Meet Families USA’s Board of Directors
Deborah Bachrach
Deborah Bachrach uses her significant experience with both public- and private-sector health policy and financing to help states, providers, insurers and foundations analyze and implement the Affordable Care Act. She also counsels clients on Medicaid coverage, payment policies, delivery systems and other healthcare reforms.
Before rejoining Manatt, Deborah served as Medicaid director and deputy commissioner of health for the New York State Department of Health’s Office of Health Insurance Programs, where she managed coverage, care and payment policies for more than four million children and adults enrolled in the state’s Medicaid and Child Health Insurance programs. She led reforms to streamline Medicaid’s eligibility and enrollment process, and improve its purchasing strategies.
Deborah has advised the Center for Health Care Strategies, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Before working with the state of New York, as a Manatt partner Deborah provided legislative, regulatory and strategic counsel to academic medical centers, safety net hospitals, community health centers, health plans and other healthcare companies.
Deborah has also worked as vice president, external affairs, at St. Luke’s–Roosevelt Hospital Center; as New York State chief assistant attorney general; and as chief of the Office of the New York State Attorney General’s Civil Rights Bureau.
Deborah was an adjunct professor of law at the New York University School of Law, where she taught a seminar on federal health reform from 2011 to 2013.
Deborah joined the Board of Directors in 2020. She is the Chair of the Board and the Executive Committee and a member of the Program Committee.
Chiquita Brooks-LaSure
For more than 25 years, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure has dedicated her career to ensuring that people in America live healthy, thriving lives. With an exceptional ability to see challenges and solutions from multiple perspectives, a proven record of assembling dynamic teams, and a listen-first leadership approach coupled with clear-eyed decisiveness, Chiquita has positively transformed organizations that are making a significant impact across the nation.
As America continued to reel from the COVID-19 pandemic, President Biden appointed Brooks-LaSure as the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This government agency oversees over $1.4 trillion in annual spending, provides health coverage to more than 160 million Americans, and oversees health, safety, and performance standards at over 20,000 U.S. hospitals, nursing homes, and other health facilities. An average week for the CMS Administrator includes billion-dollar decisions and direct engagement with health leaders, advocates, Congressional leadership, governors, mayors, and Fortune 100 CEOs.
As Administrator, Chiquita assembled and led a diverse senior staff, along with 6,000 dedicated agency employees and over 30,000 contractors, in delivering record-breaking results for the American people. Under her leadership, CMS doubled health coverage under the Affordable Care Act from 12 to 24 million enrollees, expanded and strengthened Medicaid, raised maternal health standards, and led negotiations with Fortune 100 corporations to lower prescription drug prices. These negotiations are estimated to save $6 billion in overall costs and $1.5 billion for Medicare enrollees in the first year alone.
Chiquita also spurred groundbreaking healthcare solutions for those with dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease by allowing Medicare to cover critical caregiving services and expanding access to 24/7 nursing support. Additionally, she led her team in securing agreements with biotech companies to cover groundbreaking treatments for sickle cell anemia for those in Medicaid. Under her leadership, the Biden Administration concluded its term with more people covered by health insurance, lower prescription drug costs, and access to innovative healthcare solutions. When The Washington Post said that Chiquita “w[ould] be key to Biden’s success” in healthcare, they were right.
Earlier in her career, at consulting firms Avalere Health and Manatt Health, Chiquita provided nuanced and actionable insights on Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act to leaders of health plans, hospital systems, pharmaceutical companies, and advocacy organizations. Through her thought leadership, she also spurred meaningful policy discussions on health equity and maternal health.
As a legislative aide on the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, she helped craft key provisions and shepherd the overall passage of the Affordable Care Act. Following the ACA’s passage, Chiquita joined the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to craft first-ever policies and regulations to ensure successful and enduring implementation of the law.
Chiquita is currently a Senior Fellow at The Century Foundation.
Modern Healthcare named Chiquita the most influential person in healthcare in 2023, and Time Magazine included her among the 100 most influential global health leaders and “most admired women” leaders. A member of the National Academy of Medicine, Chiquita received a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University. She is married with one daughter. Chiquita is a member of the Program Committee.
Sister Simone Campbell
Sister Simone Campbell, just before beginning a sabbatical, served as Executive Director of NETWORK from 2004 until 2021. She is a religious leader, attorney, and poet with extensive experience in public policy and advocacy for systemic change. In Washington, she has lobbied on issues that help “mend the gaps” in income and wealth in the U.S., focused specifically on how they disproportionately affect people of color and women. Around the country, she is a noted speaker and educator on these public policy issues. She is an award-winning author of two books: A Nun on the Bus (Harper Collins) and Hunger for Hope (Orbis Press).
