Meet the Families USA staff
Yasmin Abboud (she/her)
Senior Director, Development
Yasmin Abboud leads Families USA’s Development team. Over the past twenty years, Abboud has cultivated and stewarded partnerships with national, state and local foundations, philanthropists, and investors focused on health care policy, advocacy and education. Prior to Families USA, Abboud was Vice President of Development at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast. Her background lies in directing development strategies that result in both unique and enduring partnerships as well as sustained revenue over the long term. Abboud has also held leadership positions at the National Democratic Institute, Center for American Progress and the Clinton Foundation. She has a BA from Boston College and a MS from New York University.
Ben Anderson (he/him)
Deputy Senior Director, Health Policy
Ben Anderson leads Families USA’s efforts to improve maternal and child health. Anderson comes to Families USA from the Children’s Defense Fund in New York. While there, he developed and managed the organization’s economic mobility and health policy portfolios, including leading coalitions and maintaining relationships with policymakers. Before that, he worked as policy analyst with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, where he managed their rule-making process. Anderson holds a BA in Economics from Colgate University and a JD from Boston University School of Law.
Susan Axleroad (she/her)
Director, Grants Management
Susan Axleroad has been with Families USA for 20 years. After beginning her career in health policy at the Philadelphia Health Management Corporation and the National Health Policy Forum, she changed her focus to performing arts, working with arts organizations in New York, London, and eventually Washington DC, where she joined Arena Stage in 1993. At Arena Stage she worked in development, managing – at various times – Arena’s foundation, government grants, corporate giving and major gifts programs, and later directed the theater’s audience engagement programs. Axelroad has a BA in Cultural Anthropology and an MA in Urban Studies from Temple University.
Chantez Bailey
Director, Communications
Chantez Bailey advises on integrated communications strategies, building effective messaging, and works closely with Families USA topic experts to identify their newsworthy content. Previously, she served as senior communications director for the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), an organization that provides matching services for healthcare professionals. Bailey’s interest in communications led her to pursue a journalism degree. She quickly learned that impact-driven work with strategic communication and outreach efforts was really her niche. She holds a BA in English Arts and Literature, Journalism.
Robert Berenson
Visiting Scholar & Senior Advisor for Value Initiatives
Melissa Burroughs (she/her)
Director, Strategic Partnerships
Melissa Burroughs develops advocacy campaigns and deep partnerships with national, state, local stakeholders to advance high-quality, affordable health care and improved health for all. As part of this work, Melissa leads Families USA’s Oral Health for All campaign to improve oral health coverage and access. She also has deep expertise in state-level policy change, particularly on Medicaid issues and vaccine equity. Melissa graduated from Duke University with a BA in public policy, focusing on health and social policies.
Alicia Camaliche (She/Her)
Policy Analyst
Alicia Camaliche is responsible for providing policy analysis across a wide swath of issues, including payment and delivery reform, health equity, and maternal and child health. Before joining Families USA, Camaliche was an Master of Social Work Intern with Year Up, researching and compiling data on various social welfare programs, and connecting students with public resources. Earlier in her career Camaliche worked as a policy analyst at The Children’s Campaign, where she advised on a range of child welfare policy issues, monitored existing child welfare programs for gaps in service, and evaluated policy solutions. Camaliche holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Fordham Graduate School of Social Services and a BS in History with a minor in Social Work from Florida State University.
Nicholas Chang (he/him)
Health Policy Coordinator
Nicholas Chang develops timely research and reports on behalf of the policy team. Before joining Families USA, Chang was a research intern for The Task Force for Global Health at Emory University. There, he explored grant research in the area of global health and identified potential international health case study partners. Chang has also previously worked as a mental health and housing intern for CAPN Clinics (Community Advanced Practice Nurses, inc.). While interning with CAPN Clinics, Chang organized outreach programs for the homeless population, referring clients to which health service they needed. He holds a BA in Sociology from Wake Forest University and a Master’s in Public Health from Emory University.
Justin Charles (he/him)
Digital Media Associate
Justin Charles manages all of Families USA’s social media accounts, produces and edits video content, serves as Families USA’s website manager, and analyzes ongoing metrics and trends to make strategic recommendations. A graduate of Howard University, he has over 10 years of experience in the editing, broadcasting, and production of television, radio, social and web-based media.
