Innovators,
Researchers and Doers

Mary Beth Donahue was named President and CEO of Better Medicare Alliance in 2021, bringing nearly three decades of management, health care policy, and patient advocacy to the role. Mary Beth began her career working in state government in her native Massachusetts and ascended to a role as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under Secretary Donna E. Shalala during the Clinton administration. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of Kidney Care Partners, a coalition of patient advocates, dialysis professionals, care providers, researchers, and manufacturers dedicated to improving quality of care for individuals living with kidney disease. A leader in patient advocacy and health equity, Mary Beth additionally serves on the Board of Directors for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a national nonprofit dedicated to empowering children to develop lifelong healthy habits. She served as an Advisory Council Member to the Cancer Support Community. Mary Beth is also the past Executive Vice President of Advocacy and Operations of AHIP, the trade association representing companies providing health insurance coverage in the United States. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Boston College and a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy where she served on the Alumni Board of Directors Mary Beth lives in Maryland with her two daughters.

Robin Goracke brings two decades of health care policy experience in both the public and private sectors to her role at BMA as Chief of Staff and Chief Operating Officer. Robin previously served as a legislative analyst at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the Office of Secretary, in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Legislation under both Secretary Sebelius and Secretary Burwell. Among her many responsibilities, Robin’s main policy areas of focus was on Medicare Parts B, C and D regulations. Robin also spent sixteen years in the U.S. House of Representatives, reaching the position of Legislative Director for U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN). Most recently she held the position of Director of Healthcare Policy at the National Restaurant Association, headquartered in Washington, D.C. Robin is originally from Minnesota and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Email Robin at RGoracke@bettermedicarealliance.org.

Chris Long joined Better Medicare Alliance as Vice President of Government Affairs in early 2022, bringing three decades of government relations, advocacy, and public service leadership. Long started his career as an aide to Congressman George “Buddy” Darden (D-GA) and, most recently, was partner at Bluestone Strategies LLC, a top bipartisan government affairs firm where he lobbied for over a decade on behalf of clients including Serco Inc., Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA), America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), and Kaiser Permanente. Prior to co-founding and leading Bluestone Strategies, Long served as Executive Vice President of Public Affairs for CareCore National, where he advocated for evidence-based specialty benefit management programs during the historic debate on the Affordable Care Act.  Earlier, Long served as Director of Congressional and Public Affairs for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and as Director of Tax and Fiscal Affairs for the Associated General Contractors (AGC). Long hails from South Carolina, is a graduate of the University of Georgia, and holds a Master of Arts from American University. He served on the board of the Literacy Volunteers and is Chair of the local Young Life Committee in his community.  Email Chris at CLong@bettermedicarealliance.org.

Greg Gierer, MPP, joined Better Medicare Alliance as Vice President of Policy and Research in September 2021, bringing nearly 25 years of public policy and advocacy expertise to the role. His post at Better Medicare Alliance follows leadership roles with some of the nation’s leading health care associations, including Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Greg most recently served as Senior Vice President for Policy at America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). He began his career on Capitol Hill as an aide to U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT). Greg is a graduate of Providence College and holds a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. He also serves on the Cancer Support Community’s Cancer Policy Institute Advisory Board. A Connecticut native, Greg resides in Leesburg, Virginia with his wife, and three children.

Jonathan Frank serves as Vice President of Communications at Better Medicare Alliance (BMA), a role he stepped into after first coming to the coalition in 2019 as Director of Communications. Previously, Jonathan served as Communications Director for Horizon Government Affairs, a healthcare-focused government affairs firm working with patient advocates, life science companies, and health services providers. There, Jonathan also led communications for the firm’s various coalitions including the Council for Affordable Health Coverage and the Health Innovation Alliance. Jonathan began his career on Capitol Hill serving in a variety of roles for Congresswoman Diane Black (R-TN), starting as a Staff Assistant and culminating as Communications Director in a dual role with the House Budget Committee, with stints as Press Secretary, Campaign Manager, and other positions along the way. A seasoned opinion writer, Jonathan’s work has appeared in Newsweek, Time, Forbes, Health Affairs, Modern Healthcare, Medical Economics, The Hill, STAT, MarketWatch, and others. Jonathan is a native of Nashville, Tennessee and holds a B.S. in Political Science from Tennessee Technological University, where he serves on the Alumni Board of Directors. Email him at JFrank@bettermedicarealliance.org.

Kaitlyn Saal-Ridpath serves as Director of Policy at the Better Medicare Alliance. She first came to the organization in early 2021 as Policy Associate. Prior to joining the Better Medicare Alliance team, Kaitlyn worked across the public, private, and non-profit sectors, with a mission to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals across the country. She brings with her a range of public health, health law, and policy experience, focusing primarily on social determinants of health. Kaitlyn holds a JD and MPH in Health Policy & Management from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and Graduate School of Public Health, as well as a bachelor's degree in Public Health from Elon University. Email Kaitlyn at KSaalRidpath@bettermedicarealliance.org.

Kristen Voyvodich is the Administrative Manager at Better Medicare Alliance. Before working at Better Medicare Alliance, Kristen worked at AIPAC in the Marketing, Creative and Events department, where she was part of the Event Operations team, working on large-scale national and regional events. She holds two Masters degrees, one in Drama and Movement Therapy from the University of London and one in Shakespeare Studies from the Shakespeare Institute at the University of Birmingham. Kristen has a BA from Mount Holyoke College. Email Kristen at KVoyvodich@bettermedicarealliance.org.

Lorenzo Rodriguez joined Better Medicare Alliance as Government Affairs Assistant after a nearly six-month-long internship, during which time he provided valuable aid to the team’s government affairs and Ally engagement efforts – conducting legislative research, staffing Congressional meetings, and helping to organize Hill briefings and advocacy events. A graduate of Florida International University, Lorenzo held previous roles as a legislative intern for Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) and an intern for the World War One Centennial Commission. He is a candidate for his Master of Political Science from American University. Email Lorenzo at LRodriguez@bettermedicarealliance.org.