During the 2010 congressional debate about healthcare reform, Sister Simone wrote the famous “nuns’ letter” supporting the reform bill and had 59 leaders of Catholic Sisters sign on. This action was cited by many as critically important in passing the Affordable Care Act. Since 2012, Sister Simone has led five cross-country “Nuns on the Bus” trips, focused on economic justice, comprehensive immigration reform, voter turnout, and bridging divides in politics and society.
Prior to coming to NETWORK, Sister Simone served as the Executive Director of JERICHO, a California interfaith public policy organization that works to protect the interests of people living in poverty. Before JERICHO, she served as the general director of her religious community, the Sisters of Social Service. In 1978, Sister Simone founded and served for 18 years as the lead attorney for the Community Law Center in Oakland, California.
Sister Simone has a JD from the University of California at Davis, where she was an editor of the law review. She earned her BA from Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles, where she graduated with honors.
Sister Simone joined the Board of Directors in February 2013. She previously served as the Chair of the Board and is currently a member of the Strategic Planning Committee.
Dr. Christopher Chen
Dr. Christopher Chen, MD, MBA, is the Medical Director for Medicaid at the WA State Health Care Authority. Dr. Chen is dedicated to serving the underserved and believes in the HCA’s mission to use innovative policies and purchasing strategies to improve health and address disparities. He helps guide clinical policy and strategy at the agency, and supports initiatives in health information technology, telehealth, quality, and health equity. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, his business degree from The Wharton School, and completed his residency in internal medicine – primary care at the University of Washington. He is board certified in internal medicine and clinical informatics and is an adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Washington. He sits on the NCQA Public Sector Advisory Council, serves as Chair Emeritus of the Medicaid Medical Director’s Network and recently served as a Milbank Fellow.
Dr. Chen is a member of the Governance Committee.
Toby Douglas
Toby Douglas, MPP, MPH, is senior vice president, national Medicaid, at Kaiser Permanente. Previously, Mr. Douglas was senior vice president for Medicaid solutions at Centene Corporation, and prior to that, a long-standing state Medicaid official, serving for 10 years as an executive in California Medicaid. He served as director of the California Department of Health Care Services and was director of California Medicaid for six years, during which time he also served as a board member of the National Association of Medicaid Directors and as a State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) director. Mr. Douglas recently served for six years as a Commissioner on the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC).
Earlier in his career, Mr. Douglas worked for the San Mateo County Health Department in California, as a research associate at the Urban Institute, and as a VISTA volunteer. He received his Master of Public Policy and Master of Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley.
Mr. Douglas joined the Board in 2023. He is the Vice Chair of the Board and a member of the Executive Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, Governance Committee, and Program Committee.
Rushika Fernandopulle
Rushika Fernandopulle is a practicing physician and national leader in healthcare delivery reform. He most recently served as Chief Innovation Officer of One Medical, a leading Advanced Primary Care company based in San Francisco, CA. Before this, he was co-founder and CEO of Iora Health, was the first Executive Director of the Harvard Interfaculty Program for Health Systems Improvement, and Managing Director of the Clinical Initiatives Center at the Advisory Board Company. He is a member of the Albert Schweitzer, Ashoka, Aspen, and Salzburg Global Fellowships, and is co-author or editor of several publications. He serves on the staff at the Massachusetts General Hospital, on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. He earned his A.B., M.D., and M.P.P. from Harvard University, and completed his clinical training at the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts General Hospital.
Dr. Fernandopulle is a returning Board Director and has been serving on the Board again since 2023. He is the Chair of the Program Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee.
Melanie Fontes Rainer
Melanie Fontes Rainer, J.D., M.S. E.D. is the Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at L.A. Care Health Plan, the nation’s largest publicly operated plan. In this role, Melanie leads the organizations strategy developing and execution- focusing on strategic investments, community giving, strategic planning, project management, innovation and analytics. L.A. Care Health Plan is the largest health plan in Los Angeles County serving more than one of every four Angelenos. As a public entity, L.A. Care’s mission is to provide access to quality health care for L.A. County’s low-income communities, and to support the safety net required to achieve that purpose.
