Melika Zand Email & Phone Number

I am a government relations professional with 7+ years of experience tracking, analyzing, and advocating for policies that improve people's lives. With a degree in political science and extensive work in lobbying and campaigns, I developed a keen interest in public health after a volunteer experience at a local community center in a food desert. Combining my passion for health and political expertise, I joined the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and later a national non-profit with a mission to expand access to whole-person health. In this role, I managed the organization’s federal policy, regulatory, and advocacy initiatives. I developed and executed advocacy campaigns that reformed legislation and regulations and increased patient access to safe, affordable, and effective healthcare. I also built the organization's first-ever digital advocacy training program, which resulted in a national study that will help inform legislation to remove barriers to patient care, alleviate the healthcare shortage, and reduce healthcare costs.Skilled in coalition building, I have had success collaborating with key industry stakeholders, including government officials, trade associations, and advocacy organizations, to shape and advance legislative and regulatory priorities. Those efforts have resulted in the passage of several key provisions that protect patients' rights and ensure equitable access to medications utilized by millions of Americans.

Listed skills include Political Science, Public Administration, Public Management, International Relations, and 15 others.

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  Virginia Commonwealth University

  Political Science And Government