Tasha Dawson (she/her)
Director of Strategic Partnerships
Tasha Dawson works with the Strategic Partnerships team to identify and engage critical community stakeholders that will advance advocacy efforts at the state and national level. Tasha established her career working in outreach and volunteer engagement across many nonprofit, government and academic organizations, and held a particular focus and interest for local communities and DE&I initiatives. At the Office of Minority Health, Tasha built strong, meaningful, bipartisan relationships across sectors and collaborated on the development and implementation of strategic outreach in the science, research, and healthcare spaces. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in health science from Howard University as well as a Masters in nonprofit and association management from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Nichole Edralin (she/her)
Associate Director, Design and Publications
Nichole Edralin is responsible for the visual brand of Families USA. She art directs, designs, and project manages the production of Families USA’s marketing, policy, and event collateral (for both print and digital). Edralin has a BFA in Visual Communications: Digital Design from American InterContinental University and a BA in Art Studio: Drawing concentration; Psychology minor from the University of Kentucky.
Cheryl Fish-Parcham (she/her)
Director, Private Coverage
Cheryl Fish-Parcham focuses on policies that would improve access to coverage and care, including those related to oral health and behavioral health services. Fish-Parcham serves on advisory committees to the DC Department of Insurance and the DC Health Care Ombudsman. She has previously served as Families USA’s Associate Director of Health Policy and helped establish the Health Assistance Partnership (HAP), a national support center for consumer health assistance programs. Earlier in her career, Fish-Parcham worked as an advocate at AARP’s Legal Counsel for the Elderly and served as an advocate, administrator, and social worker for several community organizations. Fish-Parcham holds a BA from the University of California, Santa Cruz and an MSW from Howard University.
Garrett Hall (he/him)
Senior Policy Analyst
Garrett Hall provides policy analysis and research to advance Medicaid coverage and access and health equity. Prior to joining Families USA, Hall worked at the Insure the Uninsured Project (ITUP), a California health policy organization, where he centered the uninsured, Medi-Cal and health equity in the organization’s efforts to convene stakeholders from across the state. Prior to ITUP, Hall completed a thesis predicting the potential impact of Medicaid work requirements on African-Americans using a welfare reform analysis. Hall’s interest in policy and access to care originated while managing one of the University of California Davis’ student-run clinics for the unhoused population of Sacramento. Hall has an MPH from Touro University California, an MS in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University and a BS from UC Davis.
Kasey Hampton (she/her)
Senior Manager, Storytelling and Engagement Communications
Kasey Hampton joined Families USA after serving as Press Secretary to Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), one of the Senate’s leading health care champions. Previously, Hampton worked on Protect Our Care’s 2017 campaign to defend against efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including by highlighting the stories of millions of Americans who rely on the ACA for quality health insurance coverage. She also worked at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and for organizations in the private sector, specializing in health care. At HHS, she supported the Office of Public Affairs on various Department initiatives ranging from the 2016 Zika outbreak to ACA Open Enrollment. Hampton holds a BA in Political Science and Economics from Bucknell University.
Kevin Han (he/him)
Strategic Partnerships Associate
Kevin Han works on enhancing Families USA’s relationships with state and national partner organizations. Prior to working at Families USA, Han worked as a health navigator for Hamkae Center, where he helped enroll clients in affordable health coverage, and built strategic partnerships with community health organizations and providers. Then-Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam appointed Han to Virginia’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board, on which he still serves. He interned for Flag Media Analytics and the Department of State, and graduated from the University of Virginia with a BA in Foreign Affairs.
Maya Holcomb (She/Her)
Partner and Community Engagement Associate
Maya Holcomb provides administrative and logistical support for partner engagement activities, and strengthens partner-based relationships that lead to cross-collaborative opportunities within the organization. She also works to develop, advance, and execute on Families USA’s core health equity portfolio. Before joining Families, Maya worked as a team lead with Partners in Health Engage, coordinating meetings for a grassroots network of volunteers and local Members of Congress to strengthen global health systems. Holcomb was also a research assistant, where she conducted literature reviews and organized data on bipartisan negotiations. Holcomb holds a BS in Health Society and Policy with a minor in Political Science, as well as a BA in International Studies with an emphasis in global health and a minor in Spanish.
