Jay Keese is the founding Principal of Capitol Advocates, a Washington, DC based government relations firm. With over two decades of experience as a public policy professional, Jay has focused much of his career on healthcare issues. He works with providers, employers, payers, healthcare technology firms and states on critical delivery systems reforms such as advanced primary care, accountable care organizations, patient-centered medical homes and multi-payer arrangements and played a role in shaping many of these innovative reforms in the Affordable Care Act.

Currently Jay helps manage several advocacy coalitions, including the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD), a broad coalition of patient, provider, community, business and labor groups, and health policy experts, committed to policy solutions to improve health outcomes and control costs by slowing the spread of preventable chronic disease.

Jay has worked extensively on health information technology, FDA and pharmaceutical issues, patient safety and quality issues and reforms to the Medicare Medicaid programs. In the effort to create the Medicare Part D drug program, Jay worked with pharmaceutical and health plan clients to help shape Title II provisions on Medicare Advantage and played a role in the development of the first disease management program in fee-for-service Medicare.

Prior to founding Capitol Advocates, Jay was a Vice President at Columbus Public Affairs, where he managed the firm’s healthcare lobbying practice. Previously, he held government relations positions at both the American Medical Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Jay began his career as an aide to the late Senator John Heinz (R-PA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee and Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee. He has worked on numerous House and Senate campaigns with the National Republican Senatorial and Congressional Campaign Committees. Jay lives in Alexandria Virginia with his wife Sara, and their three children Katie, Caroline and William.
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MasterLab 2016 took place on July 6th in Orlando, Florida. We had a packed house. There were over 115 advocates from more than 28 states and 8 countries.

Find out more about this event, and download the activity workbook at: DiabetesAdvocates.org/MasterLab2016

Ellyn Getz is the Senior Manager of Development, Fundraising, and Events at CISCRP – a nonprofit organization dedicated to engaging the public and patients as partners in the clinical research process.

She is responsible for directing CISCRP’s educational and outreach initiatives, including AWARE for All: Clinical Research Education Days, Amplifying the PatientVoice and Perceptions & Insights roundtable discussions, Patient Advisory Panels, and the Medical Heroes Appreciation5K events.

Prior to joining CISCRP, Ellyn worked at College of the Atlantic as a Conference and Events Coordinator and at Brandeis University where she worked in alumni relations coordinating reunion events and development efforts. Ellyn holds a BA in Business Administration and Theatre Arts, highest honors summa cum laude, from Brandeis University.
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MasterLab 2016 took place on July 6th in Orlando, Florida. We had a packed house. There were over 115 advocates from more than 28 states and 8 countries.

Find out more about this event, and download the activity workbook at: DiabetesAdvocates.org/MasterLab2016

John Griffin is the managing partner of Marek, Griffin & Knaupp, a Texas law firm with offices in Victoria and Port Lavaca, Texas. He served as Chair of the Board of the American Diabetes Association in 2011, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Diabetes Research Foundation and the National Diabetes Volunteer Leadership Council.

As a lawyer with more than 30 years experience litigating important cases, he has been a tireless advocate for people with diabetes. Among the notable results of his trial work are the FBI’s ending of its blanket ban on Special Agents who successfully manage diabetes with insulin injections in 2010, and its 2014 reinstatement of a Special Agent who utilizes a prosthetic left hand. He was also involved in the State Department’s decision in 2011 to lift its blanket ban for Foreign Service Officers with insulin treated diabetes. Bans of fire fighters, scuba divers and law enforcement officers have all given way to the individual assessment of each person’s qualifications to perform the job. Among his ongoing efforts is the legal battle to require the Federal Aviation Agency to end its blanket exclusion of all commercial pilots who successfully manage diabetes with insulin.

Borin in Port Lavaca, Texas, he is a graduate of Austin College and The University of Missouri Law School. He is married to Lynn Knaupp, a member of the firm, and the two of them have three daughters, Cora, Ruth and Sarah.
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George J. Huntley is currently the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for Theoris Group, Inc., comprised of two professional services firms (Theoris and Maetrics) headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Theoris provides technology solutions and software development services. Maetrics offers compliance and quality consulting services to the pharmaceutical, medical device and biotech industries through its offices in the US, UK and Europe. He holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, and earned his CPA in 1985 while working with Price Waterhouse though is now in inactive status.

