- (518) 462-0632
- info@healthyschools.org
- 1717 N Street NW, STE 1, Washington, DC 20036
America’s schools should be places where children can learn, breathe, and thrive. Join leaders from education, public health, policy, research, and industry as we create the first-ever Health-First Agenda for America’s Schools.
📅 August 5, 2026
📍 Barbara Jordan Conference Center • Washington, DC
Jack Reed, MPP, JD
Jack Reed was born and raised in Cranston, Rhode Island. His father was a school custodian who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and his mother was a homemaker. Reed attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point (BS, ’71); John F. Kennedy School of Government (MPP, ’73); and Harvard Law School (JD, ’81). After serving in the 82nd Airborne as a paratrooper, teaching at West Point, retiring from active duty in the U.S. Army, practicing law, and serving at several levels of government, Reed succeeded Claiborne Pell (D-RI) as Rhode Island’s 46th U.S. Senator. Senator Reed currently serves as the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He is a member of the powerful Appropriations Committee, where he co-leads the Financial Services & General Government Subcommittee. Reed also serves on the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee and is an ex-officio member of the Select Committee on Intelligence. Time magazine noted: “Reed is a serious, intellectually honest veteran and an expert on defense issues in the Senate,” and the New York Times describes him as “a quiet deal-maker respected by colleagues in both parties.” Jack and his wife, Julia Hart Reed, have a daughter, Emily.
Congressman Bobby Scott
Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott has represented Virginia’s third congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1993. Prior to his service in Congress, he served 15 years in the Virginia General Assembly.
Congressman Scott serves as the Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and Workforce—his sixth term as the Committee’s Democratic leader. In this role, he spearheaded critical parts of Congress’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through several COVID-19 packages—including the American Rescue Plan Act—Congressman Scott saved the pensions of over one million workers and retirees; reduced the number of uninsured Americans to record lows; significantly reduced child hunger across the nation; and delivered the single largest investment to K-12 schools in U.S. history to help schools reopen safely and make up for lost learning time.
Congressman Scott also serves on the Committee on the Budget, and formerly served on the Committee on the Judiciary. He remains a leading voice in Congress on fiscal policy, the Constitution and reforming our nation’s criminal justice system. He has successfully worked to pass bipartisan legislation to reduce mandatory minimum sentences, reform the juvenile justice system, and require reporting and federal data collection of deaths that occur in police custody, jails, and prisons.
Congressman Scott resides in Newport News, Virginia and is a graduate of Harvard College and Boston College Law School. He also served in the Massachusetts National Guard and the United States Army Reserve.
Amanda Ri’Chard-Briggs, DrPH(c), MSL, MPA
Amanda Ri’Chard-Briggs, DrPH(c), MSL, MPA, serves as the Associate Director for the Office of Environmental Protection within the Environmental Health Administration at the DC Department of Health (DC Health). In this capacity, she provides senior leadership and strategic oversight for key environmental health programs, including healthy housing, childhood lead poisoning prevention, indoor air quality, climate and health, tobacco control and enforcement, and other initiatives central to protecting public health.
Mrs. Ri’Chard-Briggs directs policy development, program execution, and interagency collaboration to strengthen environmental health systems and advance health equity across the District of Columbia.
Before joining DC Health, Amanda served the District of Columbia for more than 10 years at the DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE), most recently as the Branch Chief of Healthy Housing within the Lead-Safe and Healthy Housing Division. In this role, she led programs and partnerships aimed at reducing environmental hazards in homes and communities, with a strong emphasis on protecting children and other vulnerable populations from preventable health risks.
Amanda is currently a Doctor of Public Health candidate at The George Washington University, where her research focuses on strengthening health system coordination for medically vulnerable populations during climate-related disasters. She holds a Master of Law in Homeland Security and Crisis Management Law and a Master of Public Administration. Amanda is a member of the American Public Health Association (APHA), the National Association for Doctors of Public Health (NADrPH), and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®.
Kenneth Mendez – Moderator
Kenneth Mendez became CEO and President of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) in early 2018. He came to AAFA from AdvaMed, the world’s largest medical technology association, where he served as Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer for 12 years.