Lisa Holland (she/her)
Senior Communications Manager
Lisa Holland is responsible for helping to shape the organization’s strategic media and communications strategy and working across departments to raise its profile among the media and key stakeholders. Prior to joining Families USA, Holland served for 12 years as the Director of Communications for the Community Action Partnership, a national nonprofit association whose member agencies help vulnerable individuals and families achieve economic independence. She has also been a marketing and public relations consultant for a number of associations and businesses focused on health, science and the environment. Holland’s expertise includes writing, media relations, digital marketing and social media. She holds a BA in English from the University of Delaware, a public relations certificate from the George Washington University School of Professional Development and digital marketing certificates from the American Marketing Association.
Frederick Isasi (he/him)
Executive Director
Frederick Isasi (Pronunciation: ee-saa-cee)
Frederick Isasi, J.D., M.P.H., is executive director of Families USA (FUSA), one of the nation’s leading nonpartisan, nonprofit health care advocacy organizations established to ensure that the best health and health care equally accessible and affordable to all.
A national thought-leader and subject matter expert on the social issues and solutions related to driving value and equity into health care and providing high-quality coverage, Isasi draws on decades of experience in the health care industry, public policy, and law. In doing so, he advances a pragmatic and intersectional policy agenda for achieving better health at lower costs and reducing systemic inequities in the American health system.
Under Isasi’s leadership, FUSA advocates for issues such as fair drug pricing, racial equity, maternal and child health, and ending surprise medical bills. He also works to strengthen and protect policies such as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicaid, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Oral Health for All.
Isasi founded FUSA’s National Center for Coverage Innovation to help state and federal policymakers and consumer leaders develop and implement pragmatic, nonpartisan approaches to expand and improve health care coverage. He also founded and directs FUSA’s Center on Health Equity Action for System Transformation, the only national entity exclusively dedicated to developing and advancing patient-centered health system transformation policies designed to reduce racial, ethnic, and geographic inequities.
Isasi’s work and experience flow from his life-long commitment to achieving high-quality, affordable health care for all. That passion stems from growing up in North Carolina as the son of Cuban immigrants. He saw first-hand the health care barriers families in poverty, people of color, people with language barriers, and rural communities generally experienced.
Isasi’s passion for change drove his extensive academic accomplishments. He was a Powers-Knapp Scholar at the University of Wisconsin, where he earned a B.S. in Cellular Biology. He earned a Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina and was inducted into both the Delta Omega and the Frank Porter Graham honor societies. He obtained a J.D. from the Duke University School of Law, where he was a Pamela B. Gann Scholar and a staff editor of the Duke Journal of Gender Law and Policy.
After receiving his Masters in Public Health, Isasi worked as a senior policy advisor at the District of Columbia Primary Care Association, working on issues such as the Master Tobacco Settlements and Medicaid reimbursement. After law school, Frederick joined the international law firm Powell Goldstein (now called Bryan Cave LLP) as a health care attorney with a practice that focused on representing public hospitals and health systems, immigrant health care issues and state Medicaid programs.
Isasi then joined New Mexico Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman’s staff, serving as senior legislative counsel for health care to the Senate Finance Committee and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Isasi was Senator Bingaman’s principal negotiator throughout closed-door, bipartisan negotiations on the Affordable Care Act. He was also the Senator’s advisor and chief negotiator for the CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2009. And he directed Bingaman’s efforts to address Medicare and health care challenges systematically caused by low-income, cultural and racial disparities.
Upon leaving his Senate position, Isasi became vice president for health policy at the Advisory Board Company, a leading international organization that advises 3,100 hospitals, health systems, provider groups, and payers. He founded its health Policy Department. Under Isasi’s leadership, the company leveraged the power of health system data and developed evidence-based policy solutions for modern health care challenges. He also bolstered the company’s work with policymakers in Congress, the Obama Administration, and the states to improve health care transformation efforts across the nation.
After leaving the Advisory Board, Isasi led the health division at the bipartisan National Governors Association’s (NGA) Center for Best Practices. He worked directly with governors of both parties and served as the organization’s national voice on health care delivery and payment reform, improving Medicaid and health exchange planning and oversight. He also directed technical assistance for states as they navigated changes to their health care systems due to national policy shifts.
