BIO

Carmen Rhodes is the Program Director of Be a Hero. Prior to joining the Be A Hero team, Carmen spent 20 years building labor community partnerships and coalitions, running and winning political and issue campaigns and training activist leaders to … [Read more...] about Carmen Rhodes

Jacqueline O. Berkowitz is the Executive Director and a Trustee of the Jeffrey P. Ossen Family Foundation, a Connecticut-based family foundation dedicated to supporting opportunities for people by investing in four focus areas: Housing, Food, … [Read more...] about Jacqueline O. Berkowitz

Catherine Johnson lives in Springfield Missouri. She is married and has three daughters and eight grandchildren. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1997 when she was 32 years old. She discovered the Center for Medicare Advocacy in 2020 when … [Read more...] about Catherine Johnson

Athena Jones is SEIU Virgina 512’s Home Care Chapter Executive Board Chair. SEIU Virginia 512 unites county and city employees in Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Richmond, and Home Care workers throughout Virginia. Its members advocate for good … [Read more...] about Athena Jones

Scott Perkins, Center for Medicare Advocacy Operations Director, helps oversee personnel issues, board relations, policies, procedures, and employment laws. He serves on the Leadership Team and oversees grant proposals, budgets, and outcome measures. … [Read more...] about Scott Perkins

Matthew Shepard came to the Center for Medicare Advocacy in 1996, seeking something temporary while he pursued his Connecticut Teaching certification. Expecting a short-term, uninvolved job, Matt found, upon getting to know his fellow staff and the … [Read more...] about Matthew Shepard

Afton Cissell serves as Deputy Chief of Staff to U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (Texas).  She supervises his staff in Washington, D.C. and oversees his legislative agenda.  She also manages his legislative work as Ranking Member of the House Ways … [Read more...] about Afton Cissell

Alex Lawson is the Executive Director of Social Security Works, the convening member of the Strengthen Social Security Coalition — a coalition made up of over 340 national and state organizations representing over 50 million Americans. In that role, … [Read more...] about Alex Lawson

Cathy Hurwit served for 20 years as chief of staff to Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), where she had responsibility for universal health care, senior and labor issues.  She currently serves as a senior advisor to Lower Drug Prices Now, a member … [Read more...] about Cathy Hurwit