Mendez’s career has bridged the corporate and non-profit sectors. Early in his career, he worked on Wall Street in investment banking and then in business development at The Walt Disney Company. His career focus evolved to the non-profit sector based on a connection to causes about which he is passionate. Mendez, an avid fly fisherman, left Walt Disney to become the Chief Operating Officer of the nonprofit, Trout Unlimited, America’s largest cold-water fisheries conservation organization. Based on his success at Trout Unlimited, he was recruited by AdvaMed to develop and launch new business initiatives, manage business operations and lead strategic planning. He has built his career in the senior leadership of nonprofits by growing the reach of these organizations, a track record he brings to AAFA.
Since joining AAFA, he has led the organization in establishing a new multi-year strategic plan that emphasizes dramatically reducing the impact of asthma and allergies on the underserved and tripling the size of AAFA’s online asthma community. The new strategic plan’s vision is for AAFA to be recognized as the most trusted ally serving the asthma and allergy community.
Mendez has quickly become a thought leader in the asthma and allergy community. He served as an External Reviewer for the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review’s (ICER) asthma assessment. In that role, he informed ICER on how to better represent the patient voice. In 2019, Mendez served as a patient advocacy expert for ICER’s review on emerging peanut allergy therapies.
Under Mendez’ guidance, several patient advocacy organizations have joined together to advocate on issues important to people with food allergies – including sesame allergy. He also leads communications with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on ongoing access barriers to epinephrine auto-injectors.
He is quoted in outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post and NBC Nightly News, among others. Mendez has an MBA in marketing from Columbia Business School and a B.A. in American History and American Art from Harvard College. Mendez also has a personal stake in AAFA’s mission as he and two of his children manage asthma and allergies.
Jason Hartke, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President, External Affairs and Global Advocacy
International WELL Building Institute
Jason Hartke is the Executive Vice President of External Affairs and Global Advocacy at the International WELL Building Institute where he leads the organization’s strategic communications, PR and media relations as well as its advocacy efforts and outreach to policymakers around the world. Through dynamic advocacy initiatives and programs, Jason has worked to establish a robust government presence, shaping numerous healthy building policies across all levels of government. He has also launched groundbreaking partnerships and coalitions, including the Healthy Workplaces Coalition, which has grown to nearly 150 member organizations working to support sound health building policy.
Prior to IWBI, Jason was the President of the Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), a nonprofit dedicated to achieving bipartisan policy solutions that advance energy efficiency. While not a registered lobbyist, Jason was recognized as one of The Hill’s Top Lobbyist in 2018 and 2019 for leading ASE’s strategic advocacy efforts to keep energy efficiency a top priority in Washington, helping protect critical R&D programs and significantly increasing federal funding to exceed $1 billion.
Before that Jason led the U.S. Department of Energy’s efforts to advance energy efficiency in commercial buildings, a sector that accounts for nearly 20 percent of the nation’s energy consumption. In the role, Jason managed a nearly $30-million program, working closely with national laboratories as well as industry partners to develop and deploy innovative energy efficiency solutions, strategies and technologies. While there, he helped lead the creation of the Better Communities Alliance and implemented strategic refinements in the technology demonstration pipeline to better catalyze market adoption of innovative energy efficiency solutions.
Jason also spent nearly a decade as a senior executive at the U.S. Green Building Council, leading mission-critical policy and advocacy efforts that helped result in the passage of historic federal investment in green building, new federal leadership programs in energy efficiency, and a fourfold increase in green building policies at the state and local level. While there, he led several signature national advocacy programs in sustainable and resilient communities, energy efficiency, green schools and green affordable housing.
Over his career, he has created numerous collaborative initiatives and partnerships with other organizations, including the C40 Cities, the World Green Building Council, the National League of Cities, the American Institute of Architects, the Real Estate Roundtable and the Natural Resources Defense Council. He has been featured in dozens of publications, including the USA Today, the LA Times, the NY Times, Costar, Governing Magazine, the Federal Times, Architectural Record and many more.
Jason also served in the Clinton Administration, working in the West Wing of the White House in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, a policy and outreach team that serves as the president’s liaison to state and local elected officials throughout the country. Early in his career, Jason was an award-winning journalist, working as a reporter with the Connection Newspapers covering state and local politics, real estate, land use and community affairs.
Jason received his Ph.D. in public policy from George Mason University and holds his master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Jason lives outside Washington, D.C. with his wife and two children, and he is outside hiking or playing basketball with them every chance he gets.
Daniel J. Fiorino – Moderator
Daniel J. Fiorino is the founding Director of the Center for Environmental Policy and Distinguished Executive in Residence in the School of Public Affairs at American University. A faculty member in the Department of Public Administration and Policy, he teaches environmental policy, energy and climate change, environmental sustainability, and public management.
Dan is the sole co-author of seven books and around 60 articles, with more than 5,300 citations and multiple award-winning publications, including A Good Life on a Finite Earth. He has received ten national and international honors and has held senior leadership roles at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency before joining American University in 2009. Dan is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, has been widely featured in international media, and has contributed to environmental governance through initiatives such as founding the William K. Reilly Fund for Environmental Governance and Leadership.
LaTricea Adams
LaTricea Adams is a proud Memphis, Tennessee native and Founder, CEO & President of Young, Gifted & Green, a national environmental justice and civil rights organization advocating against lead exposure and environmental injustice in disadvantaged communities. Before her advocacy career, she served as a K-12 public educator for 16 years. LaTricea was the youngest African American woman and only K-12 educator appointed to the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC), where she co-chaired the Executive Order Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All Working Group and the Carbon Management Working Group, and served on the Climate Economic Justice Screening Tool Working Group, where she fought for the inclusion of birth outcomes.
Through Young, Gifted & Green, LaTricea leads the Youth Environmental Justice Advisory Council, which builds the capacity of young leaders to become ambassadors through advocacy, activism, and organizing. She is also the founder of the Mid-South Environmental Justice Center (MSEJC), uniting residents, public health professionals, housing advocates, and local businesses to advance healthy housing, reduce pollution, prevent lead poisoning, and expand green jobs across the Mid-South. She founded Black Maternal & Environmental Health Day, now recognized in over 20 states.
LaTricea is a former member of the American Bar Association’s Environmental Justice Task Force, an Advisory Member for Climate Power, and a member of the Lead Service Line Replacement Collaborative and the National Black Environmental Justice Network. She previously served as President of the Thursday Network Greater Washington Urban League Young Professionals and the Memphis Urban League Young Professionals, and was honored as Child Health Advocate of the Year by the Children’s Environmental Health Network. LaTricea is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and a proud HBCU graduate of Tennessee State University.
Taylor Brewer
Taylor Brewer is a pediatric resident at Children’s National Hospital, aspiring to be a neonatologist and passionate about putting climate health advocacy at the forefront of her career. She completed undergraduate training at The George Washington University, studying Environmental Studies and Biology. She continued her studies at George Washington Medical School, motivated by her passion by the intersection of climate health and human health. She is now training as a pediatric resident at Children’s National Hospital. She has conducted many studies and implementation projects regarding climate health education on the medical student, resident, and caregiver levels. She currently serves as a board member for Medical Students for a Sustainable Future and the executive chair for the DC chapter of Standup for Kids. She runs the DC AAP Climate Health interest group and aims to continue to grow the network of those with similar interests in the area.
Whitney Austin Gray
Standing at the nexus of public health research and the places and spaces where we spend our lives, Whitney Austin Gray has become one of the leading global voices for improving our buildings and communities in ways that help people thrive. As senior vice president at the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), she leads research that supports best practices in building design and operations, community development and organizational policies that can contribute to improved public health for everyone, everywhere. She led the development of the first case studies focused on the efficacy of the WELL Building Standard, helping to launch more than 100 educational sessions related to WELL in 25+ countries. Her lectures, webcasts, trainings and published works have touched tens of thousands design and health professionals worldwide, building a strong infrastructure of support for those who work to advance better buildings, vibrant communities and stronger organizations.
Prior to joining IWBI, Dr. Gray served as the health research and innovation director for Cannon Design, a global healthcare design firm, where she oversaw the company’s primary and secondary research, prototyping and innovation platforms. Before her tenure with Cannon Design, she led building science research at the MedStar Institute for Innovation. She holds dual appointments as an adjunct assistant professor at the Georgetown School of Nursing & Health Studies and the Department of Urban and Regional Planning.
She is the co-founder of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Health in Buildings Roundtable and an Advisory Board member at the Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures and the International Academy of Health and Design. She received her Ph.D. and BA in public health studies from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She was the first public health professional to become a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP).
