The National Health Council is governed by a volunteer board of directors made up of representatives from our various membership categories. Board members set the strategic direction and establish policy to guide the NHC in meeting its mission to provide a united voice for people with chronic diseases and disabilities and their family caregivers.

Officers

Kenneth Mendez

Chairperson

Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America

Jeff Todd

Chairperson-Elect

Prevent Blindness

Schroeder Stribling

Vice Chairperson

Mental Health America

Sue Peschin

Secretary

Alliance for Aging Research

Harold Wimmer

Treasurer

American Lung Association

LaVarne A. Burton

Immediate Past Chairperson

American Kidney Fund

board Members

Nancy Brown

American Heart Association

Lisa Butler

GBS│CIDP Foundation International

Matt Eyles

America’s Health Insurance Plans

Julie Louise Gerberding, MD, MPH

Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH)

Daniel Gillison

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

Diana Gray, MA

Hydrocephalus Association

Leah Howard

National Psoriasis Foundation

Devin Jopp

Association for Professionals in Infection Prevention & Control (APIC)

Cassandra McCullough, MBA

Association of Black Cardiologists

Michael Osso

Crohn's & Colitis Foundation

Gary A. Puckrein, PhD

National Minority Quality Forum

Stephen J. Ubl

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

Leonard A. Valentino, MD 

National Bleeding Disorders Foundation

NHC Committee Members

  • Chairperson Kenny Mendez, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
  • Jeff Todd, Prevent Blindness
  • Schroeder Stribling, Mental Health America
  • Sue Peschin, Alliance for Aging Research
  • Harold Wimmer, American Lung Association
  • Immediate Past Chair LaVarne Burton, American Kidney Fund
  • Chairperson LaVarne Burton, American Kidney Fund
  • Kenny Mendez, Chair, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
  • Lisa Simpson, AcademyHealth
  • Harold Wimmer, American Lung Association
  • Diana Gray, Hydrocephalus Association

  • Chairperson Schroeder Stribling, Mental Health America
  • Sue Peschin, Alliance for Aging Research
  • Eric Racine, Sanofi
  • Len Valentino, National Hemophilia
  • Dan Gillison, NAMI
  • Cassandra McCullough, Association of Black Cardiologists
  • Chairperson Harold Wimmer, American Lung Association
  • Kenny Mendez, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
  • Jeff Todd, Prevent Blindness
  • Michael Osso, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation
  • Lisa Butler, GBS/CIDP Foundation
  • Calaneet Balas, The ALS Association
  • Julie Louise Gerberding, MD, MPH, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH)
  • Chairperson Sue Peschin, Alliance for Aging Research
  • Kenny Mendez, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
  • Bob Gebbia, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
  • Emily Boyd Stormoen, Arthritis National Research Foundation
  • Michele Oshman, BIO
  • Kelly Cox, Johnson & Johnson
  • Julie Block, National Eczema Association
  • Micah Cost, Pharmacy Quality Alliance
  • Donna Cryer, Global Liver Institute
  • Chairperson LaVarne Burton, American Kidney Fund
  • Kenny Mendez, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
  • Harold Wimmer, American Lung Association
  • Michael Zincone, Pfizer
  • Lee Grossman, Orthopaedic Research & Education Foundation
  • Tracy Hart, Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation
  • Michael Weamer, The Marfan Foundation
  • Luther Clark, Merck
  • Eleanor Dahomey, Research!America
  • Chairperson Jeff Todd, Prevent Blindness
  • Julia Jenkins, EveryLife Foundation  
  • Schroeder Stribling, Mental Health America
  • Gary Puckrein, National Minority Quality Forum
  • Matt Eyles, AHIP
  • Steve Ubl, PhRMA
  • Steve Echard, American College of Rheumatology
  • Kristin Julason Damato, Cigna
  • Charles Henderson, American Diabetes Association
  • Christine Simmon, Food and Drug Law Institute
  • Jason Resendez, National Alliance for Caregiving
  • Co-Chairperson Leah Howard, National Psoriasis Foundation
  • Co-Chairperson Oved Amitay, Solve M.E.
  • Louise Vetter, Huntington’s Disease Society of America
  • Andrea Ferris, LUNGevity
  • Cynthia Bens, Personal Medicine Coalition
  • Jill Yersak, PhD, Biogen
  • Julie Fiol, Access National MS Society
  • Devin Jopp, APIC
  • Irene Aninye, Society for Women’s Health Research

Former Chairs of the board

 
2022

LaVarne Burton
American Kidney Fund

2021
Diana Gray
Hydrocephalus Association
2020
Ann Palmer
Arthritis Foundation
2019
Steven Taylor, MBA
Sjögren’s Foundation
2018
Robert Gebbia
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
2017
Cyndi Zagieboylo
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
2016
Tracy Smith Hart
Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation
2015
Randy Beranek
National Psoriasis Foundation
2014
Nancy Brown
American Heart Association
2013
LaVarne A. Burton
American Kidney Fund
2012
Larry Hausner
American Diabetes Association
2011
John H. Klippel, MD
Arthritis Foundation
2010
Steven Taylor, MBA
Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation
2009
Cindy Brownstein
Spina Bifida Association
2008
Margaret C. Kirk
Breast Cancer Network of Strength
2007
James E. Williams, Jr.
Easter Seals
2006
John Walsh
Alpha-1 Foundation
2005

Eric R. Hargis
Epilepsy Foundation