She is a national leader in healthcare policy, law and regulation. Her expertise spans private and public health insurance, the Affordable Care Act, competition in healthcare, cost containment, transparency, privacy, cybersecurity, digital health and AI, civil rights, and regulatory oversight of healthcare.
Most recently, Melanie served as the National Director for Privacy, Cybersecurity, and Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). A transformative leader, Melanie led a national reorganization to better meet the agency’s budgetary needs, reduce its backlog of complaints, and focus work on its mission to the public. Significantly she revitalized the case resolution process to be more efficient and responsive to the needs of the healthcare system–leading to one of the highest collections of settlements and penalties collecting $9.9 million with 22 settlements in 2024 to promote cyber security. She advanced a robust policy agenda to help ensure people can access healthcare with new rules on nondiscrimination, use of AI in healthcare, patient privacy and substance use, reproductive privacy, and strengthening cybersecurity. During this time Melanie was on the HHS Leadership Committee on AI, working to advance a framework for use of AI in healthcare nationwide and was appointed to the White House Reproductive Access Task Force in response to the loss of Roe v. Wade.
Melanie also served as Counselor to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, providing strategic guidance on health policy. In this role, she led the implementation of the bipartisan No Surprises Act, increasing transparency in medical billing and saving consumers money. She was also appointed as the Secretary’s designee on the White House Competition Council leading cross-cutting Department work on the national healthcare economy, price transparency, costs, and competition to benefit American consumers.
Before joining the Administration, Melanie served as the Chief Healthcare Advisor at the California Department of Justice, where she led a national team to save the Affordable Care Act at the United States Supreme Court protecting coverage for over 133 million Americans. She also facilitated the creation of a new team, the Healthcare Rights and Access Division, devoted to proactively advancing healthcare rights, competition, and consumer protection in California. She is a pragmatic leader who worked on multiple groundbreaking settlements, such as the $575 million historic settlement with Sutter Health to increase competition and consumer choice in California and multiple historic bipartisan settlements to address the national opioid epidemic.
Melanie previously served in the U.S. Senate as a Senior Aide to Chair Patty Murray on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and the Budget Committees. In these roles, she helped pass several transformative healthcare laws, including the 21st Century Cures Act, Every Student Succeeds Act, and the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, among other laws and led the Senate’s work on the Affordable Care Act.
Melanie is a Nonresidential Senior Fellow at Washington University in St. Louis Weidenbaum Center of the Economy, Government and Public Policy.
Melanie is a proud Mexican American, whose family has been in Arizona for over 500 years. She lives with her husband, their dogs Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Mookie Betts, her cat Marion Barry Jr, Jr and her mother.
Melanie is a member of the Program Committee.
Latisha Latiker
Latisha Latiker is the National Director of Grant Services for the NAACP. In her role, Latisha works to achieve equity, political rights and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination, and accelerate wellbeing, education, and economic security of Black people and all persons of color. Latisha leads a team tasked with the overall development and execution of the Association’s comprehensive strategy, including research and prospecting, proposal design and development, reporting and compliance/management, and database management.
Latisha has over 20 years of experience working in the field of philanthropy and nonprofits. Prior to joining the NAACP, Latisha served as the Director of Grants Programming for the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi. In this role, she worked on grantmaking, advocacy, and engagement activities for the Foundation. Early in her career, Latisha served as Regional Program Officer for the Children’s Defense Fund’s Southern Regional Office where she worked on advocacy initiatives that addressed the needs of children and families, paying particular interest to economically vulnerable families.
A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, she earned her B.A. and M.A. in Political Science with an emphasis in public policy and public administration from Oklahoma State University. Latisha is the proud parent of one son, as well as aunt to numerous nieces and nephews. She enjoys reading, traveling, and watching sports with her family.
Latisha joined the Board in 2023 and is the Secretary of the Board. She is a member of the Executive Committee, Finance Committee, Governance Committee, and Program Committee.
Maria Lemus
Maria Lemus is the founding Executive Director of Visión y Compromiso. An organization established in 2000. Visión y Compromiso and its Network of Promotoras and Community Health Worker are committed to supporting Promotoras and Community Health Workers (P/CHW) towards achieving healthy and dignified lives for Latinos who endure disproportionate rates of health disparities by providing leadership, capacity building, and advocacy for over 4,000 Promotores and Community Health Workers associated with clinics, hospitals, and community-based organizations in rural and urban communities.
