The Inner Circle

New York – October 02, 2026 -- The Inner Circle has named Miklos Toth, M.D., a Life Achiever 2026 for more than 35 years of contributions to obstetrics and gynecology, recognizing both his clinical research and humanitarian medical work in Uganda.

Dr. Toth co-founded a rural Ugandan health center that operates monthly outreach clinics

Dr. Toth and his wife, Elena Toth, established the Millennium Health Foundation and the Miklos and Elena Toth Health Center, located roughly 400 kilometers northeast of Kampala. The center delivers general obstetrics and gynecology services, with a focus on infectious disease management and 3-D Doppler ultrasound screening, operating on the first Saturday of each month and extending on-site screening to neighboring parishes. The foundation's first community initiative, Elena's Boutique, opened in July 2012 as a women's clothing shop supporting local economic independence.

Collegeville, Pa. – October 01, 2026 -- The Inner Circle has named Dawn Delise Pelon a Pinnacle Professional of The Year, citing her contributions to brand development and strategic marketing.

Pelon built a career advising both legacy and emerging brands on go-to-market strategy

Pelon has worked across B2B and B2C sectors, developing cohesive brand identities, launching national advertising campaigns, and implementing data-driven marketing initiatives. Her client work has included large-scale brand transformations and dealer and channel enablement programs designed to produce measurable commercial results.

She integrates AI tools into marketing operations to streamline client campaigns

Beyond traditional brand strategy, Pelon applies emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to support go-to-market planning, content creation, social media management, web development, and video production for client organizations.

Houston – September 28, 2026 -- The Inner Circle has named Patryk Kania, a Chief Executive Officer in the orthopaedic healthcare sector, as a Lifetime Member in recognition of his leadership and industry contributions.

Kania brings 21 years of healthcare executive experience to orthopaedic services leadership

Kania has spent more than two decades in healthcare leadership roles, spanning both established enterprises and startup ventures. As CEO, he directs strategy for orthopaedic services organizations, with a focus on operational performance, growth initiatives, and patient-care outcomes.

Executive holds a master's degree from Simon Fraser University's Beedie School of Business

Kania's academic credentials include a master's degree from the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University, which he credits as foundational to his approach to business strategy and organizational development in healthcare.

Irving, Texas – – September 24, 2026 -- The Inner Circle has named Dr. Lee Campbell Drinkard, MD, FACP, a Pinnacle Lifetime Member for his career in hematology, oncology and palliative care.

Drinkard practices locum tenens across multiple states, treating malignant and benign tumors

Dr. Drinkard currently works as a locum tenens physician, traveling nationwide to consult on complex hematology and oncology cases, including both malignant and benign tumors. His practice also extends to hospice and palliative care for patients managing life-limiting illness.

Drinkard holds four board certifications spanning internal medicine to palliative care

He is board certified in internal medicine, hematology, oncology, and hospice and palliative care. Drinkard is also a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, the credential reflected in his FACP designation.

Boulevard, California – September 21, 2026 -- The Inner Circle has named Adria Nadine Ross a Pinnacle Professional of The Year for her work in holistic health and energy medicine, recognizing more than two decades of clinical practice based in San Diego, California.

Practitioner holds San Diego's Best Holistic Health award for 12 straight years

Ross has received the San Diego Award for Best Holistic Health Practitioner for twelve consecutive years, a run that spans a client base built through upscale spa settings and independent private practice.

Fort Collins, Colo. – September 20, 2026 -- The Inner Circle has named Nicola Upright, Construction Manager at RockSol Consulting Group, Inc., a Pinnacle Professional Member Inner Circle of Excellence for her 41-year career in heavy civil road construction and transportation infrastructure across Colorado.

Career spans state testing roles to multimillion-dollar project management

Upright started with the Colorado Department of Transportation as a tester and inspector before advancing to project manager positions overseeing large-scale roadway and bridge reconstruction work. Her responsibilities have included project budgeting, materials testing coordination, team supervision and contractor-agency collaboration.

Baton Rouge – September 19, 2026 -- The Inner Circle has named Asia Alexus Alexander, M.S.M., a Pinnacle Professional of The Year for her work in marketing education. Alexander teaches marketing at Southern University and A&M College, where she structures coursework around live case studies, industry guest speakers, and analytics-driven projects to replicate the pace of modern marketing agencies.

Curriculum design mirrors agency workflows to prepare graduates for immediate industry contribution.

Pensacola, Fla. – September 16, 2026 -- Lori Lee Barr, MD, FACR, FAIUM, a partner at Radiology Associates of Florida, P.A., has been named a 2026 Top Pinnacle Healthcare Professional by The Inner Circle for her work in radiology, the organization announced.

Dr. Barr holds dual board certification in pediatric and diagnostic radiology

Dr. Barr is a Diplomate of the American Board of Radiology, one of 24 specialty boards under the American Board of Medical Specialties. She earned her medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine at Shreveport and completed her diagnostic radiology residency and pediatric radiology fellowship at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The American College of Radiology and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine have recognized her as a fellow for teaching, research, clinical care and community advocacy.

Indianapolis – September 16, 2026 -- Crystal Risotti, Senior Manager of Validation in Quality Assurance at CTI, has been named a Pinnacle Professional of the Year by The Inner Circle for her three-decade career in information technology quality assurance and regulatory compliance across pharmaceuticals, medical devices and clinical laboratories.

Risotti built her career from clinical trial lab work in 1990 to enterprise-wide compliance leadership

Risotti entered the pharmaceutical industry in 1990 as a clinical trials laboratory worker before moving through customer service, project management, training and Tier 4 help desk roles. She later specialized in software development life cycle consultation, 21 CFR Part 11 compliance, and electronic quality management system implementation, working remotely from Indianapolis, Indiana while based at CTI's Covington, Kentucky office.

Littleton, Colo. – September 12, 2026 -- Dr. Angie Paccione, Chief Impact Officer of Verus Global, has been named a Pinnacle Professional of The Year by The Inner Circle for her work in transformational leadership, education advocacy and global impact.

Paccione leads leadership programs for Fortune 300 clients through Verus Global

In her role at Verus Global, Paccione designs and delivers large-scale executive coaching and culture-transformation initiatives for Fortune 300 companies and global organizations across multiple continents. Her programs focus on leadership alignment, executive facilitation and activating workforce potential to drive measurable performance results.