Scholars and Staff

Grace-Marie Turner
President
gracemarie@galen.org

Grace-Marie Turner is president of the Galen Institute, a public policy research organization that she founded in 1995 to promote an informed debate over free-market ideas for health reform. She speaks and writes extensively about incentives to promote a more competitive, consumer-driven marketplace in the health sector.

She also is founder and facilitator of the Health Policy Consensus Group, which serves as a forum for analysts from market-oriented think tanks around the country to analyze and develop health policy recommendations.

Grace-Marie is the editor of Empowering Health Care Consumers through Tax Reform. The book explains that tax reform can lead to a better functioning market in the health sector.

Brian Lee Crowley
Visiting Senior Fellow
brian@galen.org

Brian Lee Crowley joined the Galen Institute as a visiting senior fellow in March 2008. Brian is the founder of Canada’s only full-service national public policy think tank in Ottawa, the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. Crowley is also the founder and former president of AIMS, the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies, Atlantic Canada's public policy think tank. His latest book, Fearful Symmetry: the fall and rise of Canada’s founding values (published by Key Porter Books) was a top ten bestseller in Canada on its release in September 2009.

Among his many books and other publications, Brian co-authored two projects on the Canadian health-care system both of which won the Sir Antony Fisher Award. In recognition of his health-care work, he was named to the most influential recent provincial health-care inquiry in Canada, the Alberta Premier's Advisory Council on Health (the Mazankowski Committee). The Council's Chairman, former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Don Mazankowski, called Brian the "intellectual architect" of the committee's report. He is a much sought-after media commentator on health-care policy and has spoken to scores of national and international conferences in recent years on health-care reform in Canada.

Brian is a frequent commentator on political and economic issues for the CBC, Radio-Canada and many other media. His articles appear in both national newspapers and numerous regional and local newspapers, including regular columns in the largest circulation newspapers in Nova Scotia (the Chronicle-Herald), New Brunswick (the Times & Transcript) and Québec (La Presse, the largest circulation French language daily in North America). He holds degrees from McGill and the London School of Economics, including a doctorate in political economy from the latter.

Joel White
Visiting Senior Fellow
joel@galen.org

Joel White is president of JCWhite Consulting, focusing on health and tax issues, and is a Visiting Senior Fellow at the Galen Institute. Most recently, he was the Staff Director of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee where he was responsible for legislation involving Medicare reform and prescription drugs, HIPAA, insurance, and health tax issues. Prior to joining the committee, he was a Legislative Assistant for Rep. Jim Greenwood (R-PA) where he was responsible for health, retirement, banking and budget issues. He also worked as the Senior Legislative Assistant to Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT), where he covered health, economic growth and development and retirement issues. Joel has been a member of the National Economist’s Club for eight years and is co-author of Facts and Figures on Government Finance, which brings together data on public finance at all levels of government, with comparisons of taxing and spending levels spanning a half century.

James C. Capretta
Adjunct Scholar
jcapretta@eppc.org

 

James C. Capretta, an adjunct scholar at the Galen Institute and a Fellow in the Economics and Ethics Program at the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC), was an Associate Director at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from 2001 to 2004, where he was the top budget official for health care, Social Security, education, and welfare programs.

 

At EPPC, Mr. Capretta studies and provides commentary on a wide range of public policy and economic issues, with a focus on health-care and entitlement reform, U.S. fiscal policy, and global population aging. His essays and articles have appeared in numerous print and on-line publications, including Health Affairs, National Affairs, Kaiser Health News, The Weekly Standard, National Review, The New Atlantis, and Tax Notes, among others. He is the author of health care blog Diagnosis and is a frequent contributor to National Review Online. Mr. Capretta has also appeared as a commentator on Fox Business News, CNBC, EWTN and numerous national and local radio programs.

In addition to his work as a researcher and commentator on public policy issues, Mr. Capretta is also a health policy and research consultant with Civic Enterprises, LLC, an Adjunct Fellow with the Global Aging Initiative of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and an Adjunct Fellow with Hudson Institute.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Capretta served for a decade in Congress as a senior analyst for health care issues and for three years as a budget examiner at OMB. He has an MA in Public Policy Studies from Duke University, and he graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1985 with a BA in Government.

