“I love that Rippel emphasizes the great importance of community building and interconnectivity to overall health and well-being.”—Molly Belsky, Program Coordinator for FORESIGHT

Joined Rippel: 2019

Current Roles: Molly coordinates logistics and research for the many branches of the FORESIGHT team, and acts as a catch-all support system for the Implementation Team.

Career: Molly held a number of different roles before coming to Rippel, all with the same through line of fostering communication and empathy between groups of people. She taught middle school history and theatre for two years before working as a canvass director for Planned Parenthood—two jobs that bore a striking resemblance to each other in terms of helping people discover and articulate causes that they believe in. Her love of storytelling and human connection is what drives her in all endeavors.

More about Molly: As a formerly hour-plus commuter—as well as being generally uncomfortable with silence while she does things like cleaning the bathroom or cooking dinner—Molly regularly listens to many podcasts, on topics as broad as women in business and politics, and as narrow as Harry Potter being read as a sacred text.

Education: Trinity College (BA)

“Momentum is building in the movement toward a more equitable and sustainable future for health and well-being, which creates so many opportunities for collaboration and distributed leadership in all sectors—and at Rippel I get to bring that inspiration to action.”—Maggie Cooke, Senior Strategic Partnerships Associate

Joined Rippel: 2016

Current Roles: Maggie Cooke provides Rippel with project management, grants administration, proposal development, and high-level support around the development and cultivation of new partners and emerging projects. Working side by side with Rippel President and CEO Laura Landy, Maggie has helped lead the significant fundraising and strategic partnerships efforts of FORESIGHT.

Career: As part of a research project exploring tax credits’ potential as a source of sustainable financing for population health, Maggie co-authored a paper for the National Academy of Medicine (2018). This work also earned her an award of distinction for her practicum project at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice. Before joining Rippel, Maggie worked at Johnson & Johnson for 10 years, most recently as the senior executive assistant to the chief strategy and business transformation officer, and was a service coordinator at the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation before that, where she assisted residents by connecting them to critical resources in order to empower them in maintaining independent housing.

More about Maggie: Maggie enjoys living on the Delaware River with her family and is an active member of her community, participating in the Hunterdon County Anti-Racism Coalition, and serving on both the Frenchtown School Advisory Council and the Frenchtown Planning Board.

Education: Dartmouth College (MPH), University of Alaska Fairbanks (BA)

“My experience working in a part of Brooklyn where the life expectancy is 11 years shorter than in the neighboring Financial District—and infant mortality rates almost double NYC’s rate as a whole—made me want to change the system at the regional level to help improve these disparities.”—Anna Marie Creegan, Project Director

Joined Rippel: 2014

Current Roles: Anna is project director of the ReThink Health initiative’s Portfolio Design for Healthier Regions project.

Career: Anna led design and implementation for Rippel’s enterprise-wide evaluation framework, and has contributed to many R&D and place-based projects for the ReThink Health initiative. She also led the development of an assessment tool to measure regional progress along ReThink Health’s Pathway for Transforming Regional Health. Anna has over ten years of experience working with local and international health efforts across the US and Latin America, including as program manager for Community Planning and Health at nonprofit Community Solutions, where she led a health impact assessment and developed plans for revitalization, sustainability, and care coordination.

More about Anna: Anna loves traveling and the outdoors—especially hiking and skiing in her native Colorado Rocky Mountains—and seeing her young children growing to love it as well.

Education: University of Denver (MA), Fordham University (BA)

“It’s an exciting time to be part of the movement to transform health and well-being—new approaches to multisector collaboration are emerging, stewards are sharing ideas, and many are beginning to unify around a shared purpose for their regions.”—Jane Erickson, Director of Learning and Impact

Joined Rippel: 2013

Current Roles: Jane is project director of the ReThink Health initiative’s Amplifying Stewardship Together team. She also leads Rippel’s Learning and Impact team.

Career: Jane leads Rippel’s Learning and Impact team and directs the ReThink Health initiative’s Amplifying Stewardship Together project. Jane has worked with national philanthropies to advance social change for over a decade. She has led numerous nation-wide research efforts to build a shared understanding of the landscape of multisector collaboration to improve community health, including the ReThink Health Pulse Check. Previously, Jane oversaw strategy and implementation of the ReThink Health Ventures project (2016-2018), a large-scale project that advanced multisector approaches for health transformation. Jane has also worked to foster civic engagement across communities in the US and internationally, including as a Fulbright Scholar in Indonesia and with the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. In 2020, Jane was named a Terrance Keenan Institute fellow by Grantmakers in Health.

More about Jane: Jane played varsity lacrosse in college, which brought her out east from her home state of Colorado. One of her favorite guilty pleasures is watching science fiction television shows, especially Battlestar Galactica.

Education: Syracuse University (MPA, MAIR), Hobart and William Smith Colleges (BA)

“ReThinking is the most practical thing any of us can do to change the future. It helps us see where we fit in a common system and shifts our own roles as change agents within a dynamic and democratic world.”—Bobby Milstein, Director of System Strategy

Joined Rippel: 2011

Current Roles: Bobby directs Rippel’s work on System Strategy, is a member of Rippel’s Strategy and Management Team, and is a Visiting Scientist at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Bobby is a principal contributor to the ReThink Health initiative’s projects Portfolio Design for Healthier Regions and Amplifying Stewardship Together. He also leads a suite of nationwide influence activities and coordinates ongoing development of the ReThink Health Dynamics Model, the Well-Being Portfolio Design Calculator , and other simulation tools that let leaders play out the consequences of their scenarios for change. In 2018, Bobby and four co-authors wrote the official brief that defines “health and well-being” as the central focus for the Healthy People 2030 Framework for the United States.