George served as the National Chair of the Board of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in 2009. He started his volunteer career with the ADA in 1986, initially serving as Treasurer and later Chair of the Maryland Affiliate. During his tenure, he held several key leadership roles, including Chair of the Indianapolis Leadership Council, Chair of the Heartland Region, and Chair of the National Finance and Affiliate Associations Committees.

George led the ADA’s Task Force on Health Care Reform in 2008. He also chaired the ADA’s Legislative and Regulatory subcommittee from 2011-2015 which establishes the federal and state advocacy priorities for the Association annually.

George has been living with Type 1 diabetes since 1983. He brings his financial expertise and a passion for improving the lives of people with diabetes to the NDVLC, enhancing operating efficiencies and instituting best practices in fund management.

Among his many honors, George received the ADA’s Addison B. Scoville Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service in 2002, and Charles H. Best Medal for Distinguished Service in 2009.
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MasterLab 2016 took place on July 6th in Orlando, Florida. We had a packed house. There were over 115 advocates from more than 28 states and 8 countries.

Find out more about this event, and download the activity workbook at: DiabetesAdvocates.org/MasterLab2016

Famous for her cookbooks, nutrition classes, and co-hosting the very popular cooking show Health and Fitness Now on the Vision Network and PBS, Roniece is known for brining out the best in you with simple, easy to follow tips and tricks.

Weaver received her Bachelor of Science in Food Science/Human Nutrition from the University of Florida and Master of Science degree in Health Care Administration from University of Saint Francis. She is also a Registered Dietician and Licensed Dietician in the state of Florida.

Recently Ms. Weaver was selected to participate in Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign at the White House and was requested to provide health initiatives for school aged children. She and her team developed the Healthy 4 Kids Cookbook which aligns school recipes with the Let’s Move Initiative for the United States Department of Agriculture/Food and Nutrition Services (USDA/FNS). Currently she is contracted with USDA/FNS to revise up to 200 recipes for school food service national database of recipes. She is responsible for implementing taste profiles, chef development and guidance to new recipe ingredients, and modernized procedures that provide healthier nutrition labeling for fat, salt, and sugar requirements.

She keeps a busy schedule lecturing nationally and instructing locally on various nutrition topics and current health issues related to food and nutrition. Additionally, she served on the National Board for the American Diabetes Association (ADA); National Advocacy Committee for ADA, Past-Trustee for Health Central Hospital, and West Orange County District, Board Member for Florida Hospital Community Health Impact Council, and Board of Directors for the Central Florida Partnership in Health Disparities.

Her many contributions have been recognized by receipt of the President’s Award from the National Medical Association Auxiliary and the University President of The University of St. Francis in Joliet Illinois.
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MasterLab 2016 took place on July 6th in Orlando, Florida. We had a packed house. There were over 115 advocates from more than 28 states and 8 countries.

Find out more about this event, and download the activity workbook at: DiabetesAdvocates.org/MasterLab2016

Scott is an experienced patient advocate. He works with a wide range of stakeholders across the healthcare environment to help them establish effective communication with the patient community. His expertise in the diabetes social media space is recognized worldwide and he advises organizations within the healthcare, food, and consumer goods industries.

Today he is Communications Lead, USA for mySugr and Patient Pathways Lead in the Diabetes Division of Delta Project Management. He manages an award­winning blog “Scott’s Diabetes” that reaches hundreds of thousands of people annually and co­hosts a weekly radio show with over 30,000 annual listeners.

Scott is also a member of the Children with Diabetes faculty where he develops educational curriculums and content for the Friends for Life annual conference and regional events. He is on the Board of Directors for the Diabetes Hands Foundation, the Board of Directors for the Diabetes Community Advocacy Foundation, and is a founding member of Partnering for Diabetes Change, a coalition of people living with diabetes and industry representatives working to support underserved communities.
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MasterLab 2016 took place on July 6th in Orlando, Florida. We had a packed house. There were over 115 advocates from more than 28 states and 8 countries.

Find out more about this event, and download the activity workbook at: DiabetesAdvocates.org/MasterLab2016

#MasterLab is a day of advocacy, learning and collaboration. Diabetes Hands Foundation brings together diabetes advocates each year for the #MasterLab event. This highlight reel gives you an idea of how the day looks.