Colorado Health Institute Adds Three Members to Board of Trustees
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kristi Arellano
Managing Director, Marketing and Communications
720.382.7080, arellanok@coloradohealthinstitute.org
The Board of Trustees of the Colorado Health Institute (CHI) has elected three new members to support the organization as it advances its mission of strengthening communities and systems with trusted analysis and collaborative solutions to improve health.
Tanya Heikkila, Liane Jollon, and Jay Nakashima each bring expertise in areas that will help support CHI as it begins implementing a new strategic plan that will guide the public health institute in the years ahead.
“Tanya, Liane, and Jay are respected leaders in key fields where CHI seeks to focus its impact,” said Sara Schmitt, CHI’s President and CEO. “We are honored that they have committed their time and talent to helping CHI move into the future.”
Heikkila is a Professor at the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs, where she leads the Master of Public Policy program. Her research and teaching focus on policy processes and environmental governance. She is particularly interested in how conflict and collaboration arise in policy processes and what types of institutions support collaboration, learning, and conflict resolution. She received her BA from the University of Oregon and completed her MPA and PhD at the University of Arizona.
Jollon is Executive Director of the Health District of Northern Larimer County. She previously served as Executive Director at San Juan Basin Public Health in southwest Colorado. A former President of the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials, Jollon holds an associate’s degree in nursing from Pueblo Community College in Durango; a bachelor’s degree in arts, history, and sociology from Columbia University; and a master’s degree in security studies from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
Nakashima is President and Executive Director of eHealth Exchange, the largest health information network in the country. Incubated by the U.S. government, the company has grown dramatically under his leadership. It is now an independent nonprofit operating in all 50 states and processing more than 20 billion transactions annually. Nakashima earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Iowa State University and an MBA from Drake University.
“CHI is entering the future with an ambitious vision and plans to broaden its impact and continue advancing health and health equity for all Coloradans,” said Board Chair Jeff Moser. “We are looking forward to working with Tanya, Liane, and Jay, and we are confident that their leadership will ensure that CHI continues its role as a leader in improving health and well-being.”
Moser, Senior Vice President of Partner Strategy at Compass One Healthcare, was elected as Chair of the Board of Trustees at its October meeting. In addition, Rob Kaufold, Director of Philanthropic Services for Arlington Partners, was elected to serve as Vice Chair.
About CHI: The Colorado Health Institute works to improve the systems that influence people’s health and well-being. As a nonprofit public health institute, we provide resources for people seeking to make those systems more effective and equitable. We ask critical questions, conduct research, evaluate policies, make sense of complex issues and support others to reach actionable solutions.