

Official ADAO Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference Sponsors: