Meet our Team

  • Marice Ashe, JD, MPH

    Executive Director

    As founder and executive director of Public Health Law & Policy (PHLP), Marice Ashe has launched and directs multiple pioneering efforts to improve public health outcomes through the use of law and policy. Under her leadership, PHLP builds the capacity of leaders across the nation to use practical public policy solutions as they address a range of chronic diseases. PHLP’s team of lawyers, city planners, architects, and policy specialists develop model laws and policies, consult on tough policy questions, and provide training and technical assistance to ensure strong policy initiatives that create sustainable solutions. Marice is a frequent speaker at public health conferences throughout the nation, and she consults with federal and state agencies on how best to incorporate legal and policy tools into groundbreaking public health strategies. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, and received her MPH and JD from the University of California at Berkeley.

  • Susan Cole-Smith

    Administrative Assistant

    As an administrative assistant at PHLP, Susan supports the National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity. Before joining PHLP, she worked as an executive assistant at the Pacific Maritime Association, which negotiates and administers labor agreements with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Prior to that, she worked as a legal assistant for more than 20 years at law firms in New Jersey and San Francisco. She has also done volunteer work for the San Francisco Bar Association. She graduated from Katherine Gibbs College in New Jersey and attended The New School for Social Research in New York and City College of San Francisco. 

  • Quang H. Dang, JD

    Legal Technical Assistance Director

    As the legal technical assistance director for the National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN), Quang oversees the development and dissemination of legal and policy tools aimed at addressing the environmental causes of childhood obesity. Prior to joining PHLP, he worked as a senior litigation attorney at a law firm in San Francisco, and as a director for an international consulting firm, where he led teams to optimize the use of technology in litigation. He has also worked extensively with organizations serving at-risk youth in a range of areas, including health education, HIV/AIDS prevention, homelessness, elimination of discrimination and bias, leadership training, and mentoring. He is a graduate of Brown University (Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude) and the UC Berkeley School of Law.

  • Christine Fry, MPP

    Senior Policy Associate

    Christine Fry is the senior policy associate for PHLP's childhood obesity prevention team. She specializes in sugar-sweetened beverage regulation, healthy restaurant policies, and the federal Farm Bill. Prior to joining PHLP, she consulted with local, state, and federal agencies on child welfare, mental health, and housing policy. Christine is a board member for America Walks, the national advocacy organization for walkable communities. She is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley.

     

  • Samantha Graff, JD

    Director of Legal Research

    As the Director of Legal Research, Samantha helps identify and frame the organization’s research needs. She engages and oversees expert researchers from leading institutions across the country and manages the development of PHLP resources relating to the legal research. Samantha has published peer-reviewed articles on a range of legal issues relating to tobacco control and obesity prevention. She currently serves as the in-house expert on tobacco and food marketing issues and represents PHLP on the Steering Committee of the national Food Marketing Workgroup. Prior to joining PHLP, she worked as a fellow with the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; an associate at Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati; a federal law clerk for Chief Judge Marilyn Hall Patel of the Northern District of California; and a case writer for Harvard Business School. She is a graduate of Harvard University (magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa) and Yale Law School.

     

  • Genie Gratto

    Communications Director

    Genie Gratto leads PHLP's communications team, which is responsible for ensuring the organization's products and services reach their target audiences. She also directs the communications effort for the National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN). In the 14 years leading up to her joining PHLP, she worked as a journalist before moving on to the advocacy, non-profit, labor union, corporate and web software development arenas. She is a cum laude graduate of Mary Baldwin College and received her master's in writing from Johns Hopkins University.

     

  • Julie Jones

    Human Resources / Event Coordinator

    Julie Jones has more than 20 years of administrative and nonprofit experience and joined PHLP in 2008. Prior to joining PHLP, she served as the director of external affairs for a nonprofit rehabilitation organization, and has worked with other Bay Area nonprofit organizations in an administrative capacity. Her areas of expertise include customer and community service, accounting, and event planning. She graduated from Healds Business College.

     

  • Manel Kappagoda, JD, MPH

    Deputy Director

    Manel Kappagoda is the deputy director of PHLP's National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN). Prior to joining PHLP, she worked at the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC), where she served first as a staff attorney in the health law practice and later as director of administration and policy. While at EBCLC she provided legal services to low-income clients living with HIV/AIDS in the areas of fair housing, access to health insurance, disability benefits and estate planning, and she founded AIDS Lanka, a multidisciplinary project that effectively advocated for increased access to HIV medications in Sri Lanka. She also conducted program planning for EBCLC's successful medical-legal partnership with Children's Hospital Oakland. From 2000 to 2003, Manel served on the Oakland Eligible Metropolitan Area HIV Services Planning Council. In addition, she has worked with the UC Office of the President and the San Francisco Department of Public Health. She graduated with high honors from UC Davis, and received her law degree from the UC Hastings College of the Law and her master's in public health from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health.