Isasi frequently testifies on health policy issues in both the Senate and House of Representatives. He has been a witness for both Democratic and Republican Committee leaders. His public, private, and advocacy work gives Isasi deep expertise in Medicaid, Medicare, private health insurance, health equity, payment, and delivery reform, and the social determinants of health as they intersect with health care quality and payment and equity issues. A skilled communicator able to explain complex issues clearly, he is a sought-after national speaker on health care affordability issues, Medicaid, state health care innovation, health system transformation, and behavioral health.
Isasi has served on a myriad of panels and boards at institutions such as the National Academy of Medicine, the Brookings Institution, the National Committee for Quality Assurance, Duke University’s Margolis Center for Health Policy, Catalyst for Payment Reform, the Health Care Payment Learning & Action Network and Bipartisan Policy Center. Isasi has served as a guest lecturer at some of the nation’s most prominent graduate schools including those at Harvard, Duke, George Washington and American Universities. He is regularly featured in national outlets, including The New York Times, NBC, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and NBC’s Today Show.
A Cuban-American, Isasi is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and resides in Washington, D.C.
Jewel Jones (she/her)
Senior Operations Manager
Jewel has worked with Families USA for over 20 years. Jones started off as a temporary receptionist and throughout her years has held several different roles including Administrative Assistant, Office Manager, Operations Manager and now Senior Operations Manager. Upon her arrival to DC in 1995, she worked at Lawson’s Gourmet as a Barista and was quickly promoted to Assistant Manager. Prior to moving to DC, Jones worked as a licensed practical nurse for 10 years at Kings Park Psychiatric Center. Jones earned her nursing license from Suffolk County Community College, NY and has received certification in Accounting 1 & 2 from Prince George Community College.
Arielle Kane (she/her)
Director, Medicaid Initiatives
Arielle Kane leads all of Families USA’s work related to Medicaid. Before working at Families, Kane was the director of health care policy at the Progressive Policy Institute. While there, she wrote policy content and opinion pieces on Medicaid, health care innovation, maternal health and health care cost issues. She also worked partner organizations and policymakers as a technical expert on various health policy proposals. Previously, Kane was a health care adviser for the Bloomberg 2020 campaign, worked at the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, and worked in state politics in Oregon. She holds a BS in political science from the University of Oregon, a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University and serves as a lecturer at Johns Hopkins University.
Nate Keller (he/him)
Partner Mobilization Associate
Nathan Keller works across the organization’s departmental and project teams to ensure partner engagement and activation aligns with Families USA’s health policy advocacy goals. Prior to joining Families USA, Keller worked for Mission for Arizona as its regional organizing director. There, he managed and trained a team of seven field organizers who recruited and trained more than one hundred volunteers. He also expanded existing Democratic infrastructure by developing strong relationships with local organizations and cultivating trust within the community. Keller also served as field organizer for Kamala Harris for the People, where he collaborated with local organizations to host candidate events and engage local caucus-goers. He holds a BA in political science from Alvernia University.
Colethea Kornegay
Staff Accountant
Colethea Kornegay works closely with the Senior Director of Finance and Operations and the Accounting Manager to assist with the day-to-day accounting operations, including GL accounting, journal entry preparation, and regular financial statement preparation. She is chiefly responsible for monitoring and financial reporting on the various grants received by Families USA. Kornegay holds a BS in Accounting and an MS in Accounting and Financial Management, both from the University of Maryland.
Barbara Klose (she/her)
Senior Accounting Manager
Barbara Klose helps manage the day-to-day accounting operations, including the development and maintenance of internal accounting policies and monitoring emerging technologies to promote efficiencies in the department. She manages the accounts payable/payroll/cash management processes and is the staff liaison for all finance systems. Klose started her career at Families USA in 1993, initially working in the Development department. She was responsible for researching funders and day-to-day management of the in-house direct mail program, including list selection, development of mail plan, production and analysis. Prior to joining Families USA, Klose worked for a local real estate developer, overseeing all aspects of accounting for various real estate projects, including monthly financial reports to partners and payroll for over 50 employees. Klose received her BA in Sociology from Mount Saint Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, MD.
