About

Donna Christensen

The Honorable Donna M. Christensen retired from the US House of Representatives in 2015 where she served nine terms. She is the first female physician to serve as a Member in the history of the U.S Congress. In the 111th, 112th and 113th Congress, Delegate Christensen served on the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Among other subcommittee assignments, she served on its Subcommittee on Health during healthcare reform. She also served on Committee on Homeland Security and Committee on Natural Resources – Chair of the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Wildlife, Oceans and Fisheries – and the Committee on Small Business. Congresswoman Christensen chaired the Congressional Black Caucus’ Health Braintrust for 16 years. She is a Graduate of the George Washington School of Medicine and completed her residency in family medicine at Howard University Medical Center – then Freedman’s Hospital. Congresswoman Christensen began her medical career in the Virgin Islands in 1975 as an emergency room physician and became a board certified family physician in 1977. After serving in several administrative positions and before going to Congress, she served as Commissioner of Health. She maintained a private practice in family medicine from 1975 until her election to Congress in 1996.

Jim Manley

Jim Manley is a Capitol Hill veteran and seasoned Democratic communicator with more than two decades of experience working in the U.S. Congress. He formerly served as senior communications advisor and spokesman for then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and the Senate Democratic Caucus. In this role, Jim spent six years at the nexus of politics, policy, and communications for every issue facing the Senate. He played a major role in crafting the messaging, strategy, and tactics surrounding the passage of landmark health care reform, the Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act, as well as the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Before he served in Senator Reid’s leadership office, Jim spent nearly 12 years as press secretary for Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. In that role, he worked on communications and press strategies for legislation such as minimum wage and pension reform, reauthorizations of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA), the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and No Child Left Behind. Jim has been called “one of the most powerful aides on Capitol Hill” by Roll Call newspaper. He began his career working in the press office of then-Majority Leader George Mitchell (D-ME).

Jason Resendez

Jason Resendez is a nationally recognized healthcare strategist and advocate. He currently serves as the President and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving, where he leads research, policy, and innovation initiatives to build health, wealth, and equity for America’s 53 million family caregivers. In 2023, Jason was named one of the most consequential leaders in health, science, and medicine by STAT News.

Prior to joining NAC, Jason was the founding executive director of the UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Center for Brain Health Equity where he pioneered the concept of Brain Health Equity through peer-reviewed research, public health partnerships, and public policy. In 2020, Jason was named one of America’s top influencers in aging by PBS’s Next Avenue alongside Michael J. Fox and Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. He has been quoted by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, STAT News, Time, Newsweek, and Univision on issues related to caregiving and health equity. Jason is from South Texas and graduated from Georgetown University.

Mary Smith

Mary Smith is an accomplished leader in global business, legal, and health care industries with experience working on health care issues on both the state and federal levels. She is currently Vice Chair of VENG Group, a firm offering strategic and innovative advice to businesses and organizations in health care, data privacy, and the insurance industry. Mary is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation and previously served as CEO of the Indian Health Service during the Obama Administration.

Among other positions, Mary has served as Counselor at the U.S. Department of Justice, General Counsel at the Illinois Department of Insurance, and Associate Counsel to the President and Associate Director of Policy Planning in the Domestic Policy Council in the Clinton White House. Mary is the founder and board chair of the Caroline and Ora Smith Foundation, the only national organization that promotes Native American girls in the STEM fields.