March 07, 2025
Happy Friday! Here's our monthly look at who's working where in the health care world.
- Have tips for the next installment? Send them here.
- We'll be back Monday or even earlier if there's news.
1 big thing: People moves that caught our eye
Hill moves
Mariah Baker is now a senior policy adviser covering health care and other policy issues for Rep. Suzan DelBene. She was previously a policy adviser for the Senate Aging Committee under former Chair Bob Casey.
James Stursberg is now a professional staff member for House Energy and Commerce Republicans on the health subcommittee, per Legistorm. He was previously a senior director of congressional affairs at Elevance Health.
Sara Maskornick is now a senior health policy adviser for Sen. Andy Kim, per Leadership Connect. She was previously a staff director on the Senate HELP subcommittee for children and families, under former Sen. Bob Casey.
Noah Sadlier is now communications director for Sen. Pete Ricketts. He was previously communications director for Rep. John James.
DJ Griffin is now a press secretary for Sen. Eric Schmitt. He was previously communications director for Rep. Brett Guthrie.
Acacia Bamberg Salatti is now senior adviser for Rep. James Clyburn. She previously was vice president of external affairs at UnitedHealth Group.
Benjamin Easter is now a legislative assistant in Sen. Ted Budd's office, per Leadership Connect. He previously was a legislative correspondent for Sen. Mike Crapo.
Administration moves
Natalie Baldassarre is now the senior media affairs manager at the Department of Justice. She was previously deputy chief of staff and communications director for Rep. Nicole Malliotakis.
Alec Aramanda is now principal deputy director in the Center for Medicare at CMS. He was previously a principal at Williams & Jensen.
Industry and lobbying moves
Mitchell Vakerics has founded a lobbying firm, Veritas Health Policy, and is serving as president. He was previously a vice president at the Petrizzo Group.
Shuwanza Goff is now a partner and chief strategy officer at Empire Consulting Group, per Leadership Connect. She was previously an assistant to the president and director in the Office of Legislative Affairs for former President Joe Biden.
Patrizia Cavazzoni is now chief medical officer for Pfizer. She was previously director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the FDA.
Alex Attebery is now director of external affairs for government and communications at Shift5. He was previously communications director for House Appropriations Republicans.
Aliza Silver is now senior director of health policy and government affairs at Oracle, per Leadership Connect. She was previously deputy health policy director for Senate HELP Republicans.
Kelly Langford is now senior director for paid media at PhRMA. She previously was online communications director at HHS.
Kim McCune is now senior director of executive visibility at PhRMA. She previously was a vice president at Powell Tate.
Mollymae Metheny is now vice president, health at Porter Novelli. She previously was a director of public affairs at PhRMA.
Regina Black is now senior director, international policy and market access, agriculture and environment, at BIO. She previously was a senior adviser at the Department of Agriculture.
Jessica Schubel is launching a health care and aging policy consulting firm, Day One Strategies. She previously was special assistant to the president for health care at the White House.
Jess Wysocky is now director of health policy for the National Association of Manufacturers, per Leadership Connect. She previously was legislative director for Rep. Jake Auchincloss.
Kichelle Webster is now manager of federal government relations at Philip Morris International, per Leadership Connect. She was previously a director at Stewart Strategy and Solutions.
Academic and nonprofit moves
Chiquita Brooks-LaSure is now a senior fellow at the Century Foundation. She was previously CMS administrator under Biden.
Melisa Byrd has been named the next president of the National Association of Medicaid Directors. She is also D.C.'s Medicaid director.
Blair Elliott is now a health policy adviser at Third Way. She was previously a policy adviser for health and veterans affairs at the White House Domestic Policy Council.
Jason Van Beek is now chief government affairs officer for the Future of Life Institute. He was previously general counsel for Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
Paul Friedrichs is now a nonresident senior adviser at the CSIS Global Health Policy Center. He previously was director of the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy.
Stewart Simonson is now a nonresident senior adviser at the CSIS Global Health Policy Center. He previously was the WHO representative at the United Nations.
✅ Thank you for reading Axios Pro Policy, and thanks to editors Adriel Bettelheim and David Nather and copy editor Brad Bonhall. Do you know someone who needs this newsletter? Have them sign up here.
View archive