Ms. Lemus is a member of a number of national boards and advisory committees including; the National Association of Community Health Workers (NACHW), the Health and Human Services Promotores Advisory Committee, Latino Best Baby Initiative, National Teen Pregnancy Initiative, Hispanic/Latino Workgroup of the National Diabetes Educational Program – a diabetes education program of NIH and CDC, the National Alliance for Latino Behavioral Health Workforce Development, National Latino Infant Nutrition Initiative, the California Latino Mental Health Concilio for the Reducing Health Disparity Project, the Family Violence Prevention Fund’s Intimate Partner Violence Education Project, the California Hispanic American Cancer Society’s Hispanic Advisory Committee, March of Dimes, and the Preconception Advisory Committee in California.
Prior to Visión y Compromiso, Ms. Lemus was active as a community consultant to local community organizations. Ms. Lemus has 21 years of management experience in the Rural Health Division of the California Department of Health Services, the AIDS Office in the City and County of San Francisco, and the California Department of Corrections.
Ms. Lemus has received a California State Assembly Recognition Resolution, is an alum of the National Hispana Leadership Institute and the California Women’s Policy Institute of the Women’s Foundation, received the Community Latina Award by the California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, the Champions of Health Award from the California Center for Public Health, and the Siempre Award by Tiburcio Vasquez Community Clinic. She has served as a Board member of the Koshland Committee at the San Francisco Foundation, a Fellow of the Purpose Prize, Fellow of the Mexican American Solidarity Foundation, is a recipient of the Contra Costa Women’s Hall of Fame “Women Improving Healthcare,” and has served as a Faculty Advisor for the Women’s Health Leadership and as a mentor for emerging women leaders. Additionally, she has received the Outstanding PTA President Award and has been the Past President of the California Chicano Correctional Workers Association.
Ms. Lemus received her B.A. degree from the University of California Riverside. She was born in San Bernardino, CA to Mexican parents, has been married for 35 years, and has two adult children.
Maria is a member of the Finance Committee, the Personnel Committee, and the Governance Committee.
Elena Marks
Elena M. Marks is a Health Policy Fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Her work centers on improving health outcomes for all Texans, with an emphasis on people with low incomes and members of marginalized groups. Her areas of expertise include health systems, the Affordable Care Act, access to health care, health disparities, health equity, and the nonmedical drivers of health. From 2014 – 2022, Ms. Marks served as the Founding President and CEO of the Episcopal Health Foundation, a $1.3 billion philanthropy dedicated to health equity in Texas, working under the tagline #HealthNotJustHealthCare. Under her leadership, the foundation awarded over $400 million to nonprofits and governmental entities working to improve health outcomes.
Ms. Marks’ previous professional experiences include serving as the Director of Health and Environmental Policy for the City of Houston; consulting in the health care industry with large systems and community-based providers; starting and directing a successful legal placement firm; and practicing trial and appellate law with major law firms.
Ms. Marks holds a bachelor’s degree from Emory University, a law degree from the University of Texas School of Law, and a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Texas School of Public Health.
Ms. Marks joined the Board in 2023 and is a member of the Governance Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee.
Matt Morrison
Matt Morrison is the executive director of Working America, a three-million-member labor organization mobilizing working people who don’t have the benefit of a union at their jobs. He is a leading political practitioner with experience working in over 500 elections throughout his career. Most recently, Working America has achieved a 76 percent win rate in the 87 competitive elections it has worked in since November 2016.
The American Political Science Association has described Morrison’s work as a “bedrock of experimentation in American politics” and recognized him as “influential on our understanding of political campaigns within political science” (2018).
In his earlier role as Working America’s political director, Morrison led the refinement of the organization’s field and member communications programs through the use of clinical testing and advanced analytics. Under his direction, Working America combines innovative integration of traditional field organizing with analytics to increase targeting accuracy and voter turnout for candidates who support a fair economy for working-class Americans.
Prior to joining Working America, Morrison served on John Edwards’ 2008 presidential campaign, in the government affairs department of the American Federation of Teachers and on Capitol Hill in the office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.).
He holds undergraduate and law degrees from Washington University in St. Louis. Morrison is the Treasurer of the Board as well as the Chair of the Finance Committee and a member of the Executive Committee.
Melanie Powell
With over 20 years of experience in nonprofit management, Melanie offers a unique blend of leadership, vision, and knowledge. She is the executive director of the Community Foundation of Washington County. She previously served as the executive director of the Tutwiler Community Education Center, managing the Center’s day-to-day operations.