Chia-Chia Chang
Chia-Chia Chang, MBA, MPH, is the Coordinator for Partnership and New Opportunity Development in the NIOSH Office for Total Worker Health® . In this capacity she has helped bring on over 30 partners for Total Worker Health (TWH) as part of the NIOSH Total Worker Health Affiliate Program. She writes feature articles for the TWH in Action! eNewsletter on the work of these partners, participates in many invited presentations and workshops across the country to help people understand the value behind TWH approaches, and much more. She has been instrumental in building support for the science behind TWH. Her efforts have helped partners from academia, non-profits, and labor become champions for TWH in their own workforces and regions across the country. Ms. Chang is advancing worker safety, health, and well-being through the creation of strong networks of collaborators committed to implementing comprehensive Total Worker Health approaches.
Robert W. Amler, M.D., M.M.S., M.B.A., FAAP, FACPM
A practicing physician, Robert W. Amler, M.D., M.M.S., M.B.A., FAAP, FACPM, previously served as regional health administrator for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As chief medical officer at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, he coordinated medical monitoring for anthrax response teams, launched a nationwide program to protect children from chemical hazards, established standardized environmental biomarkers, and created a nationwide clinical network.
Dr. Erika Eitland, MPH, ScD
Dr. Erika Eitland, MPH, ScD, is the Director of the Human Experience Lab at Perkins&Will where she focuses on the public health impact of K-12 schools, affordable housing and urban planning. Erika is the co-founder and co-host of the Inhabit podcast, a show focused on the power of design. She received a doctorate from the Harvard Chan School of Public Health in Environmental Health. She has presented her research internationally at the World Bank, U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, American Society of Interior Design and U.S. Green Building Council. Erika advises on national policy for the U.S. EPA as a member of Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee. She holds a Master of Public Health from Columbia University.
Jenna Riemenschneider, MS
Jenna Riemenschneider is the Vice President of Advocacy and Policy at the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). She leads AAFA’s advocacy and policy efforts to advance protections and improve quality of life for people with asthma and allergies. Her work focuses on ensuring access to affordable health care and medications, promoting clean air policies, supporting food allergy safety measures, and advocating for healthier indoor environments in schools, homes, and workplaces. Since joining AAFA in 2018, she has played a key role in the passage of critical state and federal laws, including Elijah’s Law, the ADDE Act, the School-Based Allergies and Asthma Management Program Act, the FASTER Act and the Protecting Children with Food Allergies Act. Riemenschneider directs AAFA’s engagement on climate and health policy, working to advance clean air standards and promote climate resiliency for people with respiratory conditions. She also leads AAFA’s efforts to improve indoor air quality in schools and other buildings, collaborating with policymakers and stakeholders to advocate for stronger standards and funding for healthier learning environments.Through strategic advocacy and grassroots mobilization, Riemenschneider helps amplify the voices of people affected by asthma and allergies, ensuring that policies at the federal, state, and local levels prioritize their needs. Riemenschneider holds a Master of Science in Sustainable Development from HEC Paris and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a steering committee member of the National Safe and Healthy Housing Coalition and a national advisor to the Healthy Schools Network.
