Our Staff

Claire Sheahan

President and CEO
Claire is the Chief Executive Officer at the Alliance for Health Policy. She is a dynamic executive with more than 25 years of experience effectively engaging others to catalyze change in health care and health policy.  Claire has served in leadership roles in associations, corporations,  consulting and communications firms, including GMMB, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Fleishman Hillard, the Generic Pharmaceutical Association (now AAM), Avalere, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, and others. In these roles, she has managed effective educational and engagement campaigns, introduced new capabilities, products and services, established novel cross-functional teams, and successfully achieved gains in reputational status, growth and audience impact.  In her career, she has worked for organizations across the spectrum in health care ranging from scientific discovery to public health to patient advocacy.  These include non-profits like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and National Health Council; medical leaders like the American Academy of Family Physicians, the International Society for Stem Cell Research and Mayo Clinic; and companies like Biogen, Cigna, and Siemens Health.  Claire is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, where she served a semester as a research assistant to a member of UK parliament, and a co-founder of the campus sketch comedy troupe. She also holds an MSc. with Distinction from the London School of Economics in Media and Communications, where her dissertation focused on the construct of public opinion within the halls of the U.S. Congress. Claire also served as an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University, teaching students in the Communications MA program. She is the mother of two children, a cancer survivor, and serves as a Director on the Fairfax Library Foundation Board.

Kelly J. Appenzeller

Director of Development Operations
Kelly is the director of development operations at the Alliance for Health Policy. They oversee the Alliance’s development efforts and strategic partnerships. They work closely with the president & CEO, advising on stakeholder engagement and management, business operations and organizational growth. As director, Kelly manages annual revenue for the Alliance and is instrumental in new business development and partnerships. Kelly joined the Alliance in 2015 and during their tenure has been integral in stewarding the growth of the organization through new partnerships and programs. Before the Alliance, Kelly worked in communications and development, beginning their career in public relations and community building on and off Capitol Hill. Kelly holds a bachelor’s degree in history and government from St. Lawrence University.

David Elliott

Vice President of Finance and Operations
David is vice president of finance and operations at the Alliance for Health Policy. He manages financial planning, budgeting, and strategy for the Alliance and ensures the seamless day-to-day management of the organization. He serves as primary organizational contact for all grant and contract finances, supports all grant applications and financial reporting of grants, and ensures timely and accurate reporting to funders as well as effective management and compliance with respect to the use of grant dollars. David has nine years of nonprofit management experience including overseeing organizational planning, budgeting, accounting, information technology, regulatory compliance, human resources, special projects, and vendor negotiations and management, as well as grant proposals and reports. Prior to joining the Alliance in April 2019, he served as COO for the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) and its 501(c)4 sister organization, NIAC Action. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science with a business administration minor from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and an executive certificate in nonprofit management from Georgetown University.

Amaya Hampton, MPH

Program Associate
Amaya is the program associate at the Alliance for Health Policy. She helps to cultivate and maintain relationships with external partners, manages the workflow of multiple projects, and supports the execution of events and program goals. Prior to joining the Alliance, Amaya worked for multiple nonprofits, focusing on project management, content development, and communications. Amaya holds a master's degree in public health from University of California-Los Angeles and a bachelor of interdisciplinary studies from Louisiana State University.

Cory Hancock

Special Assistant to the CEO
Cory is the Special Assistant to CEO Claire Sheahan at the Alliance for Health Policy. He recently completed his Master of Arts in Ethics, Peace, and Human Rights at American University, concentrating on Climate Change and Human Mobility. He also has a Bachelor’s in Journalism and Emerging Media from Kennesaw State University. Before joining the Alliance, Cory worked as a photographer at the International Monetary Fund and as Assistant Site Director & Program Director at the National Student Leadership Conference.

