Heather Drake, Chair

Heather Drake currently works at the Commonwealth Fund as a Program Associate in their Program on Payment System Reform. The Commonwealth Fund is a foundation promoting a high performance health system through better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency. In this role, she manages the Program's grantees and assists with research as it pertains to reforming our current health care payment system. Heather graduated from Syracuse University in 2007 with a B.A. in political science and policy studies and is currently a Master's of Public Health candidate concentrating in health promotion at George Washington University.

Chris Cantrell, Vice Chair

Chris Cantrell is currently a Research Assistant at the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), where he works on projects relating to federal health reform and Medicaid. While at NASHP, he has researched and published on a variety of health policy topics including oral health, scope of practice issues, and Medicaid reimbursement. Prior to NASHP, he interned at AmericaSpeaks, where he helped convene citizens in California to discuss the state’s health reform efforts in 2007. Chris graduated from Clemson University with a degree in economics and will be pursuing a Master of Public Policy at American University this fall.

Tina Hansen, Treasurer

Tina Hansen is currently a Program Specialist at the Office of Management and Budget's Health Division. There, she is responsible for managing budget accounts and human capital issues for the Department of Health and Human Services. Prior to working at OMB, Tina worked for both the Iowa and New York Departments of Public Health, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Tina received a B.A. in biomedical sciences from the University of Northern Iowa and a Master's of Public Health from the University at Albany.

Chris Lee, Development Director

Christopher Lee currently works at the Medical Society of the District of Columbia as the Associate Director of Membership and Communications. MSDC is an organization that advocates on behalf of patients and physicians that live and work in the District of Columbia.  As Associate Director, he oversees the Society's membership and partnership development and directs all communications with Society members, media and the community. Christopher is a Lexington, Kentucky native, and graduated from Florida State University in 2008 with a B.S. in Multinational Business Operations and Communications.

Tanya Schwartz, Membership and Outreach Director

Tanya Schwartz is currently a Health Insurance Specialist at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services where she works on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Prior to CMS, Tanya worked at the Kaiser Family Foundation for the Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. Tanya graduated from Bates College with a B.A. in Sociology and received a Master of Public Policy and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan.

Ashley Palmer, Communications Director

Ashley Palmer is currently a Research Associate at the Urban Institute, where she focuses on the evaluation of safety-net programs.  Previously, she worked for the Lewin Group, where she evaluated Medicaid, Medicare and health reform initiatives.  She has produced work for states, localities, federal agencies, health plans, hospitals, and associations.  She has B.A.s in Economics and Psychology from Miami University, and a Master of Public Policy from the George Washington University. 

Alanna Williamson, Secretary

Alanna Williamson is currently a data coordinator at AABB, a nonprofit association located in Bethesda, MD, where she is working to implement a national system to improve patient safety and health care quality in transfusion medicine. Previously she worked for the American Diabetes as a health policy intern, where she performed independent research and analyses of health policy issues relevant to Americans with diabetes. She received her B.A. in Public Health Policy and Management from the University of California, Berkeley in 2008.

Committee Co-Chairs: Shireesha Jevaji and Rob Nelb

The Professional Development Subcommittee is responsible for developing events and programs designed to enhance professional skills and provide information about career opportunities in the field of health policy. Events will be planned by sub-committee members to hone the skills of young professionals so they can effectively define career goals, network, build strong working and mentoring relationships, conduct a successful job search, excel in the professional workplace, and stay up-to-date with current issues in the field.

A range of events are offered to meet the needs and interests of our diverse membership, including the following:

• Skills-Building Events – tips for improving skills related to networking, mentoring, the career search, and effective communication
• Meet the Experts – networking panel discussions
• Career Exploration Panels – exploration of public and private sector jobs
• Coffee Shop Chats – informal discussions on hot topics in the field.

Committee Chairperson: Dave Chandrasekaran

Similar to the Professional Development Committee, the Society's Programming Committee is responsible for programming that facilitates networking among Society Members and fosters long-lasting, meaningful relationships with members. Additionally, the Committee collaborates with other organizations to sponsor events and develop programming partnerships. Our programming events include monthly networking happy hours, expertpanels, and a host of others.

Society members are encouraged to suggest additional topics for future programming.  Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Committee Chair: Grace Arnold

As an organization dedicated to the fields of health and public health, the Society of Health Policy Young Professionals has a responsibility to not only serve its members, but also the public. The Society created a Community Service Committee to promote involvement in various volunteer initiatives throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

The Community Service Committee helps to enhance the fulfillment of the Society's mission, while also providing a venue for Society members to give back to the community. With volunteer events, the committee helps the Society increase its visibility in the community, support the formation of new relationships and partnerships, provide another forum for networking, and abet professional development by encouraging a spirit of service. These include:

• Blood drives
• Education (e.g. outreach programs with Metro Teen AIDS or tutoring with So Others Might Eat)
• Food drive (e.g. Capital Area Food Bank)
• Food service (e.g. Bread for the City, DC Central Kitchen, or Food & Friends)
• Fundraisers to benefit Community Organizations or Issues (e.g. happy hours, auction or galas to raise money for a health organizations)
• Group walk (e.g. AIDS Walk Washington or America's Walk for Diabetes)
• Hospital service (e.g. Children's National Medical Center or Georgetown University Hospital)
• Issue-specific organization opportunities (e.g. volunteering at the American Cancer Society)
• Health and Fitness Expo
• Sponsor a child (e.g. Arlington Academy of Hope)

Our activities are announced via the Society website and in every newsletter. We always encourage member feedback on previous or future events. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information about the Community Service Committee.

Committee Chairperson: Kris Korwin and Erin Poetter

The Communications Committee strives to increase the visibility of the Society to Members and external organizations by coordinating all communications, marketing events, and producing the monthly newsletter. In addition, the committee oversees the Society's social networking sites, including the LinkedIn and Facebook groups, and web site updates.

Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information about the Cmomunications Committee