Hazel Law (she/her)
Policy Analyst
Hazel Law performs policy research and analysis on issues across Families USA’s focus areas. Prior to joining Families USA, Law was a research and communications intern with Applied Policy. There, she assisted with research, editing, proofreading and formatting reports, and attended federal hearings for her team. She previously served as a contact tracer during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic with Partners in Health, connecting patients with resources and supporting those experiencing mental and physical hardships. Law holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Yael Lehmann (She/Her)
Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships
Yael Lehmann is responsible for developing and executing strategies that further engage national, state and local partners in all sectors to create a country where the best health and health care are equally available to everyone. Before joining Families USA, Lehmann was a consultant, supporting nonprofits with all aspects of fundraising and partnerships strategies. Lehmann previously served as the Executive Director of the Mid-Atlantic Region for the Common Market. In that role, she led a team that provided more than one million free produce boxes sourced from local farms to hungry families during the pandemic. Prior to that, Lehmann was the President & CEO of The Food Trust, where she provided strategic leadership, executed the agency’s mission and successfully advocated for the creation of the federal Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI). She holds a B.A. in Social Welfare from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania.
Staci Lofton
Senior Director, Health Equity
Staci Lofton is a public health leader with 17 years’ experience fighting to make our health care system work for people regardless of their race, gender or where they live, at local, state and national levels. Before joining Families USA, Lofton worked at Harris County Public Health in Texas, addressing inequality in health and the COVID-19 pandemic. She previously served as a Public Health Adviser and Health Scientist at the CDC, from 2004-2012, where she oversaw 12 national, state and local public health programs. She is passionate about fighting to fix our health care system through strategy, policy, and partnership development so it can provide everyone high quality care, regardless of their race, gender, or where they live. Lofton holds an MPH in Sociomedical Sciences: Urbanism and the Built Environment from Columbia University, and a JD in Health Law and Ethics from the University of Houston.
Mackenzie Marshall (she/her)
Manager of Federal Relations
Mackenzie “Kenzie” Marshall helps implement the organization’s work with federal policymakers and key national partners on all of Families USA’s program areas. Prior to joining Families USA, Marshall served as a Legislative Correspondent on Senator Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.)’s health policy team. Previously, she worked in Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)’s personal office, and interned for the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee. Before she started working on Capitol Hill, she served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines. Marshall holds a BA in International Political Economy from the University of Puget Sound and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Health at George Washington University.
Jude McCartin (she/her)
Chief of Staff
Jude McCartin is responsible for executing on organizational goals in collaboration with staff and for the day-to-day management of Families USA. Prior to her work at Families USA, McCartin was the Associate Director of Federal Relations at the University of California, where she worked to raise the profile of UC’s Supreme Court DACA case and served on the Anti-Racist Task Force charged with advising the university president on recruiting, hiring and retaining a diverse staff. Before working at UC, McCartin was the Legislative Director to senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM). She began her career as a reporter before holding multiple communications roles in then-Senator Jeff Bingaman’s office. McCartin holds a BA in American History from SUNY Binghamton, and an MA in Journalism from Syracuse University.
Claire Moore (she/her)
Events & Operations Associate
Claire Moore manages the logistics for meetings and events, serves on the Health Action Conference team, and provides operational support across the organization. Before entering this role, Moore interned at La Clínica del Pueblo and Community Clinic, Inc, researching prevalent health issues that affect Black and Brown people in the Washington, D.C. area and helping patients access care in English and Spanish. Recognizing food insecurity on her college campus, Moore founded and secured funding for a free meal program that provided three meals a day to over 250 during spring break. This program is now institutionally funded and has continued operating after Moore’s graduation. Moore received a Bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Chicago in 2018.
Christine Nguyen
Manager, Healthy Equity Strategies
Christine Nguyen, serves as project lead of the Health Equity Center, managing the health equity portfolio, which includes various initiatives that facilitate policy and system changes to promote equitable access to health as well as quality health and affordable health care. Prior to joining Families USA, Nguyen was a Policy Manager with the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum. There, she worked to elevate Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) women and girls to impact policy and drive systemic change in the United States, particularly surrounding health care access, economic inequality and reproductive rights. Nguyen holds an MPH in health policy from George Washington University and a BA in sociology from University of Michigan.
