The Alliance For Health Reform: Staff

	Edward F. Howard, Executive Vice President. Ed has headed up the Alliance since its formation in 1991. Previously, he served as general counsel for the Pepper Commission, a bipartisan congressional panel convened to plan for providing health coverage to all Americans. Before that, he directed public policy at the Villers Foundation and at the National Council on the Aging, and served as general counsel to the House Select Committee on Aging. He holds a juris doctor degree from Harvard University.

	Ebby Aniyikaiye, Staff Assistant. Ebby joined the Alliance the fall of 2010 after graduating from St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a B.A. in public policy. She is currently in her first year of a masters degree program in public policy.

	Bill Erwin, Communications Director. Before joining the Alliance, Bill headed his own media relations firm serving the Alliance and other health-related clients. Earlier, he served as communications director of Families USA, and shared media relations responsibilities at the American Hospital Association. He holds a master's degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, and an undergraduate degree from Duke. E-Mail: billerwin@allhealth.org

	Deanna Okrent, Senior Health Policy Associate. Before joining the Alliance in spring 2007, Deanna was a consultant on aging and health policy to private and not-for-profit organizations for seven years. She is also a professional mediator. Earlier she was a policy associate for the Alpha Center (now AcademyHealth). Prior to that, Deanna served as an associate director for the 1995 White House Conference on Aging. She holds an M.A. in physiology from the City University of NY at Hunter College and a master’s degree in public administration from SUNY.

	Beeta Rasouli, Health Policy Associate. Beeta joined the Alliance in June 2011. She previously worked on Capitol Hill in both the House and Senate, and most recently was a legislative assistant to the former assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. She holds an M.P.H. from The George Washington University and a B.S. in psychology.

	Chris Riggio, Operations Associate. Chris joined the Alliance in January 2012. He previously worked for an environmental nonprofit organization managing financial operations and budgeting. He hails from Virginia Beach, VA and holds a B.S. in finance and economics from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA.

	Zack Thompson, Program Assistant. Zack joined the Alliance in November 2010. He came to Washington from Chicago, and he holds a B.A. in history and international relations from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois.

	Anastasia Tirio, Director of Operations. Anastasia joined the Alliance in November 2010. She previously worked at Children’s National Medical Center in DC and has a background in non-profit development, fund raising and event management. She received her BA from St. Lawrence University in creative writing.

	Atyya Chaudhry, Intern. Atyya is interning with the Alliance for the spring of 2012. Prior to joining the Alliance, Atyya worked as a program coordinator for the Asian American Health Initiative under Montgomery County's Department of Health and Human Services in Maryland. She graduated with a degree in community Health from the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland, College Park. She hopes to pursue a graduate degree in public policy.

	Preeti Kohli, Intern. Preeti is interning with the Alliance for spring 2012. She holds a B.A. degree in public health studies with a minor in history from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Preeti's special interests include geriatrics and long-term care policy. She will be starting medical school in fall 2012 and also hopes to pursue a master's in public health in the future.

Staff

About Us

Interactive map: Community Quality Initiatives

New Edition of "Covering Health Issues" Available Online

Issue Brief -- Employer & Consumer Issues in Reform

Issue Brief -- Implementing Health Reform

Issue Brief -- Local Quality Collaboratives

Inside Deficit Reduction: What It Means for Medicare