Maya Rockeymoore, Director

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Dr. Maya Rockeymoore is Director of Leadership for Healthy Communities and President and CEO of Global Policy Solutions*, a Washington, DC policy consulting firm with a social change mission.

Maya has previously served as the Vice President of Research and Programs at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), Senior Resident Scholar at the National Urban League, Chief of Staff to Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY), Professional Staff on the House Ways and Means Committee, and as a CBCF Legislative Fellow in the office of Congressman Melvin Watt (D-NC) among other positions. 

Maya’s areas of expertise include health, social insurance, income security, education, women’s issues and youth civic participation. She is the author of The Political Action Handbook: A How to Guide for the Hip Hop Generation and co-editor of Strengthening Community: Social Insurance in a Diverse America. Maya was named an Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellow in 2004 and holds other prestigious honors and awards. She holds a B.A. in political science and mass communications from Prairie View A&M University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in political science and public policy from Purdue University.

*Global Policy Solutions provides technical assistance and direction for the Leadership for Healthy Communities program.

Laura Ojeda, Deputy Director

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Laura Ojeda has worked in the field of public health in the areas of program planning, policy and evaluation for more than 12 years. Her most recent position was Program Officer with First 5 LA, a major funding agency dedicated to improving the lives of young children in Los Angeles, California. In this capacity, Laura designed and managed several multimillion dollar initiatives relating to the areas of health and early learning. Specifically, she managed a five-year $100 million health insurance program targeting low-income children ineligible for public programs due to income restrictions and immigration status. Laura also represented First 5 LA in the Children’s Health Initiative (CHI) Coalition of Greater Los Angeles. This work involved collaborating with numerous stakeholders and advocates throughout Los Angeles County, including governmental, community based, and philanthropic agencies, to inform statewide health policy reform. In addition, Laura played a critical role in the development of the agency’s five-year strategic plan specific to its health priorities. Prior to this experience, Laura planned and evaluated HIV prevention programs with Clinica Para Las Americas, a community clinic serving uninsured, low income, Latino immigrants in Los Angeles, California. Laura also worked as a Research Analyst with the UCLA School of Public Health providing technical assistance to non-profit agencies in evaluation and needs assessments. Laura holds a master of public health from UCLA in community health sciences with a policy concentration.

Michelle KLINK, Senior Advisor

MELISSA MATIN-SHEPARD, POLICY AND PROGRAM ASSOCIATE
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Melissa Maitin-Shepard is policy and program associate with Leadership for Healthy Communities and Global Policy Solutions, where she provides research, program and advocacy assistance. She is responsible for developing policy briefs and fact sheets on issues related to childhood obesity prevention.  Prior to this position, Melissa worked in the Advocacy Department of the American Heart Association, where she was responsible for managing the Association’s policy research on tobacco control and stroke systems of care, creating and maintaining advocacy fact sheets, organizing expert policy writing groups and providing other policy research support on a variety of issues related to cardiovascular disease and stroke.  Melissa began her career in public health policy at Trust for America’s Health, where she worked on the organization’s 2006 F as in Fat report and helped to plan a related conference on obesity prevention.

Melissa earned a B.A. in psychology from the George Washington University in 2006 and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public policy with a health policy concentration also at the George Washington University.