Career: Before joining Rippel, Bobby spent 20 years planning and evaluating system-oriented initiatives at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where he was the principal architect of CDC’s framework for program evaluation. He received CDC’s Honor Award for Excellence in Innovation, the Applications Award from the System Dynamics Society, and Article of the Year awards for papers published in Health Affairs and Health Promotion Practice.

More about Bobby: Bobby once was a documentary filmmaker whose work was used by PBS to spotlight challenges of racism on college campuses. He also contributed storylines for The West Wing on how to get beyond zero-sum thinking when setting health priorities.

Education: Union Institute and University (PhD), Emory University (MPH), University of Michigan (BA)

“I believe that the health of communities is ultimately shaped by who is and isn’t at ‘the table.’ I’m excited to be part of a team that is boldly imagining a more equitable future while also developing tangible steps to take towards that future.”—Iueh Castro Soh, Associate Director, Stewardship Practice

Joined Rippel: 2019

Current Roles: Iueh leads one of ReThink Health’s partnerships as part of the Hospital Systems in Transition project. He also contributes to ReThink Health’s Amplifying Stewardship Together project.

Career: Iueh cares about building healthy communities and developing leaders. He was previously a management consultant at Oliver Wyman where he advised C-suite executives in the provider, payer, and life science space. He focused primarily on helping health systems develop and pursue a population health strategy amid shifting competitive and reimbursement pressures. In 2018, he worked in the Boston Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, a civic innovation team. There, he pioneered Rebuilding Together, an ongoing meeting group and advisory council that aims to develop returning citizen (formerly incarcerated) leaders and reshape their image in Boston. Iueh has also served as a volunteer community organizer on racial and economic justice campaigns in Oakland and Boston. At Rethink Health, he is currently authoring a report investigating the role of community organizing on shaping the role of local healthcare systems.

More about Iueh: Iueh loves to hunt for tasty street foods—especially tacos. You can often find him at a park playing pick-up basketball to decompress and get to know his neighbors.

Education: Haas School of Business, University of California Berkeley (BS), Harvard University Kennedy School of Government (MPP)

“Before joining Rippel, my work was confined to individual nutrition and health interventions with specific populations, funded solely by grants. At Rippel, I get to be part of work that breaks through the silos to help stewards move down the path towards sustainability—both of their finances and their mission.”—Katherine Wright, Associate Director, Stewardship Practice

Joined Rippel: 2016

Current Roles: Katherine leads the cross-coordination of Rippel’s three ReThink Health initiative project teams focused on jumpstarting transformative change, and provides high-level research and content support to ReThink Health’s Portfolio Design for Healthier Regions and Hospital Systems in Transition teams. She also continues to promote and present on Beyond the Grant: A Sustainable Financing Workbook (published in 2018).   

Career: Katherine previously worked on multiple sustainable financing and R&D projects for Rippel’s ReThink Health initiative, where she explored topics like social impact investing, resident engagement, and the potential of tax credits as a source of sustainable financing for population health. Notably, she co-authored Beyond the Grant: A Sustainable Financing Workbook. Katherine led the design of the workbook’s Financing Wizard that lets users create and practice the art of financial planning for their collaborative population health work. Before joining Rippel, Katherine coordinated and provided research and evaluation support for interventions focused on healthy eating, SNAP-ED, and women’s heart health with Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, and Michigan State University Extension. 

More about Katherine: Katherine was ranked second in the Indiana SkillsUSA Commercial Baking competition, which helped inspire her career path to health and nutrition work.

Education: Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University (MS), Michigan State University (BS)

“It is great to serve with an organization that is deeply committed to systems change and improving health outcomes for everyone, everywhere.” —Cierra Bryant, Senior Learning and Impact Associate

 Joined Rippel: 2021

 Current Roles: As senior learning and impact associate, Cierra advances organizational learning and provides high-level support around the implementation and scaling of program evaluation, as well as developing and implementing a cohesive and innovate enterprise evaluation effort. She works to adapt conventional evaluation and impact approaches to Rippel’s dynamic, nation-wide, action-learning and influence portfolio.

Career: Cierra’s professional background is in research and program evaluation in maternal and child health and domestic violence prevention. While in graduate school, she spent a summer in Lesotho, in southern Africa, researching knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of secondary school students toward menstrual hygiene management.

More about Cierra: Cierra serves on the board of directors for a Delaware-based nonprofit organization that aims to improve birth outcomes for Black birthing people and their babies. In her free time, Cierra enjoys exploring new restaurants and spending time with her furry friend, Raven.

Education: Cierra received her MPH from Drexel University and BS in public health from the University of Maryland, College Park.

“It’s an exciting time to be part of the movement to transform health and well-being—new approaches to multisector collaboration are emerging, stewards are sharing ideas, and many are beginning to unify around a shared purpose for their regions.”—Jane Erickson, Director of Learning and Impact

Joined Rippel: 2013

Current Roles: Jane is project director of the ReThink Health initiative’s Amplifying Stewardship Together team. She also leads Rippel’s Learning and Impact team.

Career: Jane leads Rippel’s Learning and Impact team and directs the ReThink Health initiative’s Amplifying Stewardship Together project. Jane has worked with national philanthropies to advance social change for over a decade. She has led numerous nation-wide research efforts to build a shared understanding of the landscape of multisector collaboration to improve community health, including the ReThink Health Pulse Check. Previously, Jane oversaw strategy and implementation of the ReThink Health Ventures project (2016-2018), a large-scale project that advanced multisector approaches for health transformation. Jane has also worked to foster civic engagement across communities in the US and internationally, including as a Fulbright Scholar in Indonesia and with the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. In 2020, Jane was named a Terrance Keenan Institute fellow by Grantmakers in Health.

More about Jane: Jane played varsity lacrosse in college, which brought her out east from her home state of Colorado. One of her favorite guilty pleasures is watching science fiction television shows, especially Battlestar Galactica.

Education: Syracuse University (MPA, MAIR), Hobart and William Smith Colleges (BA)

“Rippel is a pioneering organization that helps communities create health and well-being for all. I am excited to support my colleagues’ efforts toward this end.”— Sonali Bhatnagar, Administrative Assistant

Joined Rippel: 2020

Current Roles: Sonali provides administrative support to her co-workers in Rippel’s Cambridge Office.

Career: Sonali has more than 16 years of experience working as an executive assistant in several different sectors, from finance to information technology to health care. Her experience is focused in the areas of event planning and logistics management. During her career she has developed leadership skills and expertise in a wide variety of administrative challenges, including organizing meetings, conferences, and celebrations; managing executive calendars and correspondence; and developing detailed travel itineraries and booking travel. 

More about Sonali: Sonali was born in Delhi, India, and moved to the U.S. with her parents and 2 sisters at age 13. She lived in New York City until 2005, when she moved to New Hampshire with her husband, whom she met in California. She has two children, ages 13 and 8, and loves outdoor activities, including hiking and picnics. Her favorite food is Italian and favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird.

Education: Borough of Manhattan College

Adele DiBari is the Executive Associate for the senior leadership team at The Rippel Foundation.  Her primary role includes calendar management, travel arrangements, meetings and event planning, and managing office administration.  Adele has a background working in business for the consumer package goods and pharmaceutical industries, a market research expert and entrepreneur.   Adele holds an MBA in Marketing and BS in Operations Management.  Personal interests include the outdoors, reading, and film festivals.

“It’s a privilege to work with such a passionate, committed group of people who aren’t afraid to take bold steps towards transforming our health system.”—Kimberly Hines Hart, Corporate Counsel

Joined Rippel: 2014

Current Roles: Kim is responsible for leading all legal matters for Rippel, which includes negotiating and managing contracts, providing guidance on intellectual property, data privacy, and other issues, as well as advising the strategy and management team on legal risks.

Career: Since joining Rippel, Kim has been integral in bringing awareness of different legal risks to the strategy and management team, and implementing infrastructures to manage and minimize those risks. Kim spent six years as a litigation associate with McCarter & English in Newark after clerking for the Hon. Herbert Friend in the Superior Court of New Jersey. Post 9/11 when tensions were high, Kim argued and won an international parenting time issue at the New Jersey Appellate Division on behalf of her client who wished to exercise his visitation rights in the Middle East (see Abouzahr v. Matera Abouzahr).

More about Kim: For more than five years, Kim served on the board of trustees, including as co-president, for her children’s schools, and continues to do other volunteer work in her community. Kim is an amateur photographer who always has a camera with her (even if it’s just her iPhone), and whose work has recently been exhibited in three galleries.

Education: Wake Forest School of Law (JD), Boston University (BS and BA)

“Simplifying life is a beautiful thing! I’m happy to be keeping the Rippel organization’s information and technology safe and secure, while working to continuously streamline processes and applications. The goal is for the technology to be transparent so that business can do its business!”

Joined Rippel: 2022

Current Role: Steve is Rippel’s information technology consultant and help desk first point of contact. He oversees evaluation, deployment, automation, and support of the many cloud-based services and associated hardware and processes in use at Rippel.

Career: Steve spent over 30 years in corporate IT prior to coming to Rippel. He started his career as a business process analyst in financial services and worked as a Business Intelligence analyst, administrator, developer, architect, and director in the pharmaceutical and hospitality industries. Steve is the owner of SJK Consulting, LLC, which provides on-site and remote technical support for individuals and businesses.

More about Steve: In his spare time, Steve sings and plays guitar and piano, occasionally performing neighborhood concerts from the balcony of his home. He’s also in an a cappella group which performs in and around Morris County, NJ.

Education: Stony Brook University (BA)

“I’m proud to support the entire Rippel team and its projects by making budgeting and other administrative processes smooth, freeing everyone up to focus on making an impact on health and well-being.”—Audrey Wells, Director of Finance and Administration

Joined Rippel: 2015

Current Roles: Audrey leads Rippel’s financial and investment activities, including budgeting, financial planning and analysis, compliance, grants, contracts, and accounting. She also oversees Rippel’s human resources function as well as its information technology and facilities operations.

Career: Recently at Rippel, Audrey created a simple framework for budget proposals and monitoring project costs, which upgraded their consistency and completeness and allowed project staff to maintain a hands-on understanding of—and accountability for—project spending. Before joining Rippel, Audrey was CFO at Cornerstone Family Programs, a New Jersey-based nonprofit, where she played a significant role in the acquisition of another agency, procurement of grants and new contracts, and procedure streamlining. Audrey’s 30 years of experience also includes positions in accounting, finance, and audit with Customized Distribution Services, Lever Brothers Company, and Ernst & Young.

More about Audrey: In her spare time, Audrey is a dedicated singer. She has performed for 15 years in a mixed a cappella quartet, singing everything from barbershop, to doo-wop, to modern popular music. She’s also in a local community chorus (and serves as its treasurer).

Education: Binghamton University (BS)

“I am the latest in a long line of attorneys from our firm to be involved in The Rippel Foundation. We have been privileged to honor the legacy and wishes of our founder Julius E. Rippel, and in doing so, to help to improve life in the United States by assisting others to have better health, better care, and lower costs.”—Edward W. Ahart, JD (Chair)

Mr. Ahart was elected to The Rippel Foundation Board of Trustees in 2010. He currently serves as chair of corporate and nonprofit practice groups in the law firm of Schenk, Price, Smith & King LLP in Florham Park, New Jersey, previously having served as the firm’s chairman, and as its managing partner and chair of its Management Committee for nearly twenty years.

Mr. Ahart has extensive experience in business counseling, having represented a wide range of corporate and nonprofit entities, and is a frequent speaker on corporate governance, transactional, and financing matters. He has had numerous community leadership positions including as chair of the Lafayette College Board of Trustees, chair of the Board of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce, and as a member of the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, New Jersey. After graduating with honors from Lafayette College in 1969, Mr. Ahart attended the Cornell Law School—receiving his law degree in 1972—and served as law secretary to the Honorable Joseph Halpern, Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division.

Bob Atkins is director of New Jersey Health Initiatives (NJHI), the statewide grantmaking program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). He also is an associate professor at Rutgers University, with a joint appointment in nursing and childhood studies. NJHI’s mission— mirroring that of RWJF—is to improve the health and health care of all Americans. It does this by building a Culture of Health in RWJF’s home state of New Jersey and enabling all residents to live longer, healthier lives now and for generations to come. Bob holds a BS in political science and American civilizations from Brown University and a BS in nursing from the University of Pennsylvania. He began his career as a nurse and co-founder of the non-profit Camden STARR Program, which is dedicated to improving the lives of youth living in Camden. His work led him to Temple University and a PhD in public health, which enabled him to better understand what influences the health and well-being of children in marginalized communities. Bob is committed to building healthier communities throughout his home state of New Jersey and across the country through effective collaborations and partnerships, meaningful conversations.

“There is tremendous room for improvement in health care and broader health and well-being. I love Rippel because we have both an amazing team and the freedom to focus on high-leverage initiatives through which we can shape the field.” —Elliott S. Fisher, MD, MPH

Dr. Fisher was elected to The Rippel Foundation Board of Trustees in 2011. He is director of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice and the John E. Wennberg Distinguished Professor at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. Dr. Fisher’s groundbreaking research focuses on advancing the understanding of the causes of the dramatic differences in spending and quality observed across US regions and health care systems, and identifying opportunities to improve health system performance. He has long been active in national health care reform initiatives and was one of the originators of the now widely implemented policy approach to doing so—accountable care organizations.

Dr. Fisher has served on major national committees and is a member of the National Academy of Medicine. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard University and completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Washington, where he also was a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar and received his Master’s in Public Health. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles and editorials.

“I was attracted to The Rippel Foundation’s unique combination of the aspirational—transforming health and well-being to offer more equitable opportunities—with the pragmatic—figuring out how to pay for it.” —Michael W. Harris

Mr. Harris was elected to The Rippel Foundation Board of Trustees in 2017. He is a managing Director and chief marketing officer of PFM Asset Management, where he oversees the firm’s strategic market development efforts and serves as a member of PFM’s Board of Directors. Mr. Harris is a nationally recognized expert in the structuring and procurement of financial products and has advised a number of governmental and not-for-profit entities on the development of investment management strategies for grant funds, tax-exempt bond proceeds, and other operational and reserve funds.

Mr. Harris has served as a career coach for the National Urban Fellows Leadership Conference and has guest lectured at events for Baruch College of the City University of New York and Spelman College. Mr. Harris has served in leadership positions on community and industry boards and interest groups working on educational and career opportunities for underprivileged students and access to healthcare for underserved populations. Mr. Harris is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a dual degree in Economics and Political Science.

“Many of us at Rippel have always sensed there must be a better way. Together, we can find that way, and overcome the barriers to actually reach a healthier future for all.”—Laura Landy, President and CEO; Trustee

Joined Rippel: 2007

Current Roles: As Rippel’s president and CEO, Laura steers the organization’s vision and strategic direction. She gathers the right people and leads them in creating and guiding groundbreaking initiatives like ReThink Health and FORESIGHT. Laura has continually expanded Rippel’s vision in pursuit of its mission step-by-step, inspired by its first president, Julius A. Rippel’s own writings from over 60 years ago. With her leadership, the foundation has shifted from being a small grantmaker bringing about micro-level impacts to pioneering the transformation of health and well-being across the nation.

Career: A Rippel board trustee since 1998, Laura began her career as a grantmaker for federal poverty and unemployment funds, and subsequently worked with the Ford Foundation, Pfizer, Bell Labs, and New Jersey’s public health system—notably designing an integrated medical system for the city of Newark. She also built strategic plans for organizations like Adelphi University and the 92nd Street Y as president of her own consulting firm, Applied Concepts. She created the Institute for Nonprofit Entrepreneurship at NYU’s Stern School of Business (the only such program at any business school), where she also taught and served as associate director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. She has also been a member of the adjunct faculty of Columbia University, the New School, and Fairleigh Dickinson. Laura serves as a trustee of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health System, a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, and a board member of Grantmakers in Health.

More About Laura: Laura is passionate about the impact of trends on work and life; she’s perpetually curious about how the world is changing, and how we can prepare for it.

Education: New York University (MBA), Washington University in St. Louis (BA), University of California Berkeley (Certificate in Urban Education)

Lydia Nadeau is Executive Director of the Oncology Service Line at Atlantic Health System, which includes programs and services of the Carol G. Simon Cancer Centers at Morristown Medical Center and Overlook Medical Center in Summit, as well as the operations of the oncology services at Newton Medical Center, Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains and Hackettstown Medical Center.

Ms. Nadeau’s tenure began with the opening of the Carol G. Simon Cancer Center in Morristown in 1998. The great success of the Cancer Center called for several expansions and the opening of another Carol G. Simon Cancer Center in Summit in 2005. She was also instrumental in creating the Carol W & Julius A Rippel Breast Center at Morristown Medical Center and the Breast Center at Overlook Medical Center – both well-known for offering the latest in quality screening, diagnostic and interventional procedures while greatly increasing in patient volume each year.

In addition to Ms. Nadeau’s responsibilities for the day-to-day operations of all out-patient cancer services, she oversees the oncology service line budget and strategic capital requests key to elevating and growing the oncology programs. She also oversees all data relating to morbidity and mortality and quality metrics.

Ms. Nadeau also serves as the liaison between Atlantic Health System and community organizations, most notably, the American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Turn the Towns Teal, Kaleidoscope of Hope, Cancer Hope Network, and Cancer Support Community, among others. In recognition of her outstanding volunteerism in philanthropy, Ms. Nadeau was the 2005 Recipient of the Augusta Stone Award from the Morristown Memorial Health Foundation. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the NJ Northwest Regional Board of the American Cancer Society.

Ms. Nadeau earned her M.B.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1999 and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in health care management from St. Peter’s College in 1992. Prior to receiving her bachelor’s, in 1981, she became a registered professional nurse at the Elizabeth General Medical Center School of Nursing and received her associate degree in science from Union County College. She serves as a Fellow in the American College of Health Care Executives and is a frequent speaker at healthcare presentations on topics such as innovation and the latest trends in oncology many of which have been featured as Best Practices by the Advisory Board Oncology Roundtable.

“Being a part of The Rippel Foundation is a highlight of my day! The cutting edge thinking that the group does to solve our nation’s health system woes is amazing. I always come away from our Board meetings believing that if anyone can achieve this goal, it’s the team at Rippel and the organizations they partner with.”—James R. Sonneborn, CFP®, CFA, CDFA, MBA

Mr. Sonneborn was elected to The Rippel Foundation Board of Trustees in 2017. He is a partner and wealth advisor at RegentAtlantic, a financial and wealth management company, where he specializes in providing financial advice to nonprofits. He has previously held financial management positions with the US Trust Company of New York (Florham Park), Wachovia Bank, Chase Manhattan, SLH Asset Management, and Mellon Bank.

Mr. Sonneborn is currently on the Investment Committee of Jersey Battered Women’s Service, and the Finance Committee for Preschool Advantage; he was previously a member of the boards of both organizations, and chaired those respective committees as a board member. He was also previously a board member and president for the Estate Planning Council of Northern New Jersey. Deeply committed to his community, Sonneborn has been on the boards of a number of organizations in northern New Jersey and provided pro bono financial counseling at area women’s agencies. Mr. Sonneborn holds a BA in Business from Western State College of Colorado and an MBA in Finance from Drexel University.

“There is an urgent need for the transformation of our health system. Rippel has had a long-term commitment to exploring the frontiers of health system innovation, testing those innovations in practical health settings, and sharing them as broadly as possible.”—David S. Surrenda

Dr. Surrenda was elected to The Rippel Foundation Board of Trustees in 2007. He is director of The Leadership Edge, a consulting firm that works creatively with leaders to generate sustainable solutions to complex organizational challenges. As a licensed psychologist, he has been engaged in executive-level, organizational consultation and coaching with health systems, business, government, and education for 30 years. He also recently served as the CEO of the Kripalu Center.

Dr. Surrenda is the founder of the Graduate School of Holistic Studies at John F. Kennedy University, where he developed the first accredited graduate program in holistic health education. He served as the co-CEO of a training and research corporation, developing innovations in conflict resolution and crisis intervention. He also served as the executive director of The Natural Step, an environmental organization that provides consultation to major industries about the efficient utilization of natural resources as part of a strategy for business development. He is the co-author of three books.

“It’s an exciting time to be part of the movement to transform health and well-being—new approaches to multisector collaboration are emerging, stewards are sharing ideas, and many are beginning to unify around a shared purpose for their regions.”—Jane Erickson, Director of Learning and Impact

Joined Rippel: 2013

Current Roles: Jane is project director of the ReThink Health initiative’s Amplifying Stewardship Together team. She also leads Rippel’s Learning and Impact team.

Career: Jane leads Rippel’s Learning and Impact team and directs the ReThink Health initiative’s Amplifying Stewardship Together project. Jane has worked with national philanthropies to advance social change for over a decade. She has led numerous nation-wide research efforts to build a shared understanding of the landscape of multisector collaboration to improve community health, including the ReThink Health Pulse Check. Previously, Jane oversaw strategy and implementation of the ReThink Health Ventures project (2016-2018), a large-scale project that advanced multisector approaches for health transformation. Jane has also worked to foster civic engagement across communities in the US and internationally, including as a Fulbright Scholar in Indonesia and with the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. In 2020, Jane was named a Terrance Keenan Institute fellow by Grantmakers in Health.

More about Jane: Jane played varsity lacrosse in college, which brought her out east from her home state of Colorado. One of her favorite guilty pleasures is watching science fiction television shows, especially Battlestar Galactica.

Education: Syracuse University (MPA, MAIR), Hobart and William Smith Colleges (BA)

“Many of us at Rippel have always sensed there must be a better way. Together, we can find that way, and overcome the barriers to actually reach a healthier future for all.”—Laura Landy, President and CEO; Trustee

Joined Rippel: 2007

Current Roles: As Rippel’s president and CEO, Laura steers the organization’s vision and strategic direction. She gathers the right people and leads them in creating and guiding groundbreaking initiatives like ReThink Health and FORESIGHT. Laura has continually expanded Rippel’s vision in pursuit of its mission step-by-step, inspired by its first president, Julius A. Rippel’s own writings from over 60 years ago. With her leadership, the foundation has shifted from being a small grantmaker bringing about micro-level impacts to pioneering the transformation of health and well-being across the nation.

Career: A Rippel board trustee since 1998, Laura began her career as a grantmaker for federal poverty and unemployment funds, and subsequently worked with the Ford Foundation, Pfizer, Bell Labs, and New Jersey’s public health system—notably designing an integrated medical system for the city of Newark. She also built strategic plans for organizations like Adelphi University and the 92nd Street Y as president of her own consulting firm, Applied Concepts. She created the Institute for Nonprofit Entrepreneurship at NYU’s Stern School of Business (the only such program at any business school), where she also taught and served as associate director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. She has also been a member of the adjunct faculty of Columbia University, the New School, and Fairleigh Dickinson. Laura serves as a trustee of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health System, a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, and a board member of Grantmakers in Health.

More About Laura: Laura is passionate about the impact of trends on work and life; she’s perpetually curious about how the world is changing, and how we can prepare for it.

Education: New York University (MBA), Washington University in St. Louis (BA), University of California Berkeley (Certificate in Urban Education)

“It always seems impossible until it’s done”  Nelson Mandela

Joined Rippel: 2021

Current Role: As one of Rippel’s Executive Vice Presidents, Alan is focused on leading the Health Sector work at Rippel.  He is focused on helping Rippel amplify its impact on the communities we serve.

Career: Alan has served as Health Care Executive for close to 40 years.   Alan spent the last 18 years as President of Overlook Medical Center part of the Atlantic Health System. Under his leadership Overlook was ranked the last several years as one of the Top 50 Hospitals in the US by Healthgrades, one of the Top 25 Environmentally Friendly Hospitals and Top 100 Places to Work for by Fortune. Under Alan’s leadership Overlook instituted many innovative programs which tackled major structural problems.  These include: a CMS gainsharing demonstration project, one of the most successful Accountable Care Organizations in the country, the Glasser Caregivers Center, a community based program to educate families on having crucial End of Life conversations, and Walk a Mile program to encourage patient ambulation.   Prior to serving at Overlook, Alan served in various roles at Lenox Hill Hospital, University of Maryland Medical Center, Hahnemann University Hospital and the Medical College of Virginia/VCU.

Alan has served on many boards including stents as the Chair of the Gateway Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the Cornell Sloan Alumni Association, Vice Chair of Optimus ACO, American Heart Association, Northern New Jersey.  He currently serves on the Board of the Red Bear Angels and the Jewish Home Family a long term care provider.  And serves as an advisor to several healthcare startups.

More About Alan: Alan loves to be outdoors.  He has hiked, biked and paddled all around the US; and some internationally.   Alan is most proud of his family including his wife of 35 years and two children who are now pursuing their own exciting careers.

Education: Cornell University BA in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering. MBA with a focus on Health Care Administration and Finance

“ReThinking is the most practical thing any of us can do to change the future. It helps us see where we fit in a common system and shifts our own roles as change agents within a dynamic and democratic world.”—Bobby Milstein, Director of System Strategy

Joined Rippel: 2011

Current Roles: Bobby directs Rippel’s work on System Strategy, is a member of Rippel’s Strategy and Management Team, and is a Visiting Scientist at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Bobby is a principal contributor to the ReThink Health initiative’s projects Portfolio Design for Healthier Regions and Amplifying Stewardship Together. He also leads a suite of nationwide influence activities and coordinates ongoing development of the ReThink Health Dynamics Model, the Well-Being Portfolio Design Calculator , and other simulation tools that let leaders play out the consequences of their scenarios for change. In 2018, Bobby and four co-authors wrote the official brief that defines “health and well-being” as the central focus for the Healthy People 2030 Framework for the United States.

Career: Before joining Rippel, Bobby spent 20 years planning and evaluating system-oriented initiatives at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where he was the principal architect of CDC’s framework for program evaluation. He received CDC’s Honor Award for Excellence in Innovation, the Applications Award from the System Dynamics Society, and Article of the Year awards for papers published in Health Affairs and Health Promotion Practice.

More about Bobby: Bobby once was a documentary filmmaker whose work was used by PBS to spotlight challenges of racism on college campuses. He also contributed storylines for The West Wing on how to get beyond zero-sum thinking when setting health priorities.

Education: Union Institute and University (PhD), Emory University (MPH), University of Michigan (BA)

Joined Rippel: 2021

 Current Role: As an executive vice president, Becky is helping to lead Rippel’s health sector programs, including facilitating our strategic partnerships with organizations in the philanthropic, corporate, and government sectors.

Career: Over the last 20 years, Becky has served in a variety of leadership roles within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where she was responsible for designing and launching new, large-scale initiatives. Most recently, she completed an 18-month assignment to the Department of Health and Human Services, where she led the development of an all of government plan to support U.S. communities through equitable recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic. Prior to that, as CDC’s deputy chief of staff, Becky established corporate partnerships and coordinated agency responses to significant crises, including international Zika and Ebola outbreaks and the contaminated water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Her many assignments allowed her to have a significant impact on the direction of numerous CDC activities, including global health security, healthy communities, racial and ethnic approaches to community health, adolescent and school health, and public private partnerships. She has received a CDC Honor Award for Excellence in Front Line Public Health for her leadership of the Communities Putting Prevention to Work program.

More about Becky:  Becky serves on the board of directors for the Decatur Education Foundation and has been recognized by the Atlanta City Council for her community service. She loves to run and travel and spend time with family.

Education:  MPH in community health sciences with a minor in evaluation, Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine; BS in interdisciplinary studies in social science: health policy with a cognate in psychology from Michigan State University

 “Rippel and its ReThink Health initiative are doing amazing, innovative work with partners throughout the nation who share our commitment to improving public health and well-being. I’m proud to collaborate with this team of smart, dedicated colleagues to amplify this work and build a movement for stewardship and broad-reaching systems change that will have a positive impact on quality of life for current and future generations.” —Teri Wade, Director, Communications and Influence

Joined Rippel: 2021

Current Roles: Teri directs Rippel’s communications and influence initiatives. She and her team are responsible for strategic, multi-channel communications activities that build engagement with Rippel’s efforts to transform health and well-being so that everyone thrives. To cultivate partnerships, advance thought leadership, and ensure that Rippel’s many diverse audiences connect with its work, Teri and her team develop and execute a comprehensive, integrated communications program that includes content development and promotion; brand management; social media outreach; media relations; conference and event oversight; and more.

Career: Teri has more than 25 years of experience helping mission-driven nonprofits in a variety of fields—including health and human services, education, philanthropy, arts and culture, and social research—increase their visibility and impact through strategic communications. She previously led communications and marketing at Amida Care, a nonprofit community health insurance plan designed for New Yorkers with complex medical conditions, and at the Foundation Center (now known as Candid), a national organization that advances knowledge about philanthropy and the social sector. Earlier in her career, Teri served as director of marketing at Baruch College of The City University of New York (CUNY) and was an editor and writer at the Museum of Television & Radio (now the Paley Center for Media).

More about Teri: Teri is on the board of directors of Ariva, a nonprofit organization that helps low-wealth New Yorkers achieve economic stability. She earned a master’s degree in corporate communication from Baruch College/CUNY and a BA in media studies from Fordham University. Teri enjoys performing as a jazz vocalist with her husband’s trio and other groups at venues in the New York area.

“I’m proud to support the entire Rippel team and its projects by making budgeting and other administrative processes smooth, freeing everyone up to focus on making an impact on health and well-being.”—Audrey Wells, Director of Finance and Administration

Joined Rippel: 2015

Current Roles: Audrey leads Rippel’s financial and investment activities, including budgeting, financial planning and analysis, compliance, grants, contracts, and accounting. She also oversees Rippel’s human resources function as well as its information technology and facilities operations.

Career: Recently at Rippel, Audrey created a simple framework for budget proposals and monitoring project costs, which upgraded their consistency and completeness and allowed project staff to maintain a hands-on understanding of—and accountability for—project spending. Before joining Rippel, Audrey was CFO at Cornerstone Family Programs, a New Jersey-based nonprofit, where she played a significant role in the acquisition of another agency, procurement of grants and new contracts, and procedure streamlining. Audrey’s 30 years of experience also includes positions in accounting, finance, and audit with Customized Distribution Services, Lever Brothers Company, and Ernst & Young.

More about Audrey: In her spare time, Audrey is a dedicated singer. She has performed for 15 years in a mixed a cappella quartet, singing everything from barbershop, to doo-wop, to modern popular music. She’s also in a local community chorus (and serves as its treasurer).

Education: Binghamton University (BS)

“I love that Rippel emphasizes the great importance of community building and interconnectivity to overall health and well-being.”—Molly Belsky, Program Coordinator for FORESIGHT

Joined Rippel: 2019

Current Roles: Molly coordinates logistics and research for the many branches of the FORESIGHT team, and acts as a catch-all support system for the Implementation Team.

Career: Molly held a number of different roles before coming to Rippel, all with the same through line of fostering communication and empathy between groups of people. She taught middle school history and theatre for two years before working as a canvass director for Planned Parenthood—two jobs that bore a striking resemblance to each other in terms of helping people discover and articulate causes that they believe in. Her love of storytelling and human connection is what drives her in all endeavors.

More about Molly: As a formerly hour-plus commuter—as well as being generally uncomfortable with silence while she does things like cleaning the bathroom or cooking dinner—Molly regularly listens to many podcasts, on topics as broad as women in business and politics, and as narrow as Harry Potter being read as a sacred text.