Melanie spent most of her professional career working in Greater Cleveland, Ohio where she lived for 22 years before returning home to Mississippi. While living in Cleveland, Ohio she worked in areas of education and social services. Melanie worked as an adjunct Sociology Instructor at Bryant and Stratton College and the center coordinator for the Council for Economic Opportunities in Greater Cleveland. Her most rewarding job was helping youth transition out of residential treatment. She played an active role as a volunteer in several community initiatives, which supported education and mental health awareness.
Melanie returned to Mississippi and joined the Mississippi Center for Justice in Indianola and served as the Project Director of the Sunflower County United for Children Collaborative.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Mississippi Valley State University, a Master’s in Nonprofit Organization from Case Western Reserve University, a Graduate Certification in Sociology from Baypath University. Melanie is a State of Ohio licensed Social Worker. Melanie is a member of the Audit Committee and the Personnel Committee.
Lillian A. Tamayo
Lillian A Tamayo is a nationally recognized leader in reproductive health and social justice, with over two decades of executive experience. She most recently served as President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of South, East, and North Florida, a role she held for 22 years. Among her many Board roles, she chaired the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates (C4) and the Florida Planned Parenthood PAC. Additionally, she served on the Planned Parenthood Federation of America Board of Directors. Under her leadership, the organization underwent multiple strategic mergers, expanding to serve 45 of Florida’s most diverse counties and providing high-quality healthcare to hundreds of thousands of individuals.
Lillian’s leadership was marked by a significant expansion of clinical, educational, and advocacy services. She spearheaded initiatives to broaden healthcare access, introduce abortion services, launch gender-affirming care, and implement evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs. Her work has been honored with numerous national awards recognizing her impact in advocacy, healthcare delivery, and organizational growth.
A proud Latina and lesbian, Lillian brings a deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and justice to all aspects of her work. She is currently consulting with Planned Parenthood Federation of America to support and advance executive leadership across the movement. She also serves as a Senior Advisor to Abortion in America, a new initiative focused on amplifying the voices of those most affected by abortion bans and restrictions. In addition, she is the Advisory Board Chair for Charley, an innovative chatbot connecting abortion seekers — especially those in restrictive states — with accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information about their options.
Lillian lives in Miami with her spouse, Eileen, and their two beautiful and often misbehaved miniature poodles, Teddy and Augie. She is a member of the Finance and Governance Committees.
Tara L. Veazey, JD
Tara Veazey is a policy advisor with over 20 years of experience advancing progressive policies in the areas of health care, state fiscal policy, and access to justice. As Principal of Veazey Strategies, she advises national, regional, and Montana-based nonprofits and foundations on policy development and strategic advocacy. Most recently, she served as an advisor to the coalition that successfully passed a ballot initiative to enshrine protections for reproductive freedom in Montana’s constitution.
Veazey previously served as Senior Policy Advisor on Health and Families to Montana Governor Steve Bullock, where she led the governor’s successful bipartisan effort to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Earlier, she was the founding Executive Director of the Montana Budget and Policy Center, where she built the organization from the ground up and led efforts to promote equitable tax and budget policy.
Her early legal career focused on expanding access to justice, including founding and directing a nationally recognized rural self-help law project and helping to establish Montana’s first court-based self-help law program. Veazey has also served on multiple nonprofit boards, including over a decade on the Montana Legal Services Association Board of Directors, where she held leadership roles as Chair and Vice Chair.
She holds a J.D. from Yale Law School and an A.B. in Public Policy from Stanford University. She is a member of the Program Committee.
Philippe Villers
Mr. Villers is President Emeritus and Cofounder of Families USA. In 1981, he and his wife, Kate Villers, founded the organization, which was initially called The Villers Foundation.
Mr. Villers is also the founder of Computervision Corporation (a Fortune 500 company for many years); Automatix, Inc.; and Cognition, Inc. He has been a guiding force in innovative and successful high-tech corporations for more than 40 years. In addition, he is President of GrainPro, Inc., a “green, not only for profit” company working on improving food security, food safety, and small farm income in 107 countries using its patented, pesticide-free hermetic storage technology. Mr. Villers also serves on the ACLU President’s Committee as well as Amnesty International USA’s Executive Directors Council.
Mr. Villers holds an AB with honors from Harvard and an MS in Mechanical Engineering from M.I.T.
Mr. Villers is a permanent member of the Board of Directors and serves on the Governance Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Audit Committee.