Jon Olson (he/him)
Senior Director, Finance & Operations
Jon Olson oversees the recently combined finance and operations staff. Olson started at Families USA in 2017, coming from the National Governors Association where he had been Director, Grants and Contracts for the previous eight years. He has close to fifteen years of non-profit experience and another ten years in private industry. Olson is a certified public accountant and has a BS and an MS in Accounting, both from George Mason University.
Mike Persley (he/him)
Strategic Partnerships Campaign Manager
Mike Persley is a dedicated organizer and advocate on the Strategic Partnerships team at Families USA. Prior to joining Families USA, Persley was a Redistricting Organizer with the League of Women Voters, where he assisted with volunteer recruitment, mobilization, and campaign and leadership development. He also served as an organizer for SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin, where he helped union membership grow at five different facilities, and helped the second largest bargaining unit in the state earn better wages and benefits. Persley holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and an MA in Journalism from the University of Maryland.
Aaron Plotke (He/Him)
Senior Policy Analyst
Aaron Plotke provides policy and data analysis on key issues such as Medicaid, prescription drug prices, and health equity for the policy team. Prior to joining Families USA, Plotke worked as a social science research analyst at the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services in New York. While there, he conducted national evaluations of Medicare, Medicaid and public health and human service programs. Before that, he was a public health advisor with the Columbia Law School Health Justice Advocacy Clinic, researching lead poisoning in public and publicly assisted housing and creating content to effectively advocate for public health policy change in Congress. Plotke holds a BS and a BA from the University of Connecticut in nutritional sciences and health policy, and a MPH from Columbia University in sociomedical science and health policy.
Pamela Pugh
Executive Assistant
Pamela Pugh provides executive administrative support to the Executive Director and Chief of Staff at Families USA. She uses her exceptional organizational skills as well as her keen eye for detail to foster a professional environment among all staff and external stakeholders. With over 24 years of leadership experience in the non-profit sector, Pam is passionate about accelerating change in people’s lives. She is a proactive problem-solver with exceptional organization and communication skills, as well as a keen attention to detail. Pam holds a BA in Organizational Leadership from Eastern University in St. Davids, PA.
Bailey Reavis (she/her)
Manager of Federal Relations
Bailey Reavis helps implement the organization’s work with federal policymakers and key national partners on all of Families USA’s program areas. Prior to joining Families USA, Reavis worked at Voices for Progress, an organization focused on protecting our climate, strengthening our democracy, and ensuring economic and social justice for all. There she worked with members to advocate on a diverse portfolio of issues, including protecting and expanding the Affordable Care Act. Reavis holds a BA in political science from University of Colorado at Boulder.
Megan Rossiter (she/her)
Federal Relations Associate
Megan ‘Meg’ Rossiter plays a key role in supporting the Federal Relations team’s work to help advance federal policies that help ensure quality health care is affordable and accessible to all. Prior to joining Families USA, Megan worked at the Congressional Hunger Center, where she collaborated with various anti-hunger coalitions, identifying legislative priorities and spearheading strategic political outreach with the aim of ending hunger in the United States and around the world. She also previously volunteered as a Field Fellow for Representative Hillary Scholten (D-MI-3)’s 2022 Congressional campaign. Megan holds a BA in International Studies and Political Science as well as a minor in Biological Anthropology from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Deborah Sartin
Director, Project Management Operations
Deborah Sartin builds and maintains organizational structure of Families USA’s project work to ensure maximum impact. Prior to Families USA, Sartin worked in various senior project management roles, including becoming founder of Tadabe Technology, a consulting firm that provided organizations with expert project management services. Sartin also served as director of the project management office for higher education institutions as well as corporate and non-profit organizations. In those positions she created and managed Project Management Office (PMO) Centers of Excellence and an Office of Business Excellence. She improved team structures, policies, and communications focusing on operational excellence and service delivery. Sartin holds a BA in Communications from Howard University and an MS in Management Information Systems from The George Washington University.
Lisa Shapiro (she/her)
Senior Advisor for Strategy and Children's Policy
Lisa Shapiro oversees strategy, policy, partner relationships and organizational issues for Families USA. She also applies her experience as a child advocate and policy expert to bolster Families’ engagement on maternal and child health issues, with a focus on efforts to improve health care quality, coverage, and outcomes for children and families. Before Families USA, Shapiro spent more than a decade as Vice President for Health Policy and was a founding member of the leadership team at First Focus, a bipartisan advocacy organization focused on improving public policy for low-income children. Shapiro also served as a congressional fellow for Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), where she worked on the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee on a broad range of health issues.
