02.28.2022 / Press Release
Families USA adds to its leadership team with the appointment of Jude McCartin as chief of staff
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Families USA Executive Director Frederick Isasi announced today that Jude McCartin is the organization’s new chief of staff. McCartin is responsible for overseeing staff development and organizational planning for the leading national voice for health care consumers. Both priorities are crucial components of achieving Families USA’s vision of a country where everyone has access to high quality, affordable health care and can live their healthiest life.
McCartin brings a broad range of critical skills to the role, including policy, communications, federal relations, advocacy, and leadership from her time working on Capitol Hill and in public higher education. Prior to joining Families USA, she was associate director, federal governmental relations in the office of the president at the University of California (UC). In that role, she led a team charged with advocating for federal resources and policies, most notably managing the university’s 2019 public affairs efforts in support of DREAMers when the Supreme Court was considering UC’s lawsuit in defense of the DACA policy. She also served on UC’s Anti-Racist Task Force, whose members advise the school’s president on how to improve recruiting, hiring and retaining practices of Black, Indigenous and other employees of color in the office of the president.
From 1998 to 2018, McCartin worked on legislative planning, political analysis, and communications strategies for three leading senators. Most recently, she served as legislative director for Senators Maggie Hassan and Martin Heinrich, where she led policy teams and helped implement legislative priorities. Prior to that, she was communications director for Senator Jeff Bingaman, for whom she developed and executed earned media plans, and served as the senator’s primary spokesperson. Before starting on Capitol Hill, McCartin was a reporter for the Watertown Daily Times in Ogdensburg, N.Y. McCartin received a master’s degree in journalism from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree in American history from SUNY Binghamton.
“Jude has all the critical skills needed to lead and support Families USA’s staff, advancing our mission of ensuring the very best health and health care is available to all in our nation,” Isasi said. “With her experiences leading legislative and communications teams in the United States Senate, supporting DREAMers, communicating with the public on key policy issues – and much more – Jude will be able to make a real impact right away. We are thrilled she is joining us.”
“I am excited and honored to join Families USA, especially after two years where the necessity of access to high quality, affordable health care became undeniably clear,” said McCartin. “I am excited to put my policy and communications background to work on behalf of health care consumers in every corner of this country.”
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Families USA, a leading national voice for health care consumers, is dedicated to the achievement of high quality, affordable health care and improved health for all.