What has being a patient yourself meant to your career in advocacy?

It really is about the human connection to me. I always say, you don’t have to actually have a condition to be a great advocate, or you don’t have to have had cancer to be a prolific cancer advocate, but having a story gives us a foundation of believing that things can improve through legislation, public policy and government engagement.

The one thing about being a patient is you never get a break. You don’t get to take a vacation from a chronic disease or a day off on a birthday. It’s front and center your whole life. We have to be both accountable and knowledgeable about what we’re managing 24/7.

Looking back on your career so far, is there a particular issue or experience that shaped the way you approach government affairs?

I would say the Affordable Care Act was a significant legislative experience in 2009-2010. We worked to mitigate and make more appropriate a tax on medical devices and technology based on utilization.

I think that there are other efforts where I also learned. Being part of doing what is right is so meaningful – even if the outcome doesn’t always directly contribute to our commercial priorities. It’s about doing the right thing and reflecting the  Johnson & Johnson Credo.

One example is the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act. Lorna Breen was a doctor who was at the forefront during the beginning of COVID in New York City. She ended up taking her own life in April 2020. J&J partnered with the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation to develop legislation that would help healthcare providers who needed to seek mental health treatment without worrying about the stigma or compromising their license.

It didn’t have anything to do with selling J&J products. Instead, this effort has to do with our love and respect for courageous healthcare providers.

You’re approaching 10 years on the Public Affairs Council’s Board. Why has staying involved with the Council been important to you, and what’s your favorite part of being involved?

Our voices matter. Advocacy matters. Narratives matter. Being able to tell our own story instead of having somebody else define it is critical for organizations.

I think one of the greatest values of the Public Affairs Council is not only the networking and the camaraderie, but learning from each other. The Public Affairs Council brings together the nexus of business and advocacy and policy and politics, because it’s all complementary. There’s no better organization to convene the forum to have that dialogue and learn from each other.

You’ve worked in Washington for over 30 years now. Looking ahead, what excites you the most about public affairs?

I think what I’m excited about is this next generation of talent, of commitment, of passion. I’m also very fortunate to work at a company that is curing and treating the most serious diseases and illnesses to save lives. To be able to do that for my job and love it too is a real privilege.

I’ve heard that you’re in a rock band. Can you tell me a little bit about that? How did you get involved in music?

I was always musical as a kid. I played piano and sang and played the flute. When I arrived in Washington, I was disenchanted by the limited musical opportunities, but I ended up singing in a group where I met some friends who wanted to play some open mic nights, and we invited our friends to come out to watch us. Crowds grew, our trio was hired and a band was born!

And I understand your husband joined in?

That band broke up, so I decided I was going to keep going and convene a new band. The only musician still to hire was a lead guitar. A friend of mine connected me with a young man in his Capitol Hill office who ended up auditioning. He was fantastic and to my pleasant surprise, very smart and “normal” (vs. traditional rock ‘n’ roll musicians). Four years later, we were married and we are still together after 23 years of marriage with two great kids (21 and 17).

We have been together playing music since 1999 as Blame It On Jane. We’ve opened for bands like Better Than Ezra and Blues Traveler, played at many of the inaugurals, the conventions, for hundreds of members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, at birthday parties and fundraisers, but we also played often (and still do!) at Pearl Street Warehouse down at the Wharf, the Birchmere, the State Theater and many local venues.

What’s it like playing music with your husband?

“The family that plays together stays together!” I know how lucky I am. My husband’s incredible. Scott’s not only our lead guitar player, but he writes all our music. Anybody who’s seen our band, they know right away that Scott and the band are phenomenal.

I hope you can come out and see us sometime. Rock on.