Jane Sheehan (she/her)
Director, Federal Relations
Jane Sheehan helps implement the organization’s work with federal policymakers and key national partners on all of Families USA’s program areas. She leads the organization’s work to enact consumer protections from surprise medical bills, manages several national stakeholder coalitions, and directs legislative and administrative strategies on health care value issues. Prior to joining Families USA, Sheehan worked on the legislative staff of then-Representative Ed Pastor (D-AZ), a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, advising him on a variety of domestic policy issues. Sheehan holds a BA in political science from Marist College.
Gillian Shurland (she/her)
Senior Director, Talent and Happiness
Gillian Shurland has more than 15 years of HR experience working with senior leadership teams. Shurland uses her positive attitude to engage and work with staff daily evaluating operations and identifying areas for continuous improvement. She graduated from the University of Kent at Canterbury in the United Kingdom with a MA in International Relations and has a BS from New York University in Political Science. She has a professional certificate in Human Resource Studies from Cornell University and certified credentials from SHRM-SCP and SPHR. Shurland is originally from Trinidad & Tobago and has lived in the U.S. for over 25 years.
Jamie Stevenson (He/Him)
Strategic Partnerships Campaign Manager
Jamie Stevenson is responsible for leading projects that advance state and national level policy changes aimed at achieving good health and quality health care for everyone in the country. Stevenson utilizes innovative methods to build momentum and partnerships that advance issue campaigns and grow Families USA’s partnership base. Before joining Families USA, Stevenson served as regional organizing manager for Climate Action Campaign. While there, he managed relations with state tables and climate coalitions. He also worked for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party where he operated as regional organizing director for President Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign. There, Stevenson authored and implemented a region-specific field plan that fit into the larger statewide organizing program. He holds a BA in integrated strategic communication from the University of Kentucky.
Jen Taylor (she/her)
Senior Director, Federal Relations
Jen Taylor is responsible for developing and implementing federal legislative and regulatory strategies. Taylor engages with administration officials and Members of Congress and their staff, as well as national partners and other key health care stakeholders. Prior to joining Families USA, she served as Director of Federal Affairs at the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), a national membership association representing the interests of the country’s 1,400 health centers. Taylor previously worked on Capitol Hill for six years, first as a Health Policy Fellow in the office of Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-CA), and then as Senior Policy Advisor for Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME). Taylor received her Master’s in Public Health from the University of California, Los Angeles. She also holds Bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Psychology & Social Behavior from the University of California, Irvine.
Sophia Tripoli (she/her)
Senior Director, Health Policy and Director, Center for Affordable Whole-Person Care
Sophia Tripoli leads Families USA’s work on value initiatives that focus on re-orienting the health care system to deliver health, lowering health care costs, and on forwarding consumer-focused policy agendas to improve health care delivery and payment systems. Tripoli represents Families USA as Co-Chair of the Public Policy Work Group for the Health Care Transformation Task Force, on the National Advisory Committee for the National Center for Complex Health and Social Needs, and on the National Quality Forum’s Cost and Efficiency Standing Committee. Tripoli previously worked at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), State Innovation, and at the National Governors Association. Tripoli holds an MPH and a BA in international affairs with a concentration in global public health, both from The George Washington University.
Tony Viardo
Senior Director, Communications
Tony Viardo is a strategic marketing and communications leader with more than 15 years of experience across a wide spectrum of MarCom disciplines and tactics within both the public (non-profit) and private (commercial) sectors. Viardo is responsible for leading the development and implementation of internal and external integrated communications plans designed to help advance the policy goals of Families USA and raise its visibility nationwide. As a member of the senior leadership team, he helps oversee the overall success of the organization as well. Before joining Families USA, Viardo served as Director of Marketing for the American Association for Justice, where he made valuable contributions in brand-building, product development, digital promotion, public education, political messaging, event planning, and fundraising. Viardo holds a BA in Journalism from the University of California, Berkley and a MS in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park.