Christopher Holt

Strategic Advisor
Christopher Holt is a Strategic Advisor at the Alliance for Health Policy, providing policy and federal affairs direction and consulting on a variety of Alliance initiatives. He also serves as a bridge between the Alliance and our congressional and executive branch audiences. Chris was previously Vice President of Policy & Federal Affairs for the Alliance overseeing our policy workstream to ensuring our programs are solution-focused, grounded in evidence, and timely for our policy audience. Before joining the Alliance, Chris was the Director of Health Care Policy at the American Action Forum (AAF). His op-eds have appeared in publications including Real Clear Policy and The Hill, and his research and perspectives have been cited in numerous publications including Politico, Congressional Quarterly, Modern Healthcare, and Bloomberg Law. He has been a regular panelist at briefings and policy events and has provided expert testimony to multiple congressional committees. Prior to AAF, Chris served on Capitol Hill as health policy advisor to Senator Scott Brown (R-MA), Representatives Tim Murphy (R-PA) and Bob Inglis (R-SC), and Senator George Voinovich (R-OH). He began his congressional career with the Senate Special Committee on Aging under then-Chairman Gordon Smith (R-OR). Chris holds a master’s degree in congressional and presidential studies from The Catholic University of America, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Whitman College.

Alison Jones, MPH

Director of Program Strategy and Management
Alison is the director of program strategy and management at the Alliance for Health Policy. She leads efforts to strengthen operational efficiency across the Alliance’s programming and advance the organization’s mission to promote solutions-focused dialogue on health policy and health equity issues. Alison oversees the management and execution of program development to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery of events and other strategic goals. Prior to joining the Alliance in 2023, Alison worked in federal advocacy and private philanthropy to advance evidence-based policy to improve access to quality, affordable, and accessible maternal and reproductive health care. Alison brings more of a decade in nonprofit program management experience and previously served on the Board of the D.C. Abortion Fund, where she led the development of the organization’s first-ever monitoring, evaluation, and learning program. Alison holds a masters degree in public health from the George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health with a concentration in health policy and dual bachelor’s degrees in English and Communications from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Amanda McMahon

Senior Program Manager
Amanda is a senior program manager at the Alliance of Health Policy. She cultivates and manages relationships with external partners, oversees event logistics, and ensures the successful execution of events and program goals. Prior to joining the Alliance, Amanda worked in health policy consulting and advocacy, focusing on Medicare, Medicaid, substance use disorder, reproductive health, and mental health. Amanda holds a master degree in public health from the University of South Florida and a bachelor of science degree from the University of Central Florida.

Madeline Pennington

Marketing and Communications Manager
Madeline is the marketing and communications manager at the Alliance for Health Policy. Madeline is responsible for supporting the development and execution of all marketing and communications strategy at the Alliance. Prior to this, she was an Influencer Marketing Manager at Village Marketing: A Wunderman Thompson Company. She also interned at Village Marketing as a Marketing and Business Development Intern prior to her full time role and acted as a Marketing Representative for Warner Music. Madeline holds bachelors’ degrees in media, journalism, and creative writing from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Emma Rossetti

Development and Engagement Associate
Emma is the development and engagement associate at the Alliance for Health Policy. Emma is responsible for supporting development outreach and event logistics at the Alliance. Prior to this, Emma interned at The American Battlefield Trust and the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. She also served two years as a student fellow with the Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy, and International Affairs at Hofstra University. Emma holds bachelors’ degrees in global studies, geography, and public policy from Hofstra University.

Keena Wallace

Accounting Assistant
Keena is the accounting assistant for the Alliance for Health Policy. Keena processes accounts payable, records accounting transactions, and performs other administrative duties as needed. Keena also handles the Alliance’s external event registration process. She has worked with the Alliance since 2008.

Bailey Wilbanks

Health Policy Education Advisor
Bailey is the federal affairs manager at the Alliance for Health Policy. Bailey plays a key role in implementing the federal affairs strategy at the Alliance. Prior to this, Bailey served as the Alliance’s program and research assistant. Before joining the Alliance, Bailey began her career on Capitol Hill for a Texas representative. Prior to her time on the Hill, Bailey also spent time interning for American Public Human Services Association. She holds a bachelor’s degree in community health from Texas A&M University.

Contact Us

Contact info@allhealthpolicy.org for any inquiries.