Education: Trinity College (BA)

“The good work Rippel does to improve health and well-being drives me to make our messages visually effective and cohesive so everyone can easily absorb them.”—Bradley Girard, Director of Branding & Creative

Joined Rippel: 2017

Current Roles: Bradley directs the Branding & Creative Team, leading a team on the creative design and production of all Rippel branding vehicles. He makes complex concepts easier for all to understand and unifies messaging around Rippel’s shared vision and its initiatives. His team designs visuals to make ideas more straightforward for all to understand.

Career: Brad has provided Rippel with branding and visual design support for years as principal of his own award-winning boutique agency. In his 28 years as a professional designer, photographer, and marketer, Brad has worked with a variety of large brands—including Kaiser Permanente, Toshiba, Verio Healthcare, and the San Francisco 49ers—and received multiple international awards for design, print, and marketing.

More about Brad: Brad serves on portfolio review boards for AIGA, Cal State Fullerton, and Chapman University, mentoring students as they ready themselves for professional careers. Most weekends, Brad can be found cheering on his daughter’s club court and beach volleyball teams. On his off-time, he and his family love to relax on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

“Rippel’s system-level approach to equitable health and well-being is driving true progress and ultimately has the potential to transform society. We all need to play our part in achieving this vision of shared prosperity.”

 Joined Rippel: 2022

Current roles: Laila Hussain leads the development and implementation of communications strategies designed to further the understanding, value, and impact of Rippel’s work. She specializes in making complex concepts accessible to a wide range of audiences, and is committed to amplifying individual and collective voices to advance change.

Career: Laila brings expertise in strategic communications on programs related to public health, reproductive rights, education, and impact investing in the United States and South Asia. Before joining Rippel, she was most recently part of the Knowledge and Communications team at Mission Investors Exchange, where she helped foundations and other mission-driven organizations learn about and engage in impact investing.

More about Laila: Laila is originally from Karachi, Pakistan and first came to the US in 2010 as a Fulbright Scholar. She is motivated by her two young children and her family across three continents to leverage the power of communications to shape a new narrative around health and well-being.

Education: New York University (MA), Institute of Business Management, Pakistan (MBA)

“Rippel is solutions-oriented; for instance, instead of lamenting the lack of funds and resources for health and well-being, we find streams that already exist and just need to be unlocked, redirected, and approached creatively—and then we spread the word about them.”—Amanda McIntosh, Communications Manager

Joined Rippel: 2015

Current Roles: Amanda manages Rippel’s editorial and visual production as well as its social media efforts. She also leads Rippel’s work to measure its outreach effectiveness and serves as a member of FORESIGHT‘s Implementation Team.

Career: Amanda has provided critical research, design, and project management support to national-level Rippel projects, including the Convening of Catalysts leadership group that brings together health system transformation trailblazers.  As part of a ReThink Health initiative project exploring tax credits’ potential as a source of sustainable financing for population health, she co-authored a paper for the National Academy of Medicine (2018) and contributed greatly to advancing high-level conversation and interest in the topic via various platforms and mediums. Amanda formerly worked to support nationwide programs and outreach campaigns for consumer health advocacy organizations, serving as program associate to Community Catalyst’s Roadmaps to Health project and as statewide coordinator at Health Care For All.

More about Amanda: Amanda grew up on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, not as a summer resident, but as a third-generation “year-rounder.” She had some of the same teachers that had taught her father when he went through the island’s school system, decades before. On a recent visit, she found a rare fossilized Megalodon tooth.

Education: Drexel University (MPH), College of Charleston (BA)

 “Rippel and its ReThink Health initiative are doing amazing, innovative work with partners throughout the nation who share our commitment to improving public health and well-being. I’m proud to collaborate with this team of smart, dedicated colleagues to amplify this work and build a movement for stewardship and broad-reaching systems change that will have a positive impact on quality of life for current and future generations.” —Teri Wade, Director, Communications and Influence

Joined Rippel: 2021

Current Roles: Teri directs Rippel’s communications and influence initiatives. She and her team are responsible for strategic, multi-channel communications activities that build engagement with Rippel’s efforts to transform health and well-being so that everyone thrives. To cultivate partnerships, advance thought leadership, and ensure that Rippel’s many diverse audiences connect with its work, Teri and her team develop and execute a comprehensive, integrated communications program that includes content development and promotion; brand management; social media outreach; media relations; conference and event oversight; and more.

Career: Teri has more than 25 years of experience helping mission-driven nonprofits in a variety of fields—including health and human services, education, philanthropy, arts and culture, and social research—increase their visibility and impact through strategic communications. She previously led communications and marketing at Amida Care, a nonprofit community health insurance plan designed for New Yorkers with complex medical conditions, and at the Foundation Center (now known as Candid), a national organization that advances knowledge about philanthropy and the social sector. Earlier in her career, Teri served as director of marketing at Baruch College of The City University of New York (CUNY) and was an editor and writer at the Museum of Television & Radio (now the Paley Center for Media).

More about Teri: Teri is on the board of directors of Ariva, a nonprofit organization that helps low-wealth New Yorkers achieve economic stability. She earned a master’s degree in corporate communication from Baruch College/CUNY and a BA in media studies from Fordham University. Teri enjoys performing as a jazz vocalist with her husband’s trio and other groups at venues in the New York area.