Jennifer Lemon, MS
Jennifer Lemon, MS, Acting Executive Director, joined Healthy Schools Network in January 2026 and took on the Acting Director role on April 1st, 2026. She is a seasoned communications strategist and partnership leader with more than 28 years of experience advancing public health, environmental protection, and children’s health initiatives across federal, nonprofit, and consulting sectors. Most recently Jennifer served as a program manager at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where she led national communications, stakeholder engagement, and change management efforts supporting environmental stewardship and risk reduction. Jennifer has designed and executed large-scale outreach campaigns, managed multimillion-dollar initiatives, and built trusted relationships with government agencies, schools, healthcare organizations, and nonprofit partners. Jennifer holds a Master’s degree in Engineering Management from The George Washington University and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Claudia Persico, PhD
Claudia Persico is an economist whose research focuses on environmental policy, inequality, health and education policy using causal inference methods. Persico is also a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), an IZA Institute of Labor Economics Research Fellow, and a Research Affiliate with the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University. Her research has recently been featured in the Quarterly Journal of Economics, the Journal of Labor Economics, and the Journal of Human Resources. Her current work examines the social and biological mechanisms underlying the relationships between poverty, the environment, and children’s cognitive development and health. In particular, much of her current research focuses on how early exposure to environmental pollution can cause inequality by affecting child and adult health, development, behavior, and academic achievement. She has also studied how school funding impacts long term outcomes, how school segregation affects racial disproportionalities in special education, and how childhood exposure to pollution affects academic outcomes. Her research has been covered by the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR, the Atlantic, and many other major media outlets. She was formerly an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Nsedu Obot Witherspoon, MPH – Mederator
Nsedu Obot Witherspoon, MPH, serves as the Executive Director for the Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN), extending partnerships, organizing, leading, and managing policy, education/training, and science-related programs. For the past 23 years, she has served as a key spokesperson for children’s vulnerabilities and the need for their protection, conducting presentations and lectures across the country. She is a leader in the field of children’s environmental health, serving on the External Science Board for the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) NIH Research work. She is a Co-Leader for the Health/Science initiative of the Cancer Free Economy Network, Co-Chair of the America the Beautiful for All Coalition, Lead Chair for Clean Water for All, and leader in the Climate Equity Collaborative. Ms. Witherspoon is also the past Board Chair and current Board Member for the Pesticide Action Network of North America, the Environmental Integrity Project, Healthy Building Network, and serves on the Maryland Children’s Environmental Health Advisory Council. Ms. Witherspoon has held past appointments on the Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee for the Environmental Protection Agency, the NIH Council of Councils, the Science Advisory Board for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Board for the American Public Health Association. She is the past Co-Chair of the National Environmental Health Partnership Council, past member of the National Association of Environmental Health Sciences Council and the Institute of Medicine’s Environmental Health Sciences Roundtable. Ms. Witherspoon has a variety of publications and has the distinct honor of having one of CEHN’s leadership awards, the Nsedu Obot Witherspoon (NOW) Youth Leadership Award, named in her honor. She is also the recent recipient of the William R. Reilly Award in Environmental Leadership from the Center for Environmental Policy at American University, the Snowy Egret Award from the Eastern Queens Alliance, and the 950 Alumni Award by The George Washington School of Public Health and Health Services. Ms. Witherspoon has a B.S. in Biology Pre Med from Siena College and a M.P.H. in Maternal and Child Health from The George Washington University, School of Public Health and Health Services. She is a proud mom to 4 children!
Joel D. Scheraga, PhD
Dr. Joel Scheraga is the Senior Advisor for School Resilience at the Healthy Schools Network. He joined the Network after serving as the Senior Advisor for Climate Adaptation in the Office of Policy at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He led the efforts at EPA to integrate climate resilience into the agency’s programs. A central focus of this work was supporting states, tribes, territories, local governments, and businesses as they prepare for and increase their resilience to the impacts of climate change, with a particular emphasis on advancing environmental justice. He led the development of EPA’s 2024-2027 Climate Adaptation Plan, was a co-author of the Biden Administration’s 2023 National Climate Resilience Framework, and was on the team that produced President Obama’s 2013 Climate Action Plan.
In December 2015, Dr. Scheraga was honored with a Presidential Rank Award, the highest honor given to career members of the federal Senior Executive Service. He also was a Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
Dr. Scheraga is strengthening the Healthy Schools Network’s mission to ensure that all students learn in safe, healthy, and resilient environments. His expertise is helping guide the Network’s growing focus on climate resilience in school infrastructure and environmental health policy.
Tracy Washington Enger, MSJ
Tracy Washington Enger, MSJ is an experienced senior leadership coach and change agent, with 35-years of federal service that includes experience designing, developing, and leading major environmental, health and community development programs and
initiatives with Peace Corps and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
As a servant leader, Tracy coordinated and implemented numerous national public/private collaborations, partnerships, and communities of practice. Tracy has coached thousands of emerging local community leaders to transform their unique skills, commitment, and passion into dramatic, measurable results for their schools, communities and the country.
Tracy’s particular passion is for designing and facilitating dynamic, action-learning events that advance goals, surface new opportunities, and reshape the strategic landscape to build strong, resilient teams.
Tracy was born in Wilmington, North Carolina and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, Tracy earned a BS and MS in Journalism from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Tracy served in the Peace Corps where she taught English literature and language in Sierra Leone, West Africa, and is a graduate of the Newfield Network Coaching Program and the Georgetown Facilitation Certification Program.
