PHSA Leadership

Executive Advisory Council

The Executive Advisory Council is the volunteer leadership body of the PHSA. It consists of four officers, six regional chairs, two representatives from each of the six regions, four at-large members, and the past presidents of the PHSA.

Any member of the bar association of any district, state, territory, political subdivision, or tribal entity who is actively engaged as an employee of a public welfare agency or an employee of an attorney general or equivalent officer is entitled to full membership. Any member who leaves public employment and any member of the Bar who is an employee of the federal government or an employee of a grantee of the Legal Services Corporation or similar organizations is entitled to membership but may not vote nor hold office. View the PHSA Bylaws.

2023 PHSA Officers and Representatives

Chair

Karen Godnick Barber, General Counsel
VT Department of Mental Health

Vice Chair

Carla Erickson, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Child Protection
State of Alaska Department of Law

Secretary

Stuart Schurr, General Counsel
VT Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living

Membership Officer

Nicole Fries, Deputy General Counsel
AZ Health Care Cost Containment System

Officers-At-Large

Ron Baze, General Counsel
OK Department of Human Services

Denise Pleska, Senior Staff Attorney
OH Department of Job and Family Services

Immediate Past Chair

Stacie Kraly, Chief Assistant Attorney General
AK Department of Law

Midwest Region: IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, MO, OH, WI

Midwest Region Chair

Jocelyn Lowe, Chief Legal Counsel
OH Department of Job and Family Services

Midwest Region Representatives

Patricia Llacsa, Assistant General Counsel
IL Department of Healthcare and Family Services

Leslie Asman, Bureau Director
MI Department of Health and Human Services

Midwest Region Alternates

Shari Vanderploeg, Assistant General Counsel
IN Department of Child Services

Mary Brennan, Manager and Regulatory Affairs Officer
MI Department of Health and Human Services

Mountain Region: CO, KS, MT, NE, ND, SD, WY

Mountain Region Chair

Jaime Hegr, Lead Attorney
NE Department of Health and Human Services

Mountain Region Representatives

Jonathan Alm, Attorney
ND Department of Human Services

Ryan Patrick, Lead Attorney
NE Department of Health and Human Services

Mountain Region Alternates

Aaron Webb, Attorney
ND Department of Human Services

Neleigh Boyer, Lead Attorney
NE Department of Health and Human Services

Northeast Region: CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NJ, NH, NY, PA, PR, RI, VT

Northeast Region Chair

Joshua Light, Assistant Counsel
PA Department of Human Services

Northeast Region Representatives

Alternate - VACANT

Second Alternate - VACANT

Northeast Region Alternates

Alternate - VACANT

Second Alternate - VACANT

Southeast Region: AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN, WV, VA

Southeast Region Chair

Alycia Blackwell, Deputy Director for Programs and Services
Fairfax County (VA) Department of Family Services

Southeast Region Representatives

Azande Williams, Special Assistant Attorney General
MS Department of Human Services

Gail Carelli, Assistant Attorney General
NC Department of Justice

Southeast Region Alternates

Rajeev Premakumar, Deputy General Counsel
NC Department of Health and Human Services

Christopher Hempfling, Principal
CGH Consulting, LLC

Soutwest Region: AR, LA, NM, OK, TX

Southwest Region Chair

Celia Williams-Alexander, Deputy General Counsel 2
LA Department of Children and Family Services

Southwest Region Representatives

Sarah Linam, Chief Counsel
AR Department of Human Services

Ron Baze, General Counsel
OK Department of Human Services

Southwest Region Alternates

Kara Smith, General Counsel
OK Health Care Authority

Second Alternate - VACANT

Western Region: AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, UT, WA

Western Region Chair

Nicole Fries, Lead Deputy Attorney General
AZ Health Care Cost Containment System

Western Region Representatives

Madison Miles, Lead Deputy Attorney General
ID Office of the Attorney General

Annette Schuffenhauer, Chief Legal Officer
WA Health Care Authority

Western Region Alternates

Kathryn Garrett, Deputy Attorney General
ID Office of the Attorney General, Health & Human Services

Second Alternate - VACANT