  • Ian McLaughlin, JD

    Senior Staff Attorney

    Ian McLaughlin is a senior staff attorney with Public Health Law & Policy (PHLP), working both on tobacco control and childhood obesity issues. Ian’s practice focuses on tobacco retailer licensing, public financing (taxes and fees), and code enforcement issues, and he provides training and individualized legal technical assistance in all of these areas. Ian also serves as a municipal administrative hearing officer for the City of Petaluma, California, conducting hearings and deciding a variety of code enforcement matters. Prior to joining PHLP, Ian practiced municipal law with a private law firm, Meyers, Nave, Riback, Silver & Wilson, and served as City Attorney for the City of Clearlake, California, and Assistant City Attorney for the City of Healdsburg. He has also served as legislative counsel to the Hawaii State Senate and the National Legislature of the Republic of Palau. Ian is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and the UC Berkeley School of Law.

  • Leah S. Roderman

    Communications Specialist

    Leah S. Roderman is a communication specialist on PHLP's communications team, where she supports the organization's website and and database operations. Prior to joining PHLP, she worked for CodeMagi, Inc. developing online communications strategies with businesses, public agencies, artists, and non-profit organizations. She was also a web development architect at the Golden State Warriors, and has worked in website development and data management for over ten years. Leah is a graduate of Mills College, holding a BA and an MA in Interdisciplinary Computer Science.

     

  • Livia Rojas, MSSW

    Webinar and Event Specialist

    Livia Rojas is PHLP's webinar and event specialist. As part of the organization's communications team, she helps with the design and implementation of PHLP's webinars and events. Prior to joining PHLP, Livia provided technical assistance to college campuses with multidisciplinary teams of practitioners serving survivors of sexual violence in the United States and Puerto Rico. In addition, she has experience working with immigrant communities around issues of HIV, substance use, incarceration/detention and gender-based violence. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley and Columbia University School of Social Work.

  • Carrie Spector

    Senior Communications Officer

    Carrie Spector is PHLP's senior communications officer. As part of the organization's communications team, she helps to guide the development and promotion of PHLP's products. She has worked in journalism and nonprofit communications for more than 15 years. Prior to joining PHLP, she managed the communications department for a national cancer advocacy organization. She has also worked on the editorial staff at a variety of national and regional magazines, including Health, California Lawyer, and Mother Jones. She graduated magna cum laude from Boston University's College of Communication.

     

  • Kim Arroyo Williamson

    Communications Associate

    Kim Arroyo Williamson is a communications associate on PHLP’s communications team. She coordinates publication layout, design, and production, working to ensure consistency throughout the organization’s products and identity. She also develops and provides support for staff presentations. Prior to this role, she managed the organization’s database development and implementation, coordinated a program supporting pharmaceutical access for health care organizations serving uninsured and underinsured patients, and worked in free and community clinics. She holds a BA in Community Studies and Education with honors from UC Santa Cruz.

     

  • Ben Winig, JD, MPA

    Senior Staff Attorney

    Ben Winig is a senior staff attorney at PHLP focused on land use regulation and related public policies. Before joining PHLP, Ben practiced municipal law at a private firm and served as general counsel and assistant city attorney for several public agencies throughout Northern California. He regularly advised local government officials and public agency staff on land use and zoning regulations, development and regulatory fees, open government, and conflicts of interest. Ben graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in social anthropology. He received both his law degree and a master’s in public affairs, with a concentration in public policy analysis, from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

  • Heather Wooten, MCP

    Senior Planning and Policy Associate

    Heather Wooten is a senior planning and policy associate with PHLP's Planning for Healthy Places program, where she researches best practices, develops tools, and works with communities to connect land use, economic development, and health. She is a co-author of one of the premier publications on developing and implementing health policy language in land use plans, How to Create and Implement Healthy General Plans. Prior to joining PHLP, she co-authored the Oakland Food System Assessment: Towards a Sustainable Food Plan through the Oakland Mayor's Office of Sustainability; she also currently serves on the Oakland Food Policy Council. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and earned a Masters of City Planning from the University of California at Berkeley.

  • Leslie Zellers, JD

    Director of Programs

    Leslie Zellers is PHLP’s director of programs. She also directs PHLP’s tobacco control work, including the Technical Assistance Legal Center (TALC), a California-based project providing technical assistance to communities seeking to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke and limit tobacco marketing and sales. Prior to joining PHLP, Leslie conducted legal and policy work on tobacco prevention and childhood lead poisoning prevention for Contra Costa County and several nonprofit organizations. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, and a graduate of the UC Hastings College of the Law.

     

  • Sara Zimmerman, JD

    Senior Staff Attorney

    Sara Zimmerman is a senior staff attorney working on the National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN). Prior to joining PHLP she worked at several nonprofit organizations, including Disability Rights Advocates and the Community Benefits Law Center at Partnership for Working Families. She also clerked for Judge Richard Paez of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She is a graduate of Swarthmore College (Phi Beta Kappa) and the UC Berkeley School of Law (Order of the Coif).