Jamie Burke
Coalitions Director
jamie@galen.org

Jamie Burke has been engaged by the Galen Institute as Coalitions Director.  In this capacity she executes on the Institute’s plan to build upon its legacy as a leading voice in shaping America’s health care system.  Jamie’s consulting vehicle, Burke Consulting Company LLC, will play an integral role in strengthening the support for free market health care ideas by building a like minded advocacy network for the Galen Institute. 

For twenty years Jamie Burke has been an organizer and communicator for positive, free market ideas.  She has served both inside of Government and out and has gained a reputation as a steady and thoughtful conservative.

Jamie most recently served as the White House Liaison and National Outreach Officer at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  There, her responsibilities included establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships with senior officials at the HHS as well as the NIH, FDA, CDC, NCI, CMS, White House, U.S. Congressional staff and representatives from counterpart executive government departments.  In addition she served as the Agency’s lead contact for the business groups, medical societies, physician associations and think tanks.

She also served as White House Liaison at U.S. Department of Education and had leadership roles in other Executive Agencies.   She has been a strong supporter of and is proud to have been a colleague of the late Jack Kemp at the Heritage Foundation as well as the advocacy organization Empower America, and served as Director of External Affairs at the Republican National Committee.

Jeff Lungren
Communications Director
jeff@galen.org

Jeff Lungren joined the Galen Institute in July of 2009 and is responsible for focusing and amplifying the Institute’s message.  He has over twelve years of senior public affairs and government relations experience as a White House legislative aide and congressional communications aide.  Jeff most recently was a Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs in the Bush Administration, where he served as the liaison to over 100 House Members and helped to devise and implement the Administration’s agenda on numerous issues before the Congress.

Jeff brings extensive Capitol Hill communications experience to the Galen Institute having handled messaging and communications for the House Judiciary Committee from 2001-2007.  Jeff had responsibility for many high-profile issues, including the USA-PATRIOT Act and its 2006 renewal, immigration and border security, intellectual property issues, child protection legislation, anti-trust issues, and the REAL ID legislation.  Opinion pieces drafted by Jeff have been published by The Washington Post, USA Today, and numerous other major publications.  Jeff’s Capitol Hill work garnered him recognition by National Journal in its 2003 “The Hill People” profiles of top Capitol Hill aides.

Jeff is a 1995 graduate of the University of Notre Dame.

Sterling Meyers
Coalitions Coordinator
sterling@galen.org

Sterling Meyers is Coalitions Coordinator at the Galen Institute and a Koch Associate with the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation. At the Galen Institute, Sterling works to build and deepen coalitions of organizations around the ideas of increased competition and consumer choice in the health sector. Sterling recently received her B.A. in Communication Studies from Cedarville University in Ohio. Prior to working at Galen, Sterling interned at The Washington Times, at an online health care publication, and for a non-profit organization devoted to international relief and development work.

Andrew Palczewski
Deputy Communications Director
andrew@galen.org

Andrew previously worked at Levick Strategic Communications, a Washington-based corporate crisis PR agency, and has held internships in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, including an internship with the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. He earned his B.A. in political communications with a minor in journalism from The George Washington University.

Tara Persico
Research Director
tara@galen.org

Tara Persico has 10 years of experience in project management and website production. She has been with the Galen Institute since 2000, where she serves as research director and project manager. She is editor of the Galen Institute’s weekly newsletter, Health Policy Matters, a responsibility that includes compiling data and writing summaries of current health policy issues. Tara also writes and edits content for the Galen website, http://www.galen.org/.

 

Tara helps manage the Galen Institute’s information technology system, including network maintenance and administration. She evaluates new software and hardware for feasibility and interoperability with the Galen Institute network. In addition, she is director of scheduling for Galen staff. 

Tara received her B.A. from Mary Washington College in 1996.

Jena Persico
Special Projects Director
jena@galen.org

 

Jena Persico first joined the Galen Institute as an intern in 2004. After completing work on her bachelor’s degree in art from James Madison University, she joined the Galen Institute full time in 2006. She works on a variety of projects, ranging from donor communications to meetings and event planning. With her background in art and design, Jena also uses her expertise in designing publications and graphics to create new publications and products for the Galen Institute. Her most recent project was a redesign of Galen’s semi-annual health policy activities report to create a